Dr Robyn Smith

Dr Robyn Smith is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow funded by the Economic and Social Sciences Research Council in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences. Robyn’s research interests include youth sport for development, participatory methodologies, forced migration and leisure, wellbeing, and social action.

Prior to joining Loughborough University, Robyn was awarded fully-funded scholarships to study for her BA(Hons) in Kinesiology and Sport Management (Western University), MSc in Physical Cultural Studies and Ethnic and Immigration Studies (University of Toronto) and PhD in Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences (Brunel University London – completion 2023). After completing her PhD, Robyn worked as a Lecturer in Sport, Health and Exercise Sciences (Sports Sociology and Development) at Brunel University London.

Robyn’s research primarily focuses on critically examining the relationship between community sport, leisure, and wellbeing among young people from equity-owed communities. Her fellowship seeks to understand community sport, leisure, and wellbeing in the lives of young people from refugee backgrounds in the UK and drive impact through mobilizing knowledge to inform policy and practice in this field.

Robyn’s research is embedded within social justice and she is passionate about working in collaboration with communities, practitioners, and organizations and using participatory approaches to co-create meaningful and useable knowledge which can foster social change. She has published widely on the ethical, methodological, and conceptual dimensions of participatory research and is co-editor of the collection ‘Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity’. Robyn has experience in co-translating research through podcasts, art exhibits, infographics, and digital stories.

• Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Health and Wellbeing Across the Lifecourse, Brunel University London (2024 onwards)
• Associate Editor Annals of Leisure Research (2023 to present)

Publications in refereed journals

• Mansfield, L., Daykin, N., O'Connell, N. E., Bailey, D., Forde, L., Smith, R., Gifford, J., Ashdown-Franks, G. A. (2024). Mixed methods systematic review on the effects of arts interventions for at-risk and offending children and young people on behavioural, psychosocial, cognitive and offending outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews TBD, Issue TBD. Art. No.: CA000309. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CA000309.
• Smith, R., Mansfield, L., & Wainwright, E. (2023). ‘Do Know Harm’: Examining the intersecting capabilities of young people from refugee backgrounds through community sport and leisure programs. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 58(7), 1135-1153. DOI: 10.1177/10126902221150123
• Kerner, C., Prescott, A., Smith, R., & Owen, M. (2022). A systematic review exploring body image programmes and interventions in physical education. European Physical Education Review, 28(4), 942-967. DOI: 10.1177/1356336X221097318
• Smith, R., Mansfield, L., & Wainwright, E. (2022). ’Should I really be here?’: Problems of trust and ethics in PAR with young people from refugee backgrounds in sport and leisure. Sport in Society, 25(3), 434–452. DOI: 10.1080/17430437.2022.2017620
• Smith, R., Danford, M., Darnell, S. C., Larrazabal, M. J. L., & Abdellatif, M. (2020). ‘Like, what even is a podcast?’ Approaching sport-for-development youth participatory action research through digital methodologies. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(1), 128–145. DOI: 10.1080/2159676X.2020.1836515
• Smith, R., Spaaij, R., McDonald, B. (2019). Migrant Integration and Cultural Capital in the Context of Sport and Physical Activity: A Systematic Review. Journal of International Migration and Integration 20(3), 851-868. DOI: 10.1007/s12134-018-0634-5

Edited Collections

• Rich, K. A., Smith, R., and Giles, A. (2024). Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity (Eds). Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise Series. Routledge.

Book Chapters

• Smith, R., Danford, M., Darnell, S., Doane, B., Dinunzio, D.,  Joaquina Lima Larrazabal, M., Brathwaite, S., & Jane Soropia, C. (2024). ‘Trust doesn’t happen on a timeline”: Partnership work in PAR. In Rich, K., Smith,  R., Giles, A. (Eds). Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise Series. Routledge
• Rich, K. A., Smith, R., and Giles, A. (2024). Introduction. In Rich, K., Smith,  R., Giles, A. (Eds). Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise Series. Routledge
• Rich, K. A., Smith, R., and Giles, A. (2024). Conclusion. In Rich, K., Smith,  R., Giles, A. (Eds). Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise Series. Routledge
• Giles, A., Smith, R., Oncescu, J.,  Ritondo, T., & Peterson, B. (2024). Secondary Traumatic Stress and Community-Based Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity. In Rich, K., Smith, R., Giles, A. (Eds). Participatory Research in Sport and Physical Activity.
• Clevenger, S., J.C. Rick, O.,  J. Weber, E., &  Smith, R. (2024). Podcasting as Knowledge Translation Tool for Sport and Physical Activity Research. In Rich, K., Smith, R., Giles, A. (Eds). ParticipatoryResearch in Sport and Physical Activity.
• Webster, C., and Smith, R. (2024). Participatory Approaches in Sport, Leisure and Forced Migration: Where is the social justice?  In Lawrence, S, Mowett, M., Hill, J. (Eds). Routledge Handbook and Sport, Leisure and Social Justice. Routledge.