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Hire Dr. Daniel A.

United Kingdom

USD 80 /hr

Senior Researcher & Policy Analyst | Criminologist | Expert in Qualitative Methods & Policy Evaluation

Profile Summary

I’m Dr Daniel Ash, an academic consultant and research specialist with 20+ years’ experience spanning public service, frontline policing, applied research, and higher education. I hold a Doctorate in Criminology and Criminal Justice and currently serve as Executive Director of EAP Research Consultancy Ltd and Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Stirling. My work supports clients across academia, government, and the third sector - helping them to design, critique, and communicate research with clarity and integrity. I specialise in qualitative methods (especially Classic Grounded Theory), public policy analysis, domestic abuse and youth justice, and academic writing support. On Kolabtree, I offer: Research design and critique Structural editing and rewriting Thematic analysis, coding, and insight generation Policy evaluation and bid writing Coaching on research methodology and thesis development I’ve secured over £250,000 in competitive funding and delivered research for clients including the UK Home Office, Arts Council England, DEFRA, and multiple police forces. I’m fluent in remote collaboration and take pride in delivering timely results, providing deep insights, and maintaining a calm, client-centred approach.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ★ Justice Systems
• ☆ Public Policy Administration
• ☆ Social Theory
• ☆ Crime & Criminology
• ☆ Evaluation Methodology
• ☆ User Research
• ☆ Qualitative User Research
• ☆ Manuscript & Journal Article Writing
• ☆ SOP & Protocol Writing
• ☆ Textbook Content Writing
• ☆ Course Content Writing
• ☆ Grant Writing

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting

Writing Technical Writing, General Proofreading & Editing

Research User Research, Meta-Research, Gap Analysis, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Operations Consulting

Work Experience

Honorary Associate Professor

University of Stirling

June 2023 - Present

Executive Director

EAP Research Consultancy LTD

October 2022 - Present

Senior Lecturer

University of Gloucestershire

October 2020 - Present

Senior lecturer in criminology

University of Gloucestershire

October 2020 - Present

University of Northampton

- October 2020

Lecturer

University of Northampton

October 2017 - October 2020

Education

Doctor of criminology and criminal justice (DCrim)

Keele University

October 2016 - January 2020

BSc (Hons)

Open University of UK

January 2010 - July 2014

BSC (Hons) Open in mathematics and humanities

The Open University

2010 - 2014

Certifications

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

  Advance HE

  https://www.advance-he.ac.uk

  January 2021 - Present

Publications

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Ash, D. P. (2022) “The Behavioural Motivations of Police Officers Engaged in Domestic Abuse Incident Work”, Grounded Theory Review, 21(02), pp. 104–122. Available at: https://groundedtheoryreview.org/index.php/gtr/article/view/439 (Accessed: 18 July 2025) .

Jonathan Hobson, Anamika Twyman-Ghoshal, Rebecca Banwell-Moore, Daniel P Ash (2022). Restorative Justice, Youth Violence, and Policing: A Review of the Evidence . Laws.

Ash, D.P., 2022. The Importance of Epistemology When Defending a Doctoral Thesis: The Research Philosophical Nature of Classic Grounded Theory. Grounded Theory Review: An International Journal, 21(1) .

Can facial emotion recognition be rapidly improved in children with disruptive behavior? A targeted and preventative early intervention study @article{a1304e8dd7c24284af3343148873179c, title = "Can facial emotion recognition be rapidly improved in children with disruptive behavior? A targeted and preventative early intervention study", abstract = "An impairment in recognizing distress is implicated in the development and severity of antisocial behavior. It has been hypothesized that a lack of attention to the eyes plays a role, but supporting evidence is limited. We developed a computerized training to improve emotion recognition in children and examined the role of eye gaze before and after training. Children referred into an intervention program to prevent antisocial outcomes completed an emotion recognition task with concurrent eye tracking. Those with emotion recognition impairments (n = 54, mean age: 8.72 years, 78\% male) completed the training, while others (n = 38, mean age: 8.95 years, 84\% male) continued with their usual interventions. Emotion recognition and eye gaze were reassessed in all children 8 weeks later. Impaired negative emotion recognition was significantly related to severity of behavioral problems at pretest. Children who completed the training significantly improved in emotion recognition; eye gaze did not contribute to impairment or improvement in emotion recognition. This study confirms the role of emotion recognition in severity of disruptive behavior and shows that a targeted intervention can quickly improve emotion impairments. The training works by improving children's ability to appraise emotional stimuli rather than by influencing their visual attention.", keywords = "Disruptive behaviour, Early intervention, Emotion recognition, Child development", author = "Hunnikin, \{Laura M\} and Wells, \{Amy E\} and Ash, \{Daniel Paul\} and \{Van Goozen\}, \{Stephanie HM\}", year = "2021", month = jan, day = "12", doi = "10.1017/S0954579420001091", language = "English", pages = "1--9", journal = "Development and Psychopathology", issn = "0954-5794", publisher = "Cambridge University Press", } . Development and Psychopathology.

(2020). Improving emotion recognition is associated with subsequent mental health and well-being in children with severe behavioural problems . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Improving emotion recognition is associated with subsequent mental health and well-being in children with severe behavioural problems @article{22d59f4cca574b11885f214193914a46, title = "Improving emotion recognition is associated with subsequent mental health and well-being in children with severe behavioural problems", abstract = "Impaired emotion recognition is a transdiagnostic risk factor for a range of psychiatric disorders. It has been argued that improving emotion recognition may lead to improvements in behaviour and mental health, but supportive evidence is limited. We assessed emotion recognition and mental health following a brief and targeted computerised emotion recognition training in children referred into an intervention program because of severe family adversity and behavioural problems (n = 62; aged 7–10). While all children continued to receive their usual interventions, only children impaired in emotion recognition (n = 40) received the emotion training. Teachers blind to whether or not children had received the training rated children{\textquoteright}s mental health problems before and 6 months after the training. Participants who received the emotion training significantly improved their recognition of negative and neutral facial expressions. Although both groups showed improved behaviour at follow-up, the reduction in behavioural problems was only significant in children who received the emotion training. Post-training emotion recognition scores predicted mental health problems 6 months later independently of initial emotion recognition ability and severity of behavioural problems. The results are consistent with the view that targeting emotion recognition can improve longer term functioning in individuals with disruptive behaviour, although further research using fully randomised designs is needed before causal conclusions can be drawn with confidence.", keywords = "Antisocial behaviour, Emotions, Facial expressions, Intervention, Wellbeing", author = "Wells, \{Amy E\} and Hunnikin, \{Laura M\} and Ash, \{Daniel Paul\} and \{Van Goozen\}, \{Stephanie HM\}", year = "2020", month = sep, day = "30", doi = "10.1007/s00787-020-01652-y", language = "English", volume = "30", pages = "1769--1777", journal = "European Child \& Adolescent Psychiatry", issn = "1018-8827", publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH", number = "11", } . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Amy E. Wells, Laura M. Hunnikin, Daniel P. Ash, Stephanie H. M. van Goozen(2020). Low Self-Esteem and Impairments in Emotion Recognition Predict Behavioural Problems in Children . Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. Springer Science and Business Media {LLC}

Low Self-Esteem and Impairments in Emotion Recognition Predict Behavioural Problems in Children @article{d68f6831232e46578944b56ba5c35d15, title = "Low Self-Esteem and Impairments in Emotion Recognition Predict Behavioural Problems in Children", abstract = "Research indicates that low self-esteem and impaired emotion recognition are risk factors for antisocial behaviour (ASB). Self-esteem and emotion recognition are essential for successful social interaction and previous research suggests that self-esteem and emotional intelligence are positively related. However, to our knowledge the relationship between these two risk factors for ASB has not been explored in children with behavioural problems. Thus, this study investigated self-esteem and emotion recognition, their relationship with one another and with behavioural problem severity. Participants were 8–11 year olds with behavioural problems (BP; n = 78) who were taking part in an early intervention program, and typically developing controls (TD; n = 54). Participants completed a self-esteem questionnaire and a computerised emotion recognition task. Teachers and parents rated children{\textquoteright}s emotional and behavioural problems. BP participants had significantly lower self-esteem and exhibited an impairment in emotion recognition. Self-esteem and emotion recognition were positively related and inversely associated with behavioural problem severity and they predicted behaviour problems independently of one another. This is the first study to show that self-esteem and emotion recognition are related processes in children with behavioural problems and that both predict behavioural problems. This has important implications for the development of intervention strategies.", keywords = "Antisocial behaviour, Behavioural problems, Emotion recognition, Peer relationships, Self-enhancing bias, Self-esteem, Self-perception", author = "Wells, \{Amy E\} and Hunnikin, \{Laura M\} and Ash, \{Daniel Paul\} and \{Van Goozen\}, \{Stephanie HM\}", year = "2020", month = jun, day = "2", doi = "10.1007/s10862-020-09814-7", language = "English", volume = "42", pages = "693--701", journal = "Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment", issn = "0882-2689", publisher = "Springer", } . Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment.

Wells, Amy E and Hunnikin, Laura M and Ash, Daniel P and Van Goozen, Stephanie HM(2020). Children with behavioural problems misinterpret the emotions and intentions of others . Journal of abnormal child psychology. 48. (2). p. 213--221. Springer

Wells, Amy E and Hunnikin, Laura M and Ash, Daniel P and Van Goozen, Stephanie HM(2020). Low self-esteem and impairments in emotion recognition predict behavioural problems in children . Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. 42. p. 693--701. Springer

Hunnikin, Laura M and Wells, Amy E and Ash, Daniel P and Van Goozen, Stephanie HM(2020). The nature and extent of emotion recognition and empathy impairments in children showing disruptive behaviour referred into a crime prevention programme . European child & adolescent psychiatry. 29. (3). p. 363--371. Springer

Wells, Amy E and Hunnikin, Laura M and Ash, Daniel P and Van Goozen, Stephanie HM(2020). Improving emotion recognition is associated with subsequent mental health and well-being in children with severe behavioural problems . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. p. 1--9. Springer

Wells, A.E., Hunnikin, L.M., Ash, D.P., van Goozen, S.H.M.(2020). Children with Behavioural Problems Misinterpret the Emotions and Intentions of Others . Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology. 48. (2). p. 213-221.

Hunnikin, L.M., Wells, A.E., Ash, D.P., van Goozen, S.H.M.(2020). The nature and extent of emotion recognition and empathy impairments in children showing disruptive behaviour referred into a crime prevention programme . European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 29. (3). p. 363-371.

(2019). Children with Behavioural Problems Misinterpret the Emotions and Intentions of Others . Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.

The nature and extent of emotion recognition and empathy impairments in children showing disruptive behaviour referred into a crime prevention programme @article{f817e55dd0bd4da7b935e47c16db065f, title = "The nature and extent of emotion recognition and empathy impairments in children showing disruptive behaviour referred into a crime prevention programme", abstract = "Childhood disruptive behaviour has been linked to later antisocial and criminal behaviour. Emotion recognition and empathy impairments, thought to be caused by inattention to the eye region, are hypothesised to contribute to antisocial and criminal behaviour. This is the first study to simultaneously examine emotion recognition and empathy impairments, their relationship, and the mechanism behind these impairments, in children with disruptive behaviour. We hypothesised that children with disruptive behaviour would exhibit negative emotion recognition and cognitive and affective empathy impairments, but that these impairments would not be due to reduced attention to the eye region. We expected these emotion impairments to be driven by disruptive behaviour. We also expected a relationship between emotion recognition and cognitive empathy only. Ninety-two children with disruptive behaviour, who were participating in a police crime prevention programme and rated by their schoolteacher using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (DB; mean age 8.8 years, 80\% male), took part. There was a comparison group of 58 typically developing children (TD; mean age 9.7 years, 78\% male). All children completed emotion recognition and empathy tasks, both with concurrent eye tracking to assess social attention. Not only were DB children significantly impaired in negative emotion and neutral emotion recognition, and in cognitive and affective empathy compared to the TD children, but severity of disruptive behaviour also predicted intensity of emotion impairments. There were no differences in social attention to the eye region. Negative emotion recognition and empathy impairments are already present in an identifiable group of children displaying disruptive behaviour. These findings provide evidence to encourage the use of targeted interventions.", keywords = "Disruptive behaviour, Emotion recognition, Empathy, Eye gaze", author = "Hunnikin, \{Laura M\} and Wells, \{Amy E\} and Ash, \{Daniel P\} and \{Van Goozen\}, \{Stephanie HM\}", year = "2019", month = jun, day = "1", doi = "10.1007/s00787-019-01358-w", language = "English", volume = "29", pages = "363--371", journal = "European Child \& Adolescent Psychiatry", issn = "1018-8827", publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH", } . European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Hunnikin LM, Wells AE, Ash DP, van Goozen SHM(2019). The nature and extent of emotion recognition and empathy impairments in children showing disruptive behaviour referred into a crime prevention programme . European child & adolescent psychiatry.

Hunnikin, Laura M and Wells, Amy E and Ash, Daniel P and van Goozen, Stephanie HMCan facial emotion recognition be rapidly improved in children with disruptive behavior? A targeted and preventative early intervention study. Development and Psychopathology. p. 1--9. Cambridge University Press

REPORT

Hobson, Jonathan Ash, Daniel P and Twyman-Ghoshal, Anamika (2022) Metropolitan Police Service restorative justice policy consultation report. Project Report. University of Gloucestershire .

Learning by doing: Local Communities work and learn together to prevent and reduce ESL and drop-out @book{882ab60cef0d4767b8b0fa27d87efdc3, title = "Learning by doing: Local Communities work and learn together to prevent and reduce ESL and drop-out", abstract = "Following the initial research conducted as part of IO1 and carried out by CIES-UIL (Mateus et al, 2018) on factors leading to ESL, the team at the University of Northampton developed guidelines for the implementation of IO2 (Devecchi, et al, 2018). This document is the final report of the IO2{\textquoteright}s activities and includes the following: • The IO2 framework; • Report on training, its development and implementation; • Report on the pilot activities carried out by each partner; • Evaluation of training; • Evaluation of pilot activities; • Conclusion and recommendations. Part 1 of this report focuses on the work carried out in preparation for the implementation of the training and pilot initiatives. It outlines the IO2 framework and the support measure (management and leadership) put in place to ensure the effective and successful fulfilment of the IO2{\textquoteright}s aims and objectives.", author = "Cristina Devecchi and Wendy Turner and Ash, \{Daniel Paul\} and Jane Murray", year = "2019", month = aug, day = "31", language = "English", } .

Stories of Young Dropouts @book{211d07bd674e4e59aa7940afa4b94cfd, title = "Stories of Young Dropouts: A Social Survey of Success and Failure", abstract = "The present report covers the research, methodology, fieldwork activities, analysis of data and conclusions regarding Output 1 - Social Survey of the Below 10 Project. It focuses on the causes and characteristics of school failure and early school leaving (ESL hereafter). It was carried out by all partners of the Below 10 project on its first phase, and contains data collected locally in the following countries: Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania and United Kingdom. The research sought to answer the following questions: 1) what are the causes of early school leaving and dropping out at a local level; 2) how can ESL and dropping out be reduced? Educational outcomes currently assume an unprecedented weighting in the process of individual development and self-representation. The {"}school trajectory, generalised, merges with the actual biographic construction of the young person{"} (Vieira, 2010, pp. 278)1 and school inscribes {"}institutional self-confidence” in individuals (Martucelli, 2006, pp.45)2, rewriting experiences based upon academic evaluations through actions of confirmation, certification or refutation and doubt. Education processes may have emancipative or vulnerability effects, generating exclusion. Schools are for this reason both environments reproducing the prevailing social inequalities as well as producing new inequalities (Bourdieu, Passeron, 19703; DuruBellat, 20024).", author = "Cristina Devecchi and Wendy Turner and Ash, \{Daniel Paul\} and Jane Murray", year = "2019", month = aug, day = "31", language = "English", } .

DISSERTATION THESIS

Ash, Daniel Paul and others(2021). Balancing value and effort: a classic grounded theory of frontline police practice.