Doctor of Social Sciences in Sociology (PhD, 2017). My dissertation dealt with formal and informal social relations between the media, the political and business spheres at the local level and what the consequences of these relations are for local communities.

The results of the PhD project were published in 2019 in the book 'Local press in relations with key social actors. Case studies' (Krakow/Łódź: Universitas/WUŁ, pp. 426). The book can be read in open access: https://ksiegarnia.uni.lodz.pl/prasa-lokalna-w-relacjach-z-kluczowymi-aktorami-spolecznymi-p-863.html).

I am a member of the editorial team of the Sociological Review (deputy editor-in-chief) and president of the Łódź Branch of the Polish Sociological Association.

• social research methods
• ethics of social research
• research on "difficult" phenomena
• qualitative field research (e.g. case study method, participatory action research)
• social research methods and ethics during social crises
• media research (local media, fact-checking problems in the media, fact-checking organisations)
• media ethics, journalistic ethics
• conflict of interest in journalism

Research grants:

OPUS 25 2024-2028: "CRISIS RE-THICS. Research and ethical practices in social sciences during social crises - the cases of the 1997 and 2010 floods, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine" (scientific consortium UMK-UŁ-UW; NCN: 2023/49/B/HS6/00571)

Latest publications:

• Bielska B., Kalinowska K., Męcfal S., Surmiak A. (2024). Strengths and Limitations of an Online Qualitative Survey in Times of Social Crisis: Example of the COVID-19 Pandemic, "Qualitative Sociology Review", 24(4): 78-100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.20.4.04

• Katarzyna Kalinowska, Beata Bielska, Sylwia Męcfal, Adrianna Surmiak (2022) "Czy badać? Co badać? Jak badać? Strategie badawcze w naukach społecznych i humanistycznych w pierwszej fali pandemii COVID-19". Przegląd Socjologii Jakościowej 18(4): 34-59. https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8069.18.4.02
• Męcfal Sylwia (2020) „Analiza praktyk anonimizacji danych w polskich jakościowych badaniach socjologicznych na tle literatury przedmiotu oraz zasad etyczno-prawnych”. Przegląd Socjologiczny 69(3): 59-84. https://doi.org/10.26485/10.26485/PS/2020/69.3/3
• Męcfal Sylwia (2020) Local media policies in Poland. Key issues and debates, In: The Routledge Companion to Local Media and Journalism. A. Gulyas, D. Baines (eds), 122-131 (chapter 11), London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351239943-14

Other publications are listed on: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sylwia_Mecfal

or: https://unilodz.academia.edu/SylwiaMecfal

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2063-7207