The story of the ARG starts in 2020 at the Antwerp (Belgium) Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) and its research group on complexity and health led by Prof. Bruno Marchal. Realist evaluation is an important part of the discussions during meetings and in the hallways. The idea that a group should be created to discuss realist issues on a regular basis is ousted regularly. Dimitri Renmans who is then a post-doctoral researcher on an FWO fellowship at the ITM (under the supervision of Bruno Marchal) and the University of Antwerp, decides to start the process to create this group, together with Bruno Marchal, Sara Van Belle, Nandini Sarkar and Clara Affun-Adegbulu. The Antwerp Realists Group or ARG is founded. Despite it's name, it welcomes colleagues from all over the world and we have two-weekly meetings discussing several topics ranging from the use of theory in RE to 'how to recognize a mechanism' to the different kinds of CMO heuristics. 

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The meetings are and always have been rather informal, making it easier for junior researchers to ask questions they would not dare to ask in more formal settings. It also allows more discussion and makes that the conversation goes where the questions are. Indeed, we often start with one topic and end with a completely other discussion. When the co-founder and coordinator Dimitri Renmans moves to the University of Brussels, we decide to change the name in order to better depict the diversity of our group. The acronym remains the same, while the meaning of the A is changed into 'All', the 'All Realists Group' is created. 

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By then we have also published our first ARG paper which discusses realist evaluation in times of decolonizing global health. This inspired the group to create temporary working groups that work around specific publications. Two groups were created: one on participatory methods in realist evaluation and one on the use of concepts and theories in realist evaluations. The first group will soon publish their work in the journal 'Evaluation', while the second is currently inactive. New propositions for temporary working groups are always welcome.

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We are currently in our fifth year of the ARG. A nice moment to expand and try out some new things. Stay tuned!