Creating Space for Diversity in Our Research
By Jamie Chan
In February 2022, the Sussex Research Hive ran a workshop on LGBTQ+ inclusivity for researchers, with the aim of providing a safe space for researchers to learn about and discuss issues surrounding inclusivity in their research. The workshop covered topics such as inclusive language, LGBTQ+-friendly conferences, research designs, semantics when communicating research and some food for thought when considering inclusivity in our research.
Inclusivity is a topic that have received increasing attention in the recent years. A quick search online tells us that many universities in the UK have started providing equality, diversity and inclusivity trainings – the common goals typically include providing an inclusive space for students and workplace for members of staff in HE, tackling unconscious biases and discrimination, and promoting respect and dignity on campus. However, when considering inclusivity in the research that we are conducting, the answers are not as straightforward as an online research.
Inclusivity training in research is important. As researchers, we are part of the knowledge production system and if our research fails to represent the population, then our research is inevitably biased – but how do we know if our research is inclusive?
When considering inclusivity in research, here are three questions that might serve as starting points:
1. Are we interested in the idea of diverse representation or are we creating enough space to understand diverse experiences?
The idea of recruiting diverse samples is one that is different from the idea of dedicating (sufficient) space in our writing to unpack the diversity in experiences in any data collected. Assuming heterogeneity in experiences – sometimes when grouping subgroups of people (or data) into larger umbrella terms – risks erasing nuances in experiences amongst members of minority groups. After all, what is the point of gathering these data if we’re not going to give its voice a stage in our research!
2. Does our work serve the interest of those being included?
Our previous blog post on SAGE Perspectives highlights the disconnect between research and fieldwork – this point explores exactly this. It is important that the research we conduct (especially when recruiting members of minority groups) actually benefits the population which we are extracting data from. We can do something about this ‘disconnect’ by considering the interest of those whom we are studying.
3. What shapes our choice of research methods and processes?
Every research project requires its own method/methodology, but how inclusive are they? For example, in psychology, scales are often developed and validated using samples from WEIRD (western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic) societies, which may or may not capture sufficient variance amongst different samples. As a researcher, it is important for us to actively reflect on the methods/methodologies that we use to explore our research questions.
It is important to for institutions to provide trainings to researchers on how to be more inclusive in our environment is important, but what is equally important is trainings on how to be more inclusive within our research.
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