Method, Design, and Reflexivity in a Study on Women in STEM

This article discusses the method, design, and reflexivity in a qualitative study on the lived experiences of women in senior positions in STEM. It explores the use of Explanatory Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and the importance of reflexivity in the research process.

4. Method
4.1. Design
The current study aims to discover the lived involvements of women in elder positions in STEM
by means of the qualitative project approach. Malterud (2001) has labeled qualitative research as
the methodical gathering, society, and incomes for explanation all the gratified resulting from
discussions. The qualitative method brings to understand the multifaceted involvements of
STEM women in senior positions and recognize shared themes in their occupations over their
descriptions (Amon, 2017).
Explanatory Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method was castoff to understand the data
composed finished semi-structured meetings. IPA is a qualitative method to inspect and
comprehend how people make intelligence of life knowledges (Smith et al., 2009, p. 1). The
explanatory method lets focusing on understanding the sense that women in STEM provided to
their knowledges (Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill, 2012). This approach provided a voice to
women’s experiences (Tlaiss, 2013). With this information, the IPA method was measured
suitable for this study
4.2. Reflexivity
The current study rests on the pillar of phenomenological epistemology which intended at
considerate the expedition and tests confronted by senior women in the STEM domain. IPA is
founded in philosophy and includes three dangerous areas; of phenomenology, hermeneutics,
and ideography (Smith, 2011; Pietkiewicz & Smith, 2014). IPA tries to give a thorough
clarification of everybody lived involvement (Smith, Flowers, & Larkins, 2009). Thus, it makes
contract for the logical aspect of this study; it will let the contributors to extant their opinions
from their personal viewpoint and considerate of their existed knowledges in older positions in
the STEM area.
Phenomenology aspects at human knowledges as articulated and unspoken by them (Willig,
2013, p. 84). Ideography mentions to a deep examination of all circumstance and investigative
distinct viewpoints of each member detailed by the investigator (Pietkiewicz et al., 2014). To
each members', data is studied in details, and then mutual themes are initiate by the investigator
then utilize to associate or distinction through descriptions (Pietkiewicz et al., 2014). The
investigator is affianced in a dual hermeneutic method by creation intelligence of the
contributor's world by examining the information and looking for to understand the whole world
considerate of their knowledges (Smith et al. 2009:3). IPA logical procedure is described as a
double hermeneutic or dual interpretation process because first, the participants interpret their
experiences, then the researcher works on understanding these experiences and make sense of it
(Smith & Osborn, 2008).
The investigator plays a double active role as a researcher one brings their assumptions and
beliefs, and it is hard to be isolated (McAuley, 2004). Finley (2003) pointed out that reflexivity is
a mechanism to advance thoughtful insights for their research. A proactive attempt has been

made by the researcher to retain the reflexive process (Willig, 2008). Having worked in senior
roles in international organizations and being exposed to the challenges that women face in their
career progression, there were some preconceived perceptions. But these experiences were not in
the STEM field, so it helped in looking at the study with an open mind.
4.3. Participants
This study purposes to comprehend the occupation descriptions of STEM women, and individual
knowledges in the chase of leadership situations in STEM (Amon, 2017). The members for this
education were six women in senior level in STEM. IPA research involves a few participants to
review their experiences in details and discover the resemblances and possible changes (Smith,
2004).
All the contributors are women in STEM in senior level globally. The contestants work in
dissimilar segments of STEM, which comprise Technology, Engineering, Science, and Research.
All the contestants tumble in the age group of 30 to 60 years. The contributors are from India,
Canada, USA, and Germany. Even nonetheless the demographics are dissimilar, they are
selected for this education in they all fall underneath the control group of women in STEM
internationally. In that reverence, it is a similar group, which is desirable for a appropriate study
(Smith et al., 2003).
The meetings were directed using Skype, and the dialectal used was English. Smith (2004),
distinguished that the productivity of the information could be provoked only when the
contributors are easy in the language. In this case, all the contributors were easy in English.
Employment of contributors was complete done a specialized network. Tables of the
contributor's demographics and descriptions is comprised in Appendix C.
4.4. Materials
The meetings were led in a Semi-structured arrangement as per the information ordering
technique for IPA (Smith et al., 2009). It has been piercing available by Willig (2001), that
except the investigator is skilled in leading meetings, flexible meetings with few titles would
negotiate the consequences of the study. So, meeting format was semi-structured (see Appendix
D) with a designated quantity of queries and investigations.
4.5. Procedure
Ethics, form succumbed for this education was accepted was decided by the City University of
London. After the Ethics endorsement, the contributors were communicated. Members were sent
an info piece to recite (Appendix A) and agreement procedure to emblem (Appendix B) by
electronic means.
All the e-mails were directed separately to members in devotion with the moral finest performs
safeguarding that the secrecy and the confidentiality of the the whole world were upheld. The
evidence sheet provided the contributors evidence on the nature of the education. Also, the
contributors were guaranteed of the privacy, and the secrecy of the information they providing.
They were well-versed about their removal privileges. Pseudo designations remained cast-off
throughout the record of information to uphold secrecy, and any orientations to administrations

were detached. The members remained also knowledgeable around the meetings existence
logged.
Once the employed agreement procedures were conventional, the contributors were
communicated to agenda a period for the Skype meetings. After the contributor's obtainability
and expediency were established, judgements were arranged for the meetings. Any anxieties, the
contributors had been elucidated previously the meeting. Skype meetings were arranged since
the contributors were exist in countries outdoor the U.K. It was not possible frugally and or
logistically to have an expression to expression conferences with them.
Notice e-mails were directed out a nocturnal before the conference to all members. Each
conference trendy with worldwide enquiries everywhere the occupancy, profession movements
and job shares to form a association and yield a contented atmosphere for the conference (King,
2004). As an inspector effort was comprehensive to varnish the deliberations on a hopeful letter.
The conferences continued for time among 45 minutes to one hour. The chronicled meetings
were recorded exact by the investigators, in lines with the IPA obligation that the researcher
publicizes themselves through the information at an initial phase (Smith et al., 2009).
4.6. Analysis
Examining of the interview records was complete by means of IPA. The drive of this is to get a
thorough explanation of the key themes. The four-step stages clarified by Smith and Osborn
(2003), was utilized as the foundation for this procedure. The procedure shadowed the
idiographic method, safeguarding that to each record was deliberate in details and tenable themes
before touching the next record and lastly transporting all the thoughts self-possessed to entrance
for joint emerging themes (Smith et al., 1995).
Each record was recited many phases and comments were published on the left-hand side of the
records (Smith & Osborn, 2003). Any exact labels, languages, and explanations were
experiential in this primary phase. The subsequent phase was to detention the developing themes
and then keeping them on the right-hand side of the record. The extent of themes that emerge
reflects the richness of the data that’s being analyzed (Smith et al., 2003). This stage intricate
apprehending all the developing themes and observing for influences amid them. Some themes
gathered together, and some arose as the developing highest themes (Smith et al., 2003).
The last phase complicated making a instantaneous table of themes for all separate records.
Lastly, a master table was built for the collection (Appendix F). This procedure intricate
observing at all the themes and plummeting some of them (Smith et al., 2003).
It’s a long procedure as each record as be examined and unstated in detail, but the achievement
of the IPA procedure rest on on obtaining of a rich set of information to understand and
comprehend the influence of the study (Smith et al., 2009).

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