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Using email interviews to reflect on women's careers at a regional university
Anitra Goriss-Hunter1, Kate White1
1Institute of Education, Arts and Community, Federation University, Mt Helen Campus, PO Box 663, Ballarat, 3353 Australia.
Abstract:
The article investigates asynchronous narrative research via email as a flexible and agentic method of collecting data that may empower female participants. A case study was used that focused on the challenges for academic and professional women at an Australian regional university. Twenty-one women responded by email to a range of questions about working conditions and career progression. The data demonstrated that participants found this methodology empowering, encouraging agentic behaviour as they could respond at a time that suited them and in as much detail as they desired. They could also leave their narratives and return to them after some reflection. While lacking the non-verbal markers that often add to meanings in face-to-face interviews, the participants' writing gave voice and form to their lived experience that has been missing from academic literature. This research method may be vital in the continuing COVID-19 environment where it can be difficult to access geographically dispersed participants.
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