Designing Feminist Methodologies: Foregrounding Gender, Positionality, and Justice in Communication Design Research
Allegra W. Smith · 2023
While several studies from ACM-SIGDOC have used feminist research methodology as a frame, there exists no clear definition of what constitutes feminist methodology for the organization's constituencies, or how it can be applied across its disciplines (i.e., communication design and technical/professional communication [TPC]). To generate a baseline understanding of the field's understanding of feminist research methodologies, I conducted a survey of TPC and communication design scholars, which asked four questions about how they defined these types of research frameworks, and whether they used such frameworks in their own scholarship. I report the results of this survey and use participants’ responses, alongside previously published scholarship in the field, to create a taxonomy of feminist methodological values that can guide research in TPC and communication design. I conclude with a description of practical tactics that researchers can use to align their projects with these values and integrate feminist methodology into their work.