Follow Participants’ Choices In Identifying Them.

How do our participants describe themselves? What is the appropriate vocabulary to use when talking about them and their experiences and in which contexts? What are their pronouns?

It is a sign of respect to ask our participants explicitly for their pronouns - and to use them, even if we are not directly interacting with them.

In order to do this, it is necessary we give our participants the space and freedom to express themselves. In interviews, we can do this during conversation. In small scale studies we could use free form fields for them to disclose their gender (or tell us they would rather not). In large scale studies, it is important to know beforehand what the primary view of the target group on gender is. Only then can we ask the right questions.

There should always be an explicit option for the participants not to have to disclose their gender or pronouns.