Creating Change by telling the whole story: Making the case for qualitative research

Existing studies show that LGBTQ+ experiences of climate in STEM (working and research cultures) are constructed from perceptions and experiences with inconsistent policies and practices. LGBTQ+ people and communities in STEM experience and observe exclusionary behaviour, along with multiple and compounded discriminations that are shaped by the availability and quality of support structures and professional networks. Improving inclusion and retention of LGBTQ+ people in STEM requires multifaceted, multidisciplinary, intersectional approaches. Studies exploring the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in STEM have employed a wide range of methods, yet quantitative data is favoured amongst policy and decision-maker. Qualitative data, by comparison, can be misunderstood and devalued by stakeholders. The main purpose of this project is to develop a sector-wide, cross-disciplinary, international understanding of the potential impact that qualitative or mixed methods approaches present for improving policies and practices to address retention of LGBTQ+ people in STEM.