Using human factors and ergonomics methods to challenge the status quo: Designing for gender equitable research outcomes
Using human factors and ergonomics methods to challenge the status quo: Designing for gender equitable research outcomes
There have been recent calls for Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) to expand its reach and focus to address larger scale societal and global issues. An area of growing awareness is the issue of the gender data gap, whereby women are under-represented in research data, leading to inequitable outcomes when research findings are used to design real world technologies, products, environments, processes, and policies. The aim of this paper is to showcase how structured HFE methods can be used to address the gender data gap. We applied the Sociotechnical Systems Design Toolkit which involved using causal loop diagrams and abstraction hierarchy modelling from Cognitive Work Analysis to understand the system in which the issue occurs and key pain points, followed by the application of the Design with Intent Toolkit to generate design ideas. A total of 43 ideas were developed that could be implemented by universities to address the research data gap. The application demonstrates the utility of HFE methods in tackling complex issues and offers an opportunity for the HFE community to reflect upon the importance of gender sensitive research practices and gender equity more broadly.
Gender data gap, Gender equity, Sociotechnical systems design toolkit, causal loop diagram, abstraction hierarchy, Design with intent toolkit
Read, G.J.M.
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Revell, Kirsten
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Parnell, Katie
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Lockton, Dan
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Salmon, P.M
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Read, G.J.M.
9827474e-0e9c-4acf-918c-3d8e82b3a222
Revell, Kirsten
f280757d-7825-4cb6-9266-456d348f9a75
Parnell, Katie
3f21709a-403b-40e1-844b-0c0a89063b7b
Lockton, Dan
81a4d7f3-6682-4fc0-8e2b-b90147898539
Salmon, P.M
0a731313-d3e0-46bf-8b4f-97ed2227a962
Read, G.J.M., Revell, Kirsten, Parnell, Katie, Lockton, Dan and Salmon, P.M
(2021)
Using human factors and ergonomics methods to challenge the status quo: Designing for gender equitable research outcomes.
Applied Ergonomics, [103634].
(doi:10.1016/j.apergo.2021.103634).
Abstract
There have been recent calls for Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) to expand its reach and focus to address larger scale societal and global issues. An area of growing awareness is the issue of the gender data gap, whereby women are under-represented in research data, leading to inequitable outcomes when research findings are used to design real world technologies, products, environments, processes, and policies. The aim of this paper is to showcase how structured HFE methods can be used to address the gender data gap. We applied the Sociotechnical Systems Design Toolkit which involved using causal loop diagrams and abstraction hierarchy modelling from Cognitive Work Analysis to understand the system in which the issue occurs and key pain points, followed by the application of the Design with Intent Toolkit to generate design ideas. A total of 43 ideas were developed that could be implemented by universities to address the research data gap. The application demonstrates the utility of HFE methods in tackling complex issues and offers an opportunity for the HFE community to reflect upon the importance of gender sensitive research practices and gender equity more broadly.
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Gender Equity paper
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Accepted/In Press date: 26 October 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 6 November 2021
Keywords:
Gender data gap, Gender equity, Sociotechnical systems design toolkit, causal loop diagram, abstraction hierarchy, Design with intent toolkit
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 473610
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/473610
ISSN: 0003-6870
PURE UUID: c212c573-49a4-4131-989f-06de9fb1e901
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Date deposited: 25 Jan 2023 17:31
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 06:58
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Contributors
Author:
G.J.M. Read
Author:
Kirsten Revell
Author:
Dan Lockton
Author:
P.M Salmon
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