The research methods used in “doing gender” literature

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study the kinds of methodologies used in studying “doing gender” in working life and organisations. To do so, articles that use empirical research materials from different academic peer-reviewed journals have been analysed. By methodologies, both data gathering tools and the analysing techniques using and concerting the data have been largely understood. In the articles analysed, interviews were the main methodological tool in extracting the “doing gender”, while studies using naturally occurring data, e.g. historical materials and methods in relation to this type of data were in the minority. The following question has been proposed for further exploration: What impact does the domination of interviews as a research method have on the concept of “doing gender”?

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative content analysis, close reading and data were collected from academic peer-reviewed journals with the applied principles of literature review.

Findings

The research methodologies adopted in the articles on “doing gender” mostly deal with interview data and their analysis. Interview data are used most often as the primary source for ethnographic analysis. These method choices limit the potential interpretations available for the analysis of the conceptual idea of “doing gender”.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of this article relate to the journals chosen for the analysis.

Originality/value

This paper contributes toward a deeper understanding of the “doing gender” approach, particularly by exploring the research methodologies that have been used when studying “doing gender” approach empirically.

Citation

Jännäri, J. and Kovalainen, A. (2015), "The research methods used in “doing gender” literature", International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 7 No. 2, pp. 214-231. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJGE-04-2014-0012