Why do women in male-dominated disciplines hesitate to participate in multi-informant social research?

AbstractMulti-informant methods are a rigorous social research methodology that can offer nuanced insights. However, in certain contexts, such studies may be hard to conduct. This research note explores why women in male-dominated disciplines choose not to participate in multi-informant research by reviewing personal communications by non-respondents. Content analyses of the personal communications (n=50) revealed 5 themes: work pressure/lack of time, concerns about anonymity, being judged harshly for participating in research, absence of collegiality in the workplace, and extremely hostile workplaces. Implications for research on women in male-dominated disciplines are discussed.