As we return to work, school, and research after a holiday break, we want to share with you a fantastic resource led by WHRI member Dr. A.J. Lowik, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Lethbridge, in AB.
Separating, and accurately identifying, sex and gender of participants in research studies is important for collecting useful data. In the context of research, it can sometimes be challenging to determine which information is necessary to collect, and to balance detailed data collection with data utility. Collecting more data than necessary for the context of a study can impact participant comfort – and can create a significant amount of work for researchers making sense of all the data. On the other hand, collecting too little data can impact the validity and usefulness of study results.
This edition of CIHR Meet the Methods provides a concise, easy-to-understand overview of the guideline:
Meet the Methods: Measuring research participants’ sexes and genders | CIHR
We also encourage you to read through the full guideline, available here:
The Canadian Research Equity Toolkit in Gender and Sex in Methods and Measures | UBC
The techniques and methods described in the toolkit are complementary to many of the methods and examples in our own Beyond the Binary Guide. These resources are helpful for anyone conducting health research, to ensure that sex and gender are accurately accounted for in your studies.