Who would be able to review research design from a GC perspective?

[SoManyQuestionsHere]

Basically, exactly as stated in the title:

Anyone willing to give me a (very anonymous, can handle via DM on here) review on research design re. "I&D".

I am looking to try and ...

A) distinguish between gender identity and bio sex, and ...
B) not raise any unnecessary red flags

Help much appreciated!

For the record: very much not GC reviewers not needed; I will have those (as I am looking for as neutral as possible data) but: zero problems in finding volunteers!

For work at a major multinational. I get to pick the final phrasing. Pls feel free to DM if not happy to respond for all to see!

The 'official' government mandated data I collect asks for sex at birth, then asks if your gender identity matches that? Inclusive, legal, GC, captures gender identity.

Not on here but do you know Prof Alice Sullivan or any of the women who were active in re: Census data?

I don't have a sense of the data/research design you're looking at so find it hard to make suggestions.

It's nowhere near as official as that ... just "a work thing":

Current draft states:

1. "I identify as ...

• a woman
• a man
• neither
• prefer not to say
• other (please specify)

... followed by ...

1. When I was born, my birth certificate recorded me as ...

• female
• male
• prefer not to say
• other (please specify)

Please note that I work at "corporate wokeism central". What I am trying to achieve is that everyone who doesn't buy in gets to say so without any hassle.

The actual survey is anonymous, so even I, as the owner, won't get to see names.

Would appreciate feedback / better phrasing suggestions!

That sounds pretty good, maybe with a link to each with an explanation of what the terms mean.

You could put n/a as an answer in "I identify as" (is this an anonymous survey)?

Or reword to "My gender identity is:"

And add "I don't have a gender identity"

@Ereshkigalangcleg, thanks, very helpful. Also, see above, I work at "corporate wokeism central".

"I don't have a gender identity" I arguably won't get away with. "N/A" I will.

"N/A" it is!

A million thanks!

FYI: A lot of us are out there, trying hard, without risking the jobs that our livelihoods depend on!

I'm following here OP as I have to design a research project for my degree at woke central psychology department next year. I'm not missing out sex but I need to get it okayed too.

I have thought to do it on something like the experience of menopause or pregnancy to avoid even mentioning sex or gender, but not sure I'll be allowed. So I'll be following here!

In that case ask the birth sex question first. Then the 'I identify as ' question.

And please make sure such characteristics are kept private.

What are you trying to find out?

A million thanks!

FYI: A lot of us are out there, trying hard, without risking the jobs that our livelihoods depend on!

Well done!

Generally, you need to think about GDPR and having a rationale for collecting data. Sex is a protected characteristic so you may be collecting that data for equal opps monitoring purposes. I think the Cass Review has struck a good compromise position by referring to 'sex recorded at birth'.

Gender identity isn't a protected characteristic and I'm not sure why you would need data on this. Gender reassignment is a PC and so you might want to find out if people consider the category 'gender reassignment' applying to them. I am not sure why you would need to know the name of their gender identity.

Yes you need to work out what it is you are trying to find out and why before you ask anything.

"I don't have a gender identity" I arguably won't get away with. "N/A" I will.

Make sex the first question. I'd lose the 'other' option from the sex question because it's not possible (very, very rarely it's left blank to be completed later but there is no third sex). For your third question...

My Gender Identity is:

Agender

Cis Man

Cis Woman

Genderqueer

Neutrois

Non-Binary

Novigender

Omnigender

Pan Gender

Trans Man

Trans Woman

Two Spirit

Prefer not to say

None

This looks very inclusive to the idiots but makes it very clear what you are actually asking and gives people the choice to opt out.

Amusingly, I made a couple of the above choices up but a quick google suggests they are 'real'.

P.S. I think your approach is very clever OP and your wording is fine as is, I just think you can push it a little further without anyone having any room to complain.

If I had to, I would just do an optional free text box with a character limit for people who want to record their 'gender identity'.

Just don't do the nonsensical question that asks "is your gender identity different to the sex you were assigned at birth?" because that is a very silly question.

Stated goal is, literally, to figure out how well - or not so - we are doing on inclusion and diversity.

And, for the record: I, technically, already know that it is "the gay guy, that one woman who is senior in terms of her role but whose formal rank and hence pay do that situation no justice, the colleague who stutters, and myself in my function as 'the saving grace for all of our gender stats, because my existence, single handedly, knocks up the median rank of women, statistically speaking, up by one whole paygrade' in terms of us being only bad, not utterly abysmal".

I have every business reason to collect data - especially since it's anonymously - not worried about GDPR at all.

Actual goal is: to have statistical data to get funding to push my "women in leadership" program.

Also: "birth sex before Id; remove options from former": good idea! Noted & will implement!

@donquixotedelamancha, 😂

Would love to include all of these!

Unfortunately, next to my I&D stuff, I also have some "cold, hard cash" financial targets to hit. Cannot afford to have whole workforce spend several days on reading through possible gender ID options on an internal survey.

But it'd admittedly be very fun if I had the budget!

Love it!

@Yarnasaurus, I absolutely will not, promised!

I want to get this as close to the brink of "HR will demand I make changes" that I can without actually crossing that line. I also want data that will allow me to make some meaningful statements about what employees care about. And I want to give them some sort of a meaningful vehicle of making their priorities clear on the sex <> gender ID question. If they so please, that is.

Hence the over-engineered approach to phrasing technically simple questions.

Cannot afford to have whole workforce spend several days on reading through possible gender ID options on an internal survey.

They won't. They will all tick 'none'. At which point you have hard evidence that most of your workforce don't have a gender identity.

I think it's worth it to get that evidence for future discussions. Put the Gender question first if you like and leave out a few options- that softens it a bit. e.g.

My Gender Identity is:

Cis Man
Cis Woman
Non-Binary
Trans Man
Trans Woman
Other
None
Prefer not to say

You are still getting very clear data on who is trans, who is cis and who doesn't follow that religion at all.

@donquixotedelamancha, ... thanks! Point taken. Agreed. Will definitely adapt to something along the lines of.

Im asking because people automatically go to the standard questions but actually what you need to know is if people consider themselves to be from under-represented groups in your industry and whether they would be interested in a 'woman in leadership programme'. You don't even need to ask what they identify as or what sex they are.

You could ask

'Do you consider yourself to be from an under-represented group in this industry' and if yes, give them free text to explain why.

Also you could ask 'if you are female, do you think there is a need for Women in Leadership programme and if yes would you be interested in attending the course'. And give them free text for any additional comments about this idea.

If you do a women in leadership course, are you cutting out other people who may not be in leadership - so should it be 'Do you think there is a need for a Leadership course for under-represented groups' and again, give them free text if yes.

If you remove the sex/gender question entirely then you aren't going to get any complaints or pushback and it leaves it up to everyone to give their own interpretation on Diversity. You know how many men and women you employ so what does that actually achieve?

We all [well, not me I'm now retired] need to move away from this tick box approach to life - if it is really about inclusion and development. It might just surprise you.