A Collaborative Research Project to Understand Women's Perceptions and Experiences of Achievement in Education and Employment
A team of inter-disciplinary researchers from the University of Exeter are currently looking to collaborate with forward-thinking organisations to deepen understanding of the opportunities and challenges women may face in building successful careers once they have left education/university.The research will have a specific focus on 'achievement' and it will seek to explore what it means for women to 'do well' as they move along the pipeline from education and through employment.
The research will be achieved by comparing three cohorts of women at three key points along the career pipeline (20s, 30s, and 40s) and by tracking the experiences of a sample of women over a 2.5 year period of their careers. It is envisaged that the research will have two key strands: (1) In-depth case studies (involving face-to-face interviews, 'catch-up' email interviews, interviews with significant others and observation at key education and employment events) ; and (2) Questionnaire surveys with the three samples from partner organisations, leading to a small number of controlled, online experimental studies.
The team are interested in examining these issues across a range of education and employment sectors and have already entered strategic partnerships with: a large retail company, a global IT and consultancy firm, and the University of Exeter. The team are also very keen to explore these issues within the medical sector and are especially pleased that the Women's Medical Federation has indicated its willingness to facilitate participation in the project and to act as a collaborator.
At this stage in the proceedings (before the team submit their research proposal to the Economic and Social Research Funding body) the team are looking to talk to Women's Medical Federation members who might be able to shape the proposal (so that it reflects the interests of those working in the sector), or who would be interested in helping facilitate participation in the project if we were to gain funding. Our particular questions for federation members are:
· What are the key opportunities and challenges for women like you in the medical profession? What issues should we be focusing on in the research?
· How could we best make contact with your colleagues to ask them to participate in the research?
Please do get in touch with Dr Alexandra Allan (
