How to … bring a JEDI (justice, equity, diversity and inclusion) lens to your research

Abstract

Scholars are increasingly called to incorporate a justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (JEDI) lens into health professions education (HPE) research.^1-5 These and other terms are described in Table 1 and bolded throughout the paper. The complexity of this work can feel overwhelming, leading researchers at any career stage to avoid it altogether saying, ‘what I do is not JEDI research’. The pressure to incorporate JEDI ‘correctly’ may also dissuade researchers who prefer to ‘stay in their lane’ of expertise. While these tendencies may be understandable, they present a problem: HPE scholarship may fail to recognise vast ways of being, knowing and doing. Every area of research is steeped in a sociohistorical context and shaped by power dynamics (e.g. racism, ableism, colonialism and hetero/cis/sexism), meaning JEDI concerns are always at play. Research not engaging with these complexities risks ignoring scholars' influence on processes and outcomes, thus omitting diverse perspectives and experiences.⁶ Consequently, constructions based on the norm prevail and researchers may, unintentionally, reconstruct knowledge from an exclusionary position. How can you do research in ways that unearth diverse perspectives and grapple with power dynamics to advance JEDI in HPE, even when this is not the central aim of your research? In this paper, we invite you on a journey to activate a JEDI lens in qualitative research practice, no matter your topic.

We suggest beginning by awakening your critical consciousness. Friere⁷ argues this work requires critical reflection on our experiences of power, privilege and equity that reorients our action towards social justice. Harding⁸ called this work developing a traitorous identity, requiring you to start from others' perspectives to gain insight on your own privileges and ways of understanding the world and then use that insight to do research anew. To begin this work, we encourage you to seek stories told from perspectives different from yours that can counter dominant social narratives. Engage with these stories to critically reflect on your own life experience relative to others, consider how power and privilege shape these experiences,⁹ and imagine how things might be otherwise (Table 2). In this process, shame may arise in recognition of the harm and inadequacy of our past actions. Be gentle with yourself. This work requires leaning into discomfort to unlearn historically and deeply rooted ways of thinking, being and doing. Building new ways of working happens one courageous step, stumble or roll at a time. By activating your critical consciousness, you will tune into power and privilege more readily. Then, you must commit to action.¹⁰

You can employ a JEDI lens at all stages of the research. In the following sections, we focus on three sequential stages of the research process (conceptualisation, design and analysis) and outline JEDI-oriented strategies you can activate for each. We encourage you to use the questions in Table 3 to prompt your reflection throughout the research process.

This paper joins an ongoing conversation to offer strategies that are by no means exhaustive, but rather places to start. We aim to spark your critical reflection through possible actions and questions (Tables 2 and 3). Our reference list honours the work of others engaged in this conversation who have informed our thinking. You can find discussions in the cited work that take our ideas to further depths. Moving forward, we encourage you to explicitly describe and justify how you engaged in JEDI practices in each stage of your research. The experiences of learners marginalised by our current HPE practices suggest all research in the field must attend to JEDI matters urgently.^29-32 Our privileged position as researchers demands we engage using new and potentially uncomfortable approaches to advance inclusivity and activate the power of human difference, rather than erase it.^{33, 34} We call in researchers to adopt a JEDI lens, courageously, to collectively dismantle oppression and transform the field of HPE.

Neera R. Jain: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing. Laura Nimmon: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing. Laura Y. Bulk: Conceptualization; writing—original draft; writing—review and editing.

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

The authors have no ethical statement to declare.