Reflections on research and practice in equality and diversity

This paper reflects on the experiences of two researchers working in the area of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The work that they do involves a number of national and international projects which link research with best practice to influence policy. This includes work for the British Council and Advance HE on rolling out the Athena SWAN scheme in India, Brazil and Indonesia, research on social mobility via employability and addressing the BAME degree attainment gap, and the impact of coaching on higher education. Using their lived experience and the feedback from their engagement with these projects, the researchers identify that while objectives behind each project are different, some key similar issues emerge from all the work. This includes the collection and interpretation of data, and ensuring that the voices of all relevant stakeholders are involved. The paper relates these findings to key literature.