Considerations for employing intersectionality in qualitative health research

“Numerous scholars have discussed the utility of inter-sectional approaches in empirical research (Bauer, 2014; Berger and Guidroz, 2009; Cole, 2009; Else-Quest and Hyde, 2016a; Few-Demo, 2014; Hancock, 2007; McCall, 2005; Warner and Shields, 2013).”

“Though the concept of intersectionality is embedded in Black fem-inism, the explicit theorizing of intersectionality is a more recent development (Alexander-Floyd, 2012; Cho et al., 2013; Hancock, 2016).”

“Re fl ex-ivity asks the researcher to re fl ect on their motivations, intentions, and assumptions – without re fl exivity a researcher may avoid self-censure and not deeply engage with the data collection and analysis processes (Berger, 2013).”

“…restrict access or utilization of app or web-based platforms for some populations, such as older adults or homeless persons, as well as people in less developed regions, web-based recruitment e ff orts have been shown to net more diverse samples than traditional techniques (Gosling et al., 2004).”

“…cancer treatment narratives (an experiential arena) relative to the medicalization of minority identities (a historical outcome or context), they may choose an inductive approach to coding that seeks to analyze how individuals make meaning of their experiences (Starks and Brown Trinidad, 2007).”

“A relatively new innovation for research recruitment and data collection, Amazon's Mechanical Turk, has been shown to yield participants with greater demographic diversity, in terms of socioeconomic status and ethnicity, than traditional recruitment strategies research studies (Casler et al., 2013).”

“And, building upon this imagery, May proposed that intersectional approaches require “ matrix ” thinking, rather than “ single-axis ” thinking, and that they are open-ended, dynamic, and “ biased toward realizing collective justice ” (May, 2015, p. 251).”

“Per Kilbourne et al. (2006), health disparities research occurs in three phases: 1) de fi ning and detecting disparity populations, 2) understanding the determinants of disparities, and 3) reducing disparities through intervention and subsequent evaluation research.”

“…of re-searcher biases) have been useful in helping researchers understand the in fl uence of their personal identities and associated biases on the research process, including study conceptualizing, participant recruitment, data collection, and data analysis (Gearing, 2004; Ortlipp, 2008).”

“…unique barriers to utilizing healthcare, including structural, interpersonal, and cultural factors related to help-seeking (Alegría et al., 2002; Rodríguez et al., 2009), focusing recruitment entirely at traditional health sites (e.g., hospitals, healthcare institutions, academic research…”