For researchers interested in incorporating equity into career and technical education (CTE) research projects, the process begins at the start when designing the study. In this blog post, Network member Julie A. Edmunds describes three equity-focused principles to consider in the research design phase: (a) develop an understanding of the context and the community to be studied, (b) be transparent about the motivation and assumptions that underlie the project, and (c) incorporate equity-focused research questions.

The principles correspond with Stage 2 in the Equity Framework for CTE Research. Developed by the CTE Research Network’s Equity Working Group, the framework illustrates how researchers can infuse an equity approach into research from start to finish and provides real and hypothetical examples from CTE research. Although the framework focuses on CTE research projects, the suggestions can be incorporated into any type of social science research.

This blog post is the second in a series featured on the Sage Methodspace.

• Blog Post 1: Equity Framework for Research Design and Practice
• Blog Post 2: Using an Equity Lens to Design Your Research
• Blog Post 3: Using an Equity Lens in Measurement and Data Collection
• Blog Post 4: Part One: The Need for Equity Approaches in Quantitative Analysis
• Blog Post 5: Part Two: Equity Approaches in Quantitative Analysis
• Blog Post 6: Disseminating Research with an Equity-Focused Lens