Inclusive Experiments

Overview

You appropriately consider accessibility, ethical/intersectional identity issues, and power dynamics in your experimental design. We’re looking for reasoning that’s specific to actual clients and context in this study

ABET Requirement

This competency meets the ABET requirement that you demonstrate:

An ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions

This means you appropriately consider the following in your experimental design and analysis:

Accessibility
Ethical and/or intersectional identity related issues relevant to your project
Concerns regarding power dynamics, safety, ableism, racism, or anything else that might affect inclusive participation or engagement with your project

Best Practices

Overall Goals

How would you define success for this project, and how will this experiment help you to determine if it has positively impacted your target users?

Accessibility Considerations

How will the access needs of each person be met?
Include communication, materials, space, and time
Ensure research materials are accessible
Support multiple modes of participation

Ethical and Identity Issues

Identify any risks of safety, privacy, or other concerns
Address intersectional identities
Consider cultural context
Ensure inclusive language and framing

Power Dynamics

Acknowledge researcher-client power differentials
Ensure clients can decline or withdraw
Avoid extractive research practices
Give back to the community

Assessment

You may be assessed on your ability to:

Analyze inclusion in experiments
Design inclusive experiments
Create inclusive informed consent
Address power dynamics
Identify and mitigate ethical issues

Rubric for this Competency

Excellent: You can describe how the experiment considers issues of access across time, space, materials and communication; and the impact of client identity on power dynamics
Competent: You can address some aspects of access and client identity
Not Competent: You cannot describe how the experiment is inclusive or engages with client identity

Typical Handin for this Competency

Experimental design documentation (method, consent)
Accessibility and inclusion considerations (e.g. access, power dynamics)
Informed consent forms and anonymized transcript data (if relevant)