Workshops are a way of conducting qualitative mapping that requires setting aside time and facilitating group work. If the conditions for this are not in place, qualitative questionnaires are a good alternative. This tool can also be used to map the situation in the workplace.

In forums such as research group meetings or departmental seminars where the focus is on diversity and inclusion in the working environment, simple qualitative questionnaires can be used. They can serve either as a discussion tool or as an indicator of what is happening in the working environment. 

When using the questionnaire, you can use technology that enables people to submit responses individually and anonymously, which can be used to map what people experience and observe in their academic environment. 

This type of qualitative questionnaire should include questions focused on how people perceive their surroundings, as it is based on self-reporting. Therefore, be as specific as possible, so that you clearly understand what responses you have received.

An example of a formulation could be: “From your perspective, do you feel that everyone gets an equal chance to speak during meetings?” Asking open-ended questions like this can be a good way to give a voice to those who don’t always speak up in meetings. 

For example, questions can focus on mapping the effect of initiatives/measures at the department and gathering suggestions for improvement. Mapping the effect of initiatives/measures can include questions such as: “Do you participate in the language café organised by the department? Do you attend the Christmas party or other social events?” including the reasons why or why not, with an option for free-text responses. 

Here, questions may vary across academic communities, but they should focus on workplace culture and structures, not on individuals. You can vary between yes/no questions or use a scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree, along with follow-up questions.

A qualitative questionnaire asks rather open-ended questions and does not have the same indicators as quantitative questionnaires. Therefore, they should be used with caution to map what people experience and observe in their academic environment.The way in which questions are formulated will affect the answers you receive, and it can be difficult to accurately measure experiences and opinions in a diverse group of employees.

They can also be used as part of the preparatory work for introducing a new measure/initiative in the workplace, or to assess how successful a measure has been, or to map how well employees are familiar with various resources or whistleblowing channels. If one assesses the level of interest in the measures/initiatives, it will have legitimacy within the academic community, and mapping the extent to which employees are familiar with different entities can provide insight into what type of information efforts need to be undertaken.

If a specific theme/issue arises in connection with the ARK survey or performance assessment interviews, such as challenges related to language use, simple questionnaires like these can help map people’s experiences.

The questionnaire can also include a free-text box where people can freely provide input on things they feel could be improved in their group/department. We recommend that this type of qualitative questionnaire be used in conjunction with other mapping measures/initiatives, such as workshops, where it can help initiate reflection discussions or group work.