It Shouldn't Be This Difficult: Researcher Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion in Usable Privacy and Security Research

Paper Title

It Shouldn't Be This Difficult: Researcher Perspectives on Diversity and Inclusion in Usable Privacy and Security Research

Publication Info

• Topic area: Diversity and inclusion challenges in usable privacy and security (UPS) research.
• Keywords: Usable privacy and security, diversity, inclusion, underserved populations, positionality, recruitment challenges, marginalized communities, peer review norms, qualitative research, ethics.

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Despite progress in engaging underserved populations in UPS research, there is a lack of systematic understanding of how researchers navigate diversity and inclusion, including challenges in defining "underserved," accessing target populations, and addressing inflexible peer review norms.
• Significance: Addressing these challenges is critical for advancing inclusive research practices, improving the ethical engagement of marginalized groups, and fostering systemic changes in the research community.
• Motivation and related work: Prior work has explored marginalized and at-risk populations in HCI and UPS research, but gaps remain in understanding researchers' decision-making processes, recruitment practices, and the role of positionality. This study builds on frameworks for engaging underserved populations and critiques of Western-centric norms in UPS research.

Solution

• Proposed approach: A qualitative study based on 20 semi-structured interviews with expert UPS researchers to investigate their practices, challenges, and reflections on positionality in engaging underserved populations.
• Novelty:
  1. Identifies three core uncertainties in UPS research: deciding which populations to prioritize, accessing and recruiting underserved populations, and navigating positionality.
  2. Highlights the impact of researchers' positionality on population selection and broader research practices.
  3. Provides actionable recommendations for researchers, venues, and institutions to improve diversity and inclusion in UPS research.
  4. Proposes systemic changes to peer review norms and funding structures to support work with underserved populations.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  • Recruitment of UPS researchers with at least three years of experience.
  • Semi-structured interviews covering research approaches, recruitment challenges, positionality, and recommendations.
  • Thematic analysis of interview transcripts to identify key themes and challenges.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Researchers face uncertainty in defining and prioritizing underserved populations, accessing hard-to-reach groups, and articulating their positionality.
  • Recruitment challenges include limited access, small population sizes, and misaligned community priorities.
  • Peer review norms often undervalue qualitative methods and work with underserved populations, emphasizing generalizability and Western-centric perspectives.
  • Researchers' positionality significantly influences population selection, study design, and data interpretation, but confusion persists about how to effectively articulate positionality in academic work.
• Advantage over baselines: Provides a detailed account of researchers' lived experiences and challenges, offering practical recommendations for systemic improvements in UPS research practices.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Conducted 20 interviews with UPS researchers from diverse geographic and professional backgrounds.
  • Used thematic analysis to identify patterns and challenges in engaging underserved populations.
  • Findings are supported by qualitative insights and examples from participants.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Limited sample size and geographic diversity due to reliance on social networks for recruitment.
  • Self-selection bias may have influenced participant perspectives.
  • Future work should explore broader geographic and disciplinary contexts and develop standardized guidelines for positionality statements and inclusive research practices.

Summary

This study investigates how UPS researchers engage with underserved populations, revealing significant challenges in defining target groups, accessing participants, and navigating positionality. Researchers face systemic barriers, including inflexible peer review norms and limited institutional support, which constrain their ability to conduct inclusive research. The findings emphasize the need for foundational research to guide population choices, improved peer review standards, and dedicated funding for work with marginalized communities. By addressing these challenges, the UPS research community can foster greater diversity, inclusion, and societal impact.