Researchware, Inc.

Researchware Cofounder, Dr. Sharlene Hesse-Biber, along with co-authors Stacey Livingstone, Daniela Ramirez, Emily Brooke Barko and Alicia Lorene Johnson, explore "Racial Identity and Body Image Among Black Female College Students Attending Predominately White Colleges", an article accepted for publication in Sex Roles and currently available "Online First" here.

This study examined attitudes about body image and racial identity among Black women at a predominately White college in the United States. The authors note "We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 34 women about their school experiences, family, racial identity, self-esteem, and body image. We found that early childhood influences including family and school environment had profound impacts on their racial identity and body image. Through a qualitative analysis based in grounded theory, we found that participants' identification with White and/or Black culture produced levels of body satisfaction and a set of beauty ideals that generally corresponded to four racial identity groups: identification with White or Black culture, floating between both, or having a diverse self-identity."

Researchware products enabled this research. Interviews with 34 participants, lasting between 1 and 2.5 hours, were digitally recorded and subsequently transcribed using HyperTRANSCRIBE.  HyperRESEARCH, with extensive use of Memoing, was utilized collaboratively to analyze the data collected for the study. Intercoder Reliability was aided by HyperRESEARCH's ease of use by enabling two co-authors to independently code each interview and then compare coding for agreement and disagreement. Dr. Hesse-Biber, the primary researcher, then independently coded those aspects in disagreement.