**3. Research Methods**

To deepen the understanding of women's experiences and to explore the possibility that the pandemic conditions may have reinforced and possibly widened systemic social inequalities and biases as explained by identity and psychodynamic theories, researchers conducted an extensive, in-depth mixed-method survey focusing on the impacts of COVID-19 on women and work [12]. The online survey was opened for data collection between January and February 2021 to all Utah women aged 20 or older who were either currently employed or unemployed due to the pandemic. During this timeframe, vaccines for COVID-19 were still not widely available, school closures were still common, older people (such as grandparents) were more at-risk for more serious illness and thus more likely to be cautious, and it was still the norm that jobs were performed at home if applicable [53]. Women (or those who identify as women) in the state of Utah were chosen as the sample due to interest by Utah stakeholders in understanding their experiences amid school closures and work-from-home mandates. Selection criteria included individuals of any education level, race/ethnicity, marital status, household income, or position or former position and level within their place of employment. Criteria included women in any sector or industry who worked for pay for any number of hours, and women who were not currently working for pay for a variety of reasons related to the pandemic, but who worked for pay as the pandemic began in March 2020.

The aim was to include a wide variety of perspectives to understand the experiences of women as they navigated paid work during the pandemic or previously employed women who were unemployed because of the pandemic. The aim was also to explore the possibility that the pandemic added extreme—and sometimes untenable—stress to the already difficult experiences that many women have had while balancing their paid work with other aspects of their lives that feel the press of overt and implicit systemic barriers. This comprehensive study included the collection of data on a wide variety of topic areas, including homelife, work life, school, and mental and physical health. The mixed-method survey utilized both quantitative and open-ended qualitative questions to capture participants' perceptions and experiences. This article highlights the qualitative analysis results of the open-ended question from the survey related to the impacts of COVID-19 specifically related to career advancement. A qualitative approach to this study helps best understand how participants experience events, situations, and the context in which they live, aligning with Maxwell's [54] interactive model of research design. In that design, qualitative research includes the development of research questions while considering how those questions relate to goals, theoretical frameworks, analysis methods, and concerns with validity [54].

The online survey instrument was pre-tested among the research team, adopting all possible identities to ensure accurate survey flow and clarity. The survey was then administered to a non-probability sample of Utah women representing different settings, backgrounds, and situations (i.e., age, education, race/ethnicity, marital status, socioeconomic status, county/region, job type, sector/industry, hours worked per week, employment status, and workplace situation). A call for participants was announced in Utah through newsletters, social media platforms, nonprofit organizations, chambers of commerce, government agencies, municipalities and counties, women's networks and associations, multicultural groups, businesses, universities, churches, and volunteers who assisted in disseminating the survey to their employees and contacts. Although targeted recruitment efforts were made to improve statewide representation from women of diverse demographics, there were still limitations in the sample with most participants being White, middle to upper class, and educated. The survey was distributed in both English and Spanish [12].

Overall, 3542 women completed the survey, with 2744 responding to at least one of the four open-ended questions. A total of 2564 survey participants responded to the open-ended question that is the focus of this article, "How has the pandemic impacted your career advancement experiences and opportunities over the short term and longer term?" A modified reflective thematic analysis influenced by Braun's and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis framework [55,56] was utilized to analyze the 2564 open-ended responses, which were coded and analyzed in the qualitative analysis software Dedoose (v 9.0.17) to reveal major themes and subthemes. These 2564 open-ended comments were read by three researchers; the first researcher established and applied codes. The second researcher validated code creation and code application. The third researcher was a final check that all applicable codes were considered when evaluating comments for sentiment. The code creation and application process was documented and regularly discussed and evaluated among researchers to ensure no sentiment duplication and correct application. Altogether, codes were organized under three categories: COVID Experience, COVID Career Advancement, and COVID Benefits. Under those categories, codes were separated by positive or negative sentiment, where the final major themes and subthemes reported in the next section emerged. Codes were then quantified into percentages among those who answered the question, and analyzed by parental status, age, and race/ethnicity. Because more than one code could be applied to the same comment, percentages reported to not add up to 100. Select comments are included that exemplify themes [12]. The demographics of the study participants are included in Table 1 below:


**Table 1.** Qualitative Participant Demographics.


**Table 1.** *Cont.*

Note: Percentages in some categories do not equal 100% due to decimal rounding or individuals indicating more than one ethnic or race identity.

Validity and reliability are fundamental to successful research designs [54]. Researchers utilized four established criteria for validity and reliability in qualitative research [57–59] to address validity and reliability in this study: credibility, confirmability, transferability, and dependability.

Credibility in qualitative research pertains to a community's confidence in the accuracy of the research findings and relevancy of the research to both the research community and the community being studied [57–60] A commonly used method to ensure credibility is triangulation [57,59] where multiple data analysts with varied perspectives review the findings; in this case, this related to reviewing the development of codes, and whether established codes were adequately applied to each open-ended comment, and to the development of overall study themes and subthemes. This inter-rater reliability means possible biases are checked and addressed.

Similarly, confirmability refers to reliability in qualitative research, particularly the level of neutrality, where the study participant's perceptions shape the results rather than the researchers' motivations or biases [57,60]. While data analysts were Utah women themselves possibly experiencing similar issues as study participants, they also had varying lived experiences and perspectives. Additionally, triangulation was utilized to ensure each of these different perspectives checked the same comments, codes, and resulting themes. Sophisticated coding software allows for comprehensive record keeping, where each code is attributable to the parent comment, and vice versa. The development of codes was regularly discussed and documented among researchers to avoid oversaturation but allow for nuance.

Transferability is another term for external validity. External validity seeks to ensure research findings can be applied to other contexts [57,59]. During COVID-19 lockdowns and school closings, Utah women were experiencing similar issues to women around the world, but similarly to women in the United States with similar policy contexts. The method of thick description [57,59] ensures transferability wherein both the individual micro and broader macro contexts were considered when analyzing the data and reporting the findings.
