Start a conversation that changes perspectives: draw a card and explore the role of sex, gender, and diversity in making better health research.
Taking inspiration from serious games, the Queens of Science card deck is designed to guide multidisciplinary teams through productive discussions while fostering a space for participants to share their perspectives and uncover biases. Developed in close collaboration with health researchers, this tool follows an iterative design process, with participant feedback shaping each version to ensure an engaging and effective experience.
The card deck is ideal for use at the start of a research project, in preparation for grant applications, or during team meetings to address specific challenges, identify biases, and uncover gaps in projects. Whether you are just beginning to consider sex and gender in your work or want to align your team’s understanding, this tool provides a playful yet impactful way to facilitate meaningful conversations.
- About the Queens of Science Card Deck
The Queens of Science Card Deck features open-ended questions on each card, designed to address key topics essential for improving research related to sex and gender. The deck is divided into two main sections: questions for reflecting on the research itself and questions for reflecting on researchers as individuals and as a team. Each card includes clear, easy-to-follow instructions, guiding users in making choices that ensure productive and meaningful discussions.
To accommodate diverse needs and contexts, the card deck offers flexibility in terms of time, topics, and the depth of conversations. Each card takes approximately 7 minutes to discuss, enabling participants to agree beforehand on the total time they wish to invest based on the number of cards covered in a session. For teams interested in addressing specific topics, cards can be pre-selected prior to starting the discussion.
Additionally, the cards are divided into three levels, representing varying degrees of depth. These levels are designed to guide users through a thoughtful progression, starting with questions that are more accessible as a foundation for discussion and gradually moving to deeper, more complex topics. Users can choose to progress through the levels to deepen the conversation or remain within a single level, focusing on questions they feel most comfortable addressing. Not all cards or levels need to be played, allowing for flexibility in tailoring the experience to the group’s needs.
- About the Development of the Tool
Designed and developed by Arianna Macias Honti, as part of a master's thesis project in Industrial Design Engineering at the University of Twente, and has been defended March 24, 2025.
Contact: ariannahonti@gmail.comSupervised by Jodi Sturge, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design, Production and Management in the Faculty of Engineering Technology, University of Twente.
The Queens of Science, Kings of Change, Ace of Identity project received funding from ZonMw as part of the 2023 Erasmus Summer Programme.
Thesis report available at https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106055
- About Sex and Gender in Research
External links to learn more about the integration of sex and gender in research.
- ZonMwFAQ sex and gender in research
- Genderful Research WorldInteractive sex and gender resource platform for biomedical and health scientists
- Canadian Institutes of Health ResearchHow to integrate sex and gender into research
- Gendered InnovationsMethods of sex, gender, and intersectional analysis to create new knowledge
This tool is free to use, and both a digital and a printable version are available. The digital version is an interactive PDF, ideal for online meetings, easy sharing, or situations where printing is not an option. However, the physical tool is preferable, as the digital version has limitations that may affect the experience. The printable version is designed for easy printing and includes cutting guides and folding instructions to create a protective box for the card deck.
- Physical Card DeckThis document is ready for printing. You can print it at home or use a print shop for higher quality. More details and instructions can be found inside.
- Digital Card DeckThis is an interactive PDF. For the best experience: ensure your PDF viewer displays one page at a time and avoid full-screen mode, as it may disable interactive elements.