Capturing intersectional lived experiences: soundsourcing as research method

Purpose Methodological approaches for understanding the complex, embodied experiences of workers navigating multiple systems of oppression remain underdeveloped. This study introduces soundsourcing as a distinct and broadly applicable qualitative methodology that showcases specific utility in advancing intersectional research. Soundsourcing is defined by a structured set of steps that enable participants to document their lived experiences through voice recordings throughout their workday, and requires researchers to conduct voice-inclusive analysis that reveals the raw, authentic, and embodied dimensions of experience often lost in traditional methods. Design/methodology/approach This study involves women of diverse ages and career stages in a marginalized, precarious profession. Participants documented their real-time experiences through voice recordings. The voice-inclusive analytical approach involved two stages: first coding the written transcripts and then coding the audio recordings themselves. This systematic dual-stage examination clarified what is gained through listening to participants' voices versus reading their words alone, with researchers reflecting on their distinct experiences with each coding approach. Findings Comparative analysis and researcher reflections revealed that intersectional factors were significantly more apparent when coding audio recordings. Vocal elements including tone, emotion, pauses, and hesitation, illuminated layers of meaning related to participants' intersecting identities and experiences of workplace marginalization that remained obscured in text-based analysis. Originality/value This study establishes soundsourcing as a distinct methodology, differentiating it from audio diaries through its structured steps and requirement for voice-inclusive analysis. Voice-inclusive analysis, which systematically examines both written transcripts and audio recordings, is identified as essential to soundsourcing practice. This methodology advances intersectional research by demonstrating how listening practices capture the temporal, emotional, and embodied complexities of lived experience that traditional text-based methods consistently overlook.