Project 3: Infertility Treatment and Workplace Support
Team: Tina & Cyrina
Title: Workplace challenges faced by employees undergoing infertility treatment and HR policy recommendations
Project Overview
Collect stories from Reddit about U.S. employees undergoing infertility treatment, analyze workplace challenges, and propose HR policies.
Step 1: Use the Shared Google Sheet
Google Sheet Link: Project 3 Data Collection
The Google Sheet already has data collected by previous students in February 2024. Your task is to collect posts from the past year (2024-2025) and add to the existing data.
Columns
| Column |
Description |
| Post ID |
Reddit post/comment ID for reference |
| Subreddit |
Source subreddit |
| Date |
When posted |
| Quote/Summary |
Key content (paraphrase, don’t copy entire posts) |
| Workplace Challenge |
Categorize the issue (e.g., leave policy, manager support, disclosure concerns) |
| Industry/Job Type |
If mentioned |
| Notes |
Your observations |
Step 2: Primary Data Source - r/IVF
Main Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/IVF/
This is your primary subreddit for data collection. Focus your search here first.
Search Keywords in r/IVF
Use the search bar within r/IVF and search for:
- “work”
- “job”
- “boss”
- “HR”
- “leave”
- “employer”
- “accommodations”
- “told my manager”
- “coworker”
- “remote work”
Supplementary Subreddits (if needed)
- r/infertility
- r/tryingforababy
- r/AskHR
Step 3: Data Collection Tips
What to Look For
- Leave/Time Off Issues - appointments, recovery time, unpredictable schedules
- Disclosure Dilemmas - telling vs. not telling employer
- Manager/Coworker Reactions - supportive or unsupportive responses
- Policy Gaps - what employees wish their company offered
- Emotional/Mental Health - stress of balancing treatment and work
- Financial Concerns - insurance coverage, treatment costs affecting work decisions
How to Record
- Paraphrase or summarize (don’t copy entire posts verbatim)
- Note the context and emotional tone
- Flag particularly insightful posts for deeper analysis
Step 4: Divide the Work
| Team Member |
Responsibility |
| Tina |
Search keywords A-L (e.g., “work”, “job”, “leave”, “HR”) |
| Cyrina |
Search keywords M-Z (e.g., “manager”, “remote”, “coworker”) |
Avoiding Duplicates
- Before adding a post, search the Google Sheet by Reddit post title to check if it already exists
- If your teammate has already added a post, skip it
Step 5: Coding and Analysis
Codebook Reference
Review the existing codebook created by previous students:
Codebook
After collecting data, you will abstract themes from the raw data. This means identifying patterns and categorizing what is happening in the stories.
Reference Paper
See this paper for guidance on how to create a thematic table:
Reference Paper
- Refer to Table 1 for the format and structure
What to Do with Themes
Once you identify themes, propose HR policy recommendations for how companies can create a more inclusive environment for women undergoing infertility treatment.
Ethical Considerations
- Public Data Only - Only use posts from public subreddits
- Anonymity - Never include usernames in your final report
- Paraphrase - Summarize rather than quote extensively
- No Direct Contact - Do not message Reddit users
- Research Purpose - This is for academic analysis only
Paper Writing Guide
View Full Paper Writing Guide
Learn how to write a qualitative research paper based on your Reddit data, including:
- Paper structure (Introduction, Method, Results/Themes, Discussion)
- How to create a thematic table
- How to present quotes and findings
- HR policy recommendation format
Project Timeline
- Data Collection → Collect posts from r/IVF into Google Sheet
- Coding/Analysis → Update codebook and create thematic table
- Paper Writing → Write up findings and recommendations (see Writing Guide)
- Presentation → Create PPT and prepare for presentation
Deliverable Checklist
SRC 2026 Submission
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