Reflexive Digital Ethnography of Nepali Digital Queer Culture Guided by Indigenous Research Methodologies

Details

15 November 2026/२९ कात्तिक २०८३ (आइतबार, दिउँसो ३ बजे)
Research Seminar Series
Reflexive Digital Ethnography of Nepali Digital Queer Culture Guided by Indigenous Research Methodologies
Shubha Kayastha, PhD Researcher, RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), Australia

Abstract
This presentation examines methodological and ethical issues in researching the online expression of young Nepali sexual and gender diverse (SGD) people and communities. It is based on the researcher's experiences—including, but not limited to, adopting, applying and eventually abandoning of digital content analysis as a data collection tool—for her doctoral research, while she is guided by her research participants. The presentation provides a reflexive account of the researcher’s privileges and limitations as an ‘insider-within’ researcher. It considers how the researcher negotiates the requirements and practices in Western academic institutions to avoid and resist deficit framing using Indigenous research methodologies. Through the reflexivity it was found that researchers are accountable in applying ethics of reciprocity and avoid reinforcing a colonial extractive practice while researching marginalised groups.

About the Speaker
Shubha Kayastha is a feminist activist who works in the intersection of gender, sexuality and technology. She is currently a PhD researcher at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology), studying the navigation of privacy and visibility by young Nepali sexual and gender diverse people in digital spaces. Shubha was the co-founder and former executive director of a digital rights organization, Body & Data.