Tracing the feminist contribution of HERD over 40 years

What has been the contribution of Higher Education Research & Development (HERD) to feminist scholarship? This analysis utilises Acker and Wagner’s definition of feminist scholarship as having the following characteristics: puts women and gender at the centre of analysis, deconstructs unequal power relations, works toward improving women’s lives, values participant voices, emphasises care and collectivity, and acknowledges researcher positionality and reflexivity. We analyse the articles published in HERD over 40 years using a methodology adapted from Hart’s analysis of the Journal of Higher Education, the Review of Higher Education and Research in Higher Education. As feminist scholars, we are heartened by the outcomes of our analysis, while noting gaps and opportunities for feminist scholarship. We recognise the work of the feminist scholars who have published in HERD, many of whom we highlight in this article. This article is a starting point for a sustained analysis of feminist scholarship in higher education, with scope to apply the methods of this analysis to intersectional feminisms and examine the scholarly contributions of queer, non-binary, Indigenous and global south higher education researchers. There remains significant work to be done in conducting, publishing, citing and evaluating feminist and intersectional scholarship in higher education.