Participate in Research

Help Build the Evidence

CROWN is conducting Europe’s first systematic study on the prevalence and psychological impact of hair discrimination. Our research, developed in consultation with the University of Geneva, aims to produce what does not yet exist: standardised, comparable data on how identity-based appearance discrimination affects individuals across Europe.

Your participation contributes directly to the CROWN Discrimination Index (CDI) — the measurement instrument that will provide policymakers, researchers, and institutions with the quantitative evidence they need to understand and address hair discrimination.

Every response matters. The strength of the CDI depends on the breadth and diversity of the experiences it captures. Whether your experience involves workplace dress codes, school policies, social encounters, or the quiet calculations you make each morning about how to wear your hair — it belongs in this dataset.

Who Can Participate

You are eligible to participate if you:

Live in Europe (any country within the EU, EEA, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom)
Have experienced or witnessed hair-based discrimination — in the workplace, in schools, in public spaces, in healthcare settings, or in any other context
Are aged 18 or older

Participation is open to people of all hair types, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. The CDI measures discrimination across the full spectrum of natural hair — not only Afro-textured hair, but also curly, coily, wavy, straight, blonde, red, grey, and any other hair type that has been the subject of discriminatory treatment. France’s Proposition de loi Serva covers all hair types, and CROWN’s research reflects that universality.

What Participation Involves

Participation consists of completing a validated online questionnaire. The questionnaire takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes and covers:

Your experiences — the types of hair-related discrimination or bias you have encountered, in what contexts, and how frequently
The impact — how these experiences have affected your wellbeing, professional life, personal identity, and daily decisions
Your background — demographic information (age range, country of residence, self-identified ethnicity, gender) that allows us to analyse patterns across populations
Your hair — optional questions about your hair type and care practices

The questionnaire is available in English and French. Additional language versions will be added as the study expands.

How Your Data Is Used

Your responses are anonymised — personal identifiers are separated from research data at the point of collection. Your data is used exclusively for research purposes:

CDI development: Your responses contribute to the validation and refinement of the CROWN Discrimination Index, helping ensure that the instrument captures the full range of discrimination experiences across European populations.
Academic research: Anonymised, aggregated data will be analysed and published in peer-reviewed academic journals, contributing to the scientific understanding of hair discrimination in Europe.
Policy evidence: Population-level findings will inform CROWN’s legislative advocacy, providing European policymakers with the evidence base they currently lack.

Your data will never be sold, shared with commercial entities for marketing purposes, or used in any way that could identify you individually. CROWN’s research is conducted in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (nDSG). Full details are available in our privacy policy.

Your Rights

As a research participant, you have the right to:

Withdraw at any time — you can stop the questionnaire at any point or request deletion of your data after submission
Access your data — you can request a copy of the data you provided
Ask questions — you can contact CROWN at any time for information about how your data is used
Receive support — if the questionnaire raises distressing memories, CROWN provides referral information for psychological support, including information about our 360° Integrative Mind-Body Therapeutic Protocol

Expression of Interest

If you are interested in participating in CROWN’s research, please complete the form below. We will contact you with the full questionnaire and informed consent documentation when the next phase of data collection begins.

Research Participation — Expression of Interest

Name (optional)

Email *

Country of Residence *

Age Range *

Hair Type (optional)

I consent to CROWN storing my contact information for the purpose of inviting me to participate in research. I understand that my information will be processed in accordance with CROWN's privacy policy and that I can withdraw my consent at any time by contacting [email protected]. *

Questions?

If you have questions about the study, the questionnaire, data privacy, or any aspect of your potential participation, contact CROWN’s research team at [email protected].

You can also learn more about the research this participation supports:

The CROWN Discrimination Index — the measurement instrument your data helps build
CDI Methodology — how your data is processed and analysed
CROWN Hair Commons — the dataset your contribution joins
Our Privacy Policy — how your data is protected

CROWN’s research is developed in consultation with the University of Geneva and in accordance with Swiss and EU data protection regulations. The study has been designed to meet the ethical standards required for academic research involving human participants.