What Methodologies Make Disability Studies? A Mapping Review of Disability & Society, 2020-2025

This review article maps methodological practices in disability studies through an analysis of 555 research articles published in Disability & Society between 2020 and 2025. While the field has long debated its theoretical identity, particularly in relation to the social model of disability and emancipatory research, less attention has been paid to how these principles are realised in concrete research practice. The findings reveal both connections and discrepancies between normative principles and methodological practices. On the one hand, diverse qualitative and innovative methods are used to capture non-verbal and experiential dimensions of disability, reflecting the field’s emancipatory and inclusive commitments. On the other hand, these commitments are unevenly enacted; participatory research remains a minority and is unevenly distributed across topics. By making these patterns visible, this article provides an empirical basis for more grounded methodological reflection and supports a more reciprocal relationship between principles and practices, allowing each to inform and refine the other.