This article focuses on the complexity of researching institutional culture and the ethical dilemmas posed in representing staff according to race and gender, drawing on three qualitative studies undertaken at a previously white South African university between 2000 and 2007. During the research process, issues of representation became a concern both for participants and the researcher; specifically, some participants contested how they were categorised in interview transcripts and draft articles. Based on the empirical data of the three studies and using critical social theory and constructionist, feminist and post-colonial critiques, this article asks whether researchers can describe the lives of others without violating their reality, and argues for ethical representation that allows for advocacy and empowerment.