Margaret Mead is probably a better analog than Jane Goodall, since it's humans studying humans, and the methodology most resembles cultural anthropology. Cultural anthropology has been around for well over 100 years. Yet even today, the extent to which it is a "science" is controversial, even among anthropologists. The AAA removed the word from their mission statement a few years ago, which led to a lot of public debate and coverage.
So, while I agree that this sort of information-gathering is useful, I don't think your apology is helped by wrapping it so firmly in the mantle of science. Rather than lending an air of trust, you're tapping into a debate and controversy that goes far deeper than women in startups.
I'm happy to wade into that debate, because I think it's relevant. When this article first came out there were comments near the top questioning the relevance of this type of inquiry as, roughly, unscientific. I wanted to show how it fits into a scientific framework just fine.
You're likely right that an apology with less commitment could have been effective as well.
Interesting to think of Mead as the analog, and perhaps a more apt one. Thanks. Personally I'm much more familiar with biology and with Goodall. But, from my perspective cultural anthropology is a science whether or not it wants to be. The AAAs rejection of 'science' may be more indicative of science's rejection of inductive logic than anything.
So, while I agree that this sort of information-gathering is useful, I don't think your apology is helped by wrapping it so firmly in the mantle of science. Rather than lending an air of trust, you're tapping into a debate and controversy that goes far deeper than women in startups.