Qualitative research is used by researchers in order to investigate the deeper meaning of experiences and attitudes behind social behavior. The nectar of qualitative research can be found through truthful reporting, first hand recollection of experiences, and quotes from actual interviews or focus group discussions1. It for this reason, that the concept of reflexivity should never be overlooked by a researcher.
Reflexivity involves reflecting back on the research process and aiming to understand key issues such as, reasons behind research, why was research conducted in a particular manner and how such methods has led to a particular result. It is important that the researcher engages in continuous self-critique, self-appraisal and self-reflection …show more content…
This essay is based on a small-scale, qualitative phenomenological research project. The Grounded Theory approach was used as a study design since we wished to explore the experiences of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and exploring the process of self-management of this condition. Four participants were chosen using purposive, homogenous sampling and data was collected using a semi-structured interview …show more content…
I have a background in the pharmaceutical field and i am frequently faced with patients whom share their experiences of living with a chronic disease, in terms of diet, medication adherence, psychological aspects. A member of my group has a background in diabetic research and since we were both able to understand the complexity of being diagnosed with diabetes, this became a fitting area of exploration. Often researchers tend to look at the medical and quantitative aspects surrounding a condition therefore our topic focused on the psychological and social aspects of diabetes. My families, both maternal and paternal, have a history of diabetes; therefore I could easily see myself as a participant in this study. In addition, my grandmother lost her life due to complications of this disease. It is for these reasons that I understood from the outset the difficulty required to suspend my feelings as a researcher by not imposing any theories and let the information from participants speak for itself. I have seen family members struggle with the psychological, financial and social aspects diabetes and therefore I could also understand the importance our enquiry into self-management since it would provide the ability to fill in gaps in knowledge and provide a uniquely valuable perspective into a relatively unexplored
Reflexivity involves reflecting back on the research process and aiming to understand key issues such as, reasons behind research, why was research conducted in a particular manner and how such methods has led to a particular result. It is important that the researcher engages in continuous self-critique, self-appraisal and self-reflection …show more content…
This essay is based on a small-scale, qualitative phenomenological research project. The Grounded Theory approach was used as a study design since we wished to explore the experiences of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and exploring the process of self-management of this condition. Four participants were chosen using purposive, homogenous sampling and data was collected using a semi-structured interview …show more content…
I have a background in the pharmaceutical field and i am frequently faced with patients whom share their experiences of living with a chronic disease, in terms of diet, medication adherence, psychological aspects. A member of my group has a background in diabetic research and since we were both able to understand the complexity of being diagnosed with diabetes, this became a fitting area of exploration. Often researchers tend to look at the medical and quantitative aspects surrounding a condition therefore our topic focused on the psychological and social aspects of diabetes. My families, both maternal and paternal, have a history of diabetes; therefore I could easily see myself as a participant in this study. In addition, my grandmother lost her life due to complications of this disease. It is for these reasons that I understood from the outset the difficulty required to suspend my feelings as a researcher by not imposing any theories and let the information from participants speak for itself. I have seen family members struggle with the psychological, financial and social aspects diabetes and therefore I could also understand the importance our enquiry into self-management since it would provide the ability to fill in gaps in knowledge and provide a uniquely valuable perspective into a relatively unexplored