1. What is reflexivity?
As the researchers are primary data collection instruments in the qualitative study, reflexivity is considered crucial (Merriam, 1998). Reflexivity helps to understand the phenomenon under research and the research process itself (Watt, 2007). It is an ability of the researcher to acknowledge that the researchers themselves influence inquiry and research findings in various ways. Reflexivity is an anatomy of the researcher by the researcher to validate their own research process and findings. Researcher reflects continuously on how their own actions, values and perceptions affect data collection and analysis (Lambert et al. 2010). As a co-constructor of meaning, the researcher approaches to subjectivity by “bracketing” and “monitoring of self” (Peshkin, 1988). Phenomenologists have coined the term bracketing to describe the process of becoming aware of one’s implicit assumptions and …show more content…
Reflexivity continuously examines researcher’s systemic, epistemological and methodological reflexivity but reflexivity does not examine participant’s belief, assumptions, presuppositions, which also important issue to be investigated to get legitimate truth. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2000), the qualitative methodology faces a triple crisis of representation, legitimation, and praxis (cited in Day, 2012). The concept of reflexivity breaks this crisis into three important questions (Day, 2012). The questions are:
First, in our representations of the social world, what are our underlying assumptions about the production of knowledge – how do we know, and who can claim to know? What is considered legitimate knowledge, and what role does power, identity and positionality play in this process? Finally, how does one put into practice the reflexive techniques and address methodological issues in a way that results in valid, good-quality social research? (Day, 2012:
As the researchers are primary data collection instruments in the qualitative study, reflexivity is considered crucial (Merriam, 1998). Reflexivity helps to understand the phenomenon under research and the research process itself (Watt, 2007). It is an ability of the researcher to acknowledge that the researchers themselves influence inquiry and research findings in various ways. Reflexivity is an anatomy of the researcher by the researcher to validate their own research process and findings. Researcher reflects continuously on how their own actions, values and perceptions affect data collection and analysis (Lambert et al. 2010). As a co-constructor of meaning, the researcher approaches to subjectivity by “bracketing” and “monitoring of self” (Peshkin, 1988). Phenomenologists have coined the term bracketing to describe the process of becoming aware of one’s implicit assumptions and …show more content…
Reflexivity continuously examines researcher’s systemic, epistemological and methodological reflexivity but reflexivity does not examine participant’s belief, assumptions, presuppositions, which also important issue to be investigated to get legitimate truth. According to Denzin and Lincoln (2000), the qualitative methodology faces a triple crisis of representation, legitimation, and praxis (cited in Day, 2012). The concept of reflexivity breaks this crisis into three important questions (Day, 2012). The questions are:
First, in our representations of the social world, what are our underlying assumptions about the production of knowledge – how do we know, and who can claim to know? What is considered legitimate knowledge, and what role does power, identity and positionality play in this process? Finally, how does one put into practice the reflexive techniques and address methodological issues in a way that results in valid, good-quality social research? (Day, 2012: