The double arrow: How qualitative social work researchers use reflexivity

Abstract

While much has been written about the central role of reflexivity in qualitative research, there has been no empirical study of how researchers actually ‘do’ reflexivity. As interest in qualitative research continues to grow, data is needed to operationalize and map what is assumed to be a hallmark of the qualitative paradigm. A study was thus conducted to explore the role and use of reflexivity in qualitative research. In-depth interviews were conducted with 34 qualitative social work researchers to gather information about the use of specific reflexive activities at various points in the research process. Participants were from eight countries, with the majority (65%) from the US, and included researchers utilizing diverse methods and with varying degrees of experience. Interviewees described a wide array of activities, formal and informal, conducted alone or with others, that they utilized to support reflexivity; most also stated that they made use of reflexive actions as the need arose, depending on the nature of the project, rather than in a systematic way. Although the study generated a catalog of reflexive activities, ultimately the mechanism of reflexivity may not lie in the specific activity but in the attitude with which it is carried out.