Reflexivity (eBook)

Linda Finlay teaches Psychology with the Open University, UK, and is an Academic Consultant offering training and mentorship on qualitative research in health care. She is currently working towards registration as an Integrative psychotherapist. She has published widely on topics relating to psychosocial occupational therapy, group work and qualitative research. Brendan Gough is a Critical Social Psychologist and qualitative researcher. He is also the co-founder and co-editor of the journal, Qualitative Research in Psychology. He was awarded a fellowship of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2016.

REFLEXIVITY: A Practical Guide for Researchers in Health and Social Sciences 5
Contents 7
Contributors 9
Prologue 11
Part I: Introducing Reflexivity 15
1 The reflexive journey: mapping multiple routes 17
2 Deconstructing reflexivity 35
Part II: Personal Reflexivity 51
3 Necessary subjectivity: exploiting researchers’ motives, passions and prejudices in pursuit of answering ‘true’ questions 53
4 Three journeys towards reflexivity 66
5 Navigating multiple research identities: reflexivity in discourse analytic research 80
6 Developing a critically reflexive position using discourse analysis 92
7 Reflexivity as presence: a journey of self-inquiry 107
Part III: Reflexivity Within Relationships 117
8 Through the looking glass: intersubjectivity and hermeneutic reflection 119
9 Analysing the interviewer: the joint construction of accounts of psychotic experience 134
10 Reflexivity, ‘bias’ and the in-depth interview: developing shared meanings 147
11 Shifting researcher positions during a group interview study: a reflexive analysis and re-view 160
Part IV: Reflexivity Through Collaboration 175
12 Doing reflexivity: a collaborative, narrative approach 177
13 Shifting identities: the negotiation of meanings between texts and between persons 190
14 Researcher as storyteller and performer: parallels with playback theatre 201
15 Using reflexivity to loosen theoretical and organisational knots within participatory action research 214
16 Holding up the mirror to widen the view: multiple subjectivities in the reflexive team 228
Epilogue 243
17 The next turn: reflexively analysing reflexive research 245
Index 265

'...an excellent introductory text on the principles and
practices of reflexivity'

Qualitative Research in Psychology

'In an utterly accessible and compelling way, it has mapped
out the terrain of reflexivity in qualitative research and invited
other to continue the journey'

Qualitative Research in Psychology

Pre-Publication Review Comments

I have enjoyed the reflexive journey very much, learned a lot
and been excited to learn more. What else can one say of a well
written and thought provoking book? . . . This is a book that is
well overdue. I think it will attract a lot of interest -
especially from those intrigued by methodology. I look forward to
introducing my students to this text and I wish the editors every
success.

Vivien Hollis

Professor and Chair, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine,
University of Alberta, Canada