Reflexivity and positionality in research
Insider/outsider-outsider/insider perspectives and the relational turn
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21147813 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Shikha Diwakar (McGill University, corresponding author), Joseph Levitan (0000-0002-1525-974X, McGill University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-19 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-06 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Research Methodology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1364-5579 • E-ISSN: 1464-5300 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13645579.2026.2696428 |
| OpenAlex | W7167487244 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 46 |
In this article, we examine how positionality and reflexivity shape the research process from planning to dissemination, arguing that prevailing approaches overlook the relational nature of identity. We identify two dominant trends in research writing: a brief ‘positionality statement,’ that list identities without analyzing their influences, and a short autobiography account that centers the researcher rather than their relationship to their research context. To address this gap, we propose a relational understanding of positionality, emphasizing reflexivity as an ongoing, dynamic process. Drawing on our experiences – a Dalit woman doing research with Dalit participants in India and a white US researcher working with Quechua-speaking communities in Peru – we illustrate how insider and outsider positions are fluid and context-dependent. Through a series of vignettes, we show how researchers who engage with positionality relationally encounter productive tensions that generate deeper insights. We conclude by illustrating how positionality statements can reflect these relational turns
Insider · Intersectionality · Process (computing) · Qualitative research · Reflexivity · Situated · Social worlds · Data Analysis and Archiving · Participatory Visual Research Methods · Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
Reflections on the Outsider Within
The Ethical Attitude in Narrative Research
An Unnecessary KIS? The UK’s Key Information Set, was it Really needed and What was its Real Purpose?
Qualitative research
Qualitative Research
Positions, positionality, and relationality in educational research
Navigating the complexity of qualitative research in postmodern contexts
The role of reflexivity in feminist psychology
Salir Adelante
What to do about values in social research
Poor Neighbourhoods and Poor Services
Negotiating positions through reflexivity in international fieldwork
The Palgrave Handbook of Relational Sociology
From Uncomfortable Squirm to Self-Discovery
Mapping the Margins
The Lives and Values of Researchers
Suspending Damage
Confession, catharsis, or cure? Rethinking the uses of reflexivity as methodological power in qualitative research
Power and positionality
Ten Tips for Reflexive Bracketing
Writing Women's Worlds
Interpreters/Translators and Cross-Language Research
An Invitation to Gaze
Reflexivity as Interpretation and Genealogy in Research
Now I see it, now I don't
Between Researcher and Researched
Reflections on Researcher Identity and Power
Marxism, Positivism, and Scientific Sociology
Cultural Feminism versus Post-Structuralism
Insiders and Outsiders
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |