Researcher Positionality in the Dissertation in Practice

Abstract

This chapter explores first the role of researcher perspective in the research process, then the unique nuances of the researcher positionality in dissertations in practice, followed by a discussion of the advantages and limitations of the unique positionality assumed by dissertations in practice. This chapter concludes by noting the importance of constructing conceptual coherence between the implications of the scholarly-practitioner's positionality statement and the discussion of the dissertation's ethical considerations and limitations. The dissertation in practice, more so than with traditional Ph.D. dissertations, assumes that the researcher holds close personal connections to the research site, participants, and contexts. Far from envisioning the researcher as an objective outside observer, the dissertation in practice assumes that the researcher has a vested interest in solving the professional problem of practice within their place of employment in the presence of colleagues. For this reason, the full disclosure of the researcher's positionality becomes all the more important.

Positionalities in Our Practices and Papers

“…Existing scholarly work is less specific about how practitioners and researchers should reflect on the influence of their positionalities on their work, but some prompts and discussion are the topics of Pavia (2015), Holmes (2020), and Smith et al (2021). Pavia's (2015) article focuses on considering the positionality of authors studying religious identities in educational contexts.…”

Fleshing Out the Embodied Potentialities of Positionality

“…[and] that they are not separate from the social processes they study” (Holmes, 2020, p. 3). Positionality, which qualitative researchers have regarded as integral to effective qualitative research (Reich, 2021), is predicated on a researcher’s ongoing capacities for reflexivity (Holmes, 2020; Smith et al, 2021). Given that a researcher’s worldview is shaped by a dynamic constellation of factors such as ethnicity, race, social class, gender, sexuality, and political and religious views (Holmes, 2020), a researcher’s positionality is continually in formation and, thus, necessitates an ongoing reflexive approach (Smith et al, 2021).…”

“…Positionality, which qualitative researchers have regarded as integral to effective qualitative research (Reich, 2021), is predicated on a researcher’s ongoing capacities for reflexivity (Holmes, 2020; Smith et al, 2021). Given that a researcher’s worldview is shaped by a dynamic constellation of factors such as ethnicity, race, social class, gender, sexuality, and political and religious views (Holmes, 2020), a researcher’s positionality is continually in formation and, thus, necessitates an ongoing reflexive approach (Smith et al, 2021). To make transparent the possibilities of researcher bias and the potential influence of personal belief systems on the research process, qualitative researchers have used positionality statements (Holmes, 2020; Pope & Patterson, 2019) to articulate their situatedness surrounding the insider/outsider status, personal philosophies, and descriptors of race, ethnicity, social class, and gender (Holmes, 2020; Lu & Hodge, 2019).…”

Exploring Experiences of Mental Health and Wellbeing-Related Tattoos in Aotearoa

“…Positionality and 'insider' or 'outsider' statements challenge the notion that a researcher is inherently objective and neutral, an assumption that has been held in research spaces. An advantage of being an insider is that participants may be more open to discussing their experiences, as there is an assumed level of trust and understanding which is less likely to be present when the researcher is more of an outsider (Dwyer & Buckle, 2009;Smith et al 2021). However, the insider advantage can also lead to potential issues where assumed shared experiences may result in participants explaining their experiences less clearly than they would to an outside researcher (Dwyer & Buckle, 2009;Holmes, 2020;Smith et al 2021).…”

“…An insider researcher may also neglect opportunities to seek clarification, and their analysis has the potential to "be clouded by [their] personal experience" (Dwyer & Buckle, 2009, p. 58). Coming from an outsider position may counteract interference of shared experience, however, an outsider analysis may be at risk of lacking the depth that can come with being an insider (Dwyer & Buckle, 2009;Holmes, 2020;Smith et al 2021). The advantages of one position tend to reflect the disadvantages of the other, resulting in a relatively complex debate over the most advantageous position to carry out research.…”