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The term 'reflexivity', as it applies to nursing, is poorly described and elusive. Yet it represents a new chapter in qualitative research, argues Maura Dowling, closing the door on a belief that distance between researcher and participant is paramount, and providing momentum for a move towards a position where boundaries between the two are surrendered
key words
* reflexivity
* epistemological
* critical
* feminist
Introduction
Reflexivity is a curious term with various meanings. Finding a definition of reflexivity that demonstrates what it means and how it is achieved is difficult (Colbourne and Sque 2004). Moreover, writings on reflexivity have not been transparent in terms of the difficulties, practicalities and methods of the process (Mauthner and Doucet 2003). Nevertheless, it is argued that an attempt be made to gain 'some kind of intellectual handle' on reflexivity in order to make use of it as a guiding standard (Freshwater and Rolfe 2001).
The role of reflexivity in the many and varied qualitative methodologies is significant. It is therefore a concept of particular relevance to nursing as qualitative methodologies play a principal function in nursing enquiry. Reflexivity assumes a pivotal role in feminist research (King 1994). It is also paramount in participatory action research (Robertson 2000), ethnographies, and hermeneutic and post-structural approaches (Koch and Harrington 1998). Furthermore, it plays an integral part in medical case study research (Thompson 2004). and is one of seven foundational processes consistently seen in studies that come under the 'critical' label (Fontana 2004).
Reflexivity is often narrowly viewed as the analytic attention to the researcher's role in qualitative research, such as that first posited by Gouldner (1971). The use of the term in general research discussions assumes that the researcher should engage in continuous self-critique and self-appraisal and explain how his or her own experience has or has not influenced the stages of the research process (Koch and Harrington 1998). This fits with the view of Furman (2004), who argues that researchers should resist the temptation to 'look good' and instead push themselves toward self-revelation.
Reflexivity, however, requires researchers to operate on multiple levels (Etherington 2004), and acknowledges that the researcher is intimately involved in both the process and product of the research endeavour (Horsburgh 2003). It involves being aware in...