Abstract
This chapter problematizes the notion of methodological rigor in qualitative research through an examination of what it means to cultivate an identity as a qualitative researcher. Through a string of narratives, each author explores texts, methods, and experiences that inspired their work as qualitative researchers and fostered their scholarly identities. Themes of writing about the self as researcher, reflexive inquiry to develop a researcher identity, writing as a tool to hone one's understanding, and the role of trauma in qualitative research are discussed.
TopBackground
There is a growing body of literature focused on the process of cultivating a scholarly identity (e.g., Inouye & McAlpine, 2017; Noonan, 2015). Although identity is an amorphous concept, much of this work has focused on ways to cultivate doctoral students’ scholarly identities and the writing skills of both doctoral students and early-career academics (Badenhorst, 2018; Badenhorst & Xu, 2016; Clarence, 2020). In a comprehensive analysis of researcher identity, Castello et al. (2020) analyzed 38 empirical studies about researcher identity published in peer-reviewed journals over a 20-year timespan to gather an understanding of the assumptions present in discussions about any stage of a researcher’s career (e.g., doctoral students, experienced researchers). In their analysis of these studies, Castello et al. sought to examine the theoretical underpinnings underlying definitions of researcher identity in each study through a meta-theory and a typology of dimensions of identity. They defined meta-theory as an “analytic lens” based on “(a) a belief about the nature of knowledge, (b) a methodology and (c) criteria for validity” (Castello et al., 2020, p. 569). They identified four dimensions of identity to compare to the meta-theory in order to capture the fluidity of identity as a cultural, situational, and psychological phenomenon.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Reflexivity: A process of self-examination where a researcher seeks to understand the ways they have been positioned in a study, their personal influences, and underlying motives by making their thinking visible. Reflexivity helps a researcher sort out ethical dilemmas, notice large and small patterns, and build theory.
Portraiture: A qualitative methodology where the aesthetics of the research are considered by the researcher; circumstances such as context, relationships, and various voices are often examined in order for the findings to do the greatest good for the greatest number of stakeholders.
Epistemological: An examination of the way knowledge is constructed in a study with attention given to what counts as valid ways of generating knowledge.
Disaggregation: Separating a whole into its individual parts to better determine how each component fits together.
Engaged Scholarship: A way to conceptualize the connecting of the university’s mission of rich research with the pragmatic concerns of classroom application through partnerships between institutes of higher education and other areas of society where the perspective is problem focused.
Third Space Research Team: A unique learning environment where the traditional power structure of teacher and student is challenged along with the notion of what knowledge is and how it is attained by all participants.
Axiological: An examination of the value or philosophical worth of a study.
Ontological Gap: Tacit knowledge and theories that drive qualitative research but are rarely addressed in published writing about the research.
Ontological: An examination of the way reality, truth, or the nature of existence are constructed in research.