Portraying Reflexivity in Health Services Research

Qual Health Res. 2016 Sep;26(11):1543-9. doi: 10.1177/1049732316634046. Epub 2016 Mar 1.

Abstract

A model is proposed for supporting reflexivity in qualitative health research, informed by arguments from Bourdieu and Finlay. Bourdieu refers to mastering the subjective relation to the object at three levels-the overall social space, the field of specialists, and the scholastic universe. The model overlays Bourdieu's levels of objectivation with Finlay's three stages of research (pre-research, data collection, and data analysis). The intersections of these two ways of considering reflexivity, displayed as cells of a matrix, pose questions and offer prompts to productively challenge health researchers' reflexivity. Portraiture is used to show how these challenges and prompts can facilitate such reflexivity, as illustrated in a research project.

Keywords: arts-based research; epistemology; portraiture; qualitative methods; reflexivity; research design.

MeSH terms

  • Data Collection
  • Health Services Research*
  • Humans
  • Qualitative Research
  • Research Personnel
  • Social Environment*