On the Inside Looking In: Methodological Insights and Challenges in Conducting Qualitative Insider Research

Authors

Melanie J. Greene, Memorial University of NewfoundlandFollow

Abstract

As qualitative researchers, what stories we are told, how they are relayed to us, and the narratives that we form and share with others are inevitably influenced by our position and experiences as a researcher in relation to our participants. This is particularly true for insider research, which is concerned with the study of one’s own social group or society. This paper explores some of the possible methodological insights and challenges that may arise from insider research, and suggests several techniques and tools that may be utilized to aid in, rather than hinder, the process of the telling and sharing of participants’ stories. Such strategies may also be used to minimize ethical implications, avoid potential bias and increase the trustworthiness of the data gathered. This analysis draws on the author’s own experiences as an insider researcher and principal investigator on a research project that employed qualitative methodologies.

Keywords

Positionality, Insider/Outsider, Reflexivity, Qualitative Research, Methodology

Publication Date

7-21-2014

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1106

Recommended APA Citation

Greene, M. J. (2014). On the Inside Looking In: Methodological Insights and Challenges in Conducting Qualitative Insider Research. The Qualitative Report, 19(29), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2014.1106