Reflexive Methodologies and Methods

Both qualitative and quantitative scholars are increasingly attentive to the importance of reflexivity in research. This chapter highlights the varied ways reflexivity is defined and practiced in political science over three parts. First, it surveys varied understandings of reflexivity from interpretive and positivist corners of the discipline. It highlights conceptions of reflexivity as 1) critical self-reflection on the role and effects of the individual researcher or 2) a broader and critical appraisal of ontological and epistemological suppositions. Second, it argues that engaging reflexivity helps researchers build rapport and working relationships; pursue safe and ethical research; develop fuller accounts of the social world; and facilitate and assess the trustworthiness of research. Third, it surveys scholarship that provides models for reflexivity in interviewing, ethnography, and archival research.