Researcher Positionality: Ways to Include it in a Qualitative Research Design

When conducting research, a researcher’s perspective and worldview are referred to as positionality. It also “reflects the position that the researcher has chosen to adopt within a given research study” and describes the researcher’s relationship to their research subjects. What the researcher chooses to study, how it is carried out, and the outcomes are all influenced by their position. In this paper, I argue that the positionality of a researcher is shaped by a variety of factors, including gender, race, personal experiences, values, and beliefs. These factors then influence the researchers’ assumptions, methods of accessing and interacting with participants, the questions they pose, and how they interpret…