Reflexive Researcher: Navigating Positionality While Interviewing Participants in a Close-Knit Community for a Deeper Exploration of Their Lived Experiences

The positionality of a researcher influences the research design, data collection, interpretation, and analysis. However, managing positionality shift is complex as the boundary between researcher and participants is fluid. Drawing on an autoethnographic approach, this paper discusses my experiences using reflexivity in managing positionality shifts while conducting interviews in my close-knit community as part of the qualitative methods for my PhD research project. The PhD project assesses the impact of COVID-19 on social, economic, physical, and psychological well-being in Bhutan. It is based on a mixed-method convergent design within which the interviews were included to gather qualitative data from 52 key informants in Bhutan for a comprehensive understanding of their lived experiences. Insights drawn from the experiences of interviewing participants showed that the researcher’s positionality, even if they belong to a close-knit community, shifts between ‘insider’ and ‘outsider’ statuses depending on the context. Complex and multiple social dimensions shape the decisions of participants to situate a researcher’s positionality, which impacts the research uniquely and unexpectedly, especially in data collection and interpretation. The reflection underscores the significance of reflexivity as a tool to navigate positionality tensions in managing ethical rigour, enhancing cultural and contextual sensitivity, and practising agility to foster trust in gathering authentic insights. Reflexivity also enhances the transparency of the qualitative methods to ensure credible and in-depth data for the phenomenon under investigation. The paper also aims to benefit qualitative researchers in managing positionality shifts with fluid boundaries between the researcher and participants while exploring deeper meanings of participants’ lived experiences.