Positionality

Positionality refers to what we know and believe. It relates to our understanding of ourselves, of who we are and what we bring to our research. For example, when a researcher describes their ‘position’ in relation to their study they may discuss their (possibly conflicting) roles as colleague, researcher, teacher and parent. It is linked to reflexivityReflexivity draws attention to the researcher, rather than pretending that they they did not influence the research. It involves an examination of how the researcher's own beliefs, judgments and practices may have influenced the research..