Citation

Lavis V. Qual. Res. Psychol. 2010; 7(4): 316-331.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/14780880902929506

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Drawing on Coffey’s (1991) notion of fieldwork as 'identity work,' this article explores the implications of constructing and performing multiple 'researcher identities' within qualitative research interviewing. In doing so it utilizes three examples taken from social psychological research which employed a discursive approach, informed by feminist research principles, to explore issues of power, knowledge, and language on the interaction between primary health care services and women experiencing domestic violence. These examples illustrate how within qualitative in-depth interviews identities can be both constructed by (Wolf 1996) and required of the researcher by their participants (Thapar-Björkert & Henry 2004). While such researcher identities can be viewed, particularly within research informed by feminist ethics, as a form of ‘integrity’; being responsive to the individual needs of specific participants, they also can leave the researcher with the experience of feeling disingenuous. The article explores some of the tensions inherent within these two vantage-points and calls for a wider engagement and discussion of these issues in order to enable researchers to better negotiate such tensions.