Reflexivity

Abstract

Reflexivity is the practice of critical consciousness of one's location and positionality in a research process and how this influences research outcomes and the production of knowledge. It accounts for power relations, subjectivities, epistemology, interpretation of text, and conduct of research methods. Reflecting upon and assessing how one is positioned can enable more conscientious and ethical engagement, be it with people, institutions, or texts. Reflexivity has become increasingly important in research processes in geography. However, it is not without criticism as reflexive acts can be reduced to self‐indulgent narratives of the researcher's experience and thus reassert relations of dominance and representation. Reflexivity, however, has the enormous potential to foster ethical research and collaborative research engagement with meaningful impact beyond the academy. Collaborative endeavors can emerge from reflexive research and writing and new avenues of collectivization and empowerment can result.