Positionality practices and dimensions of impact on equity research: A collaborative inquiry and call to the community
Positionality practices and dimensions of impact on equity research: A collaborative inquiry and call to the community
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DOI：
10.1002/jee.20377
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发表时间：
2021-02-05
影响因子：
3.4
通讯作者：
Svyantek, Martina
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Secules, Stephen;McCall, Cassandra;Svyantek, Martina
背景 许多工程教育研究人员承认他们的立场会影响他们的研究。报告立场的做法差异很大，而且很少包含对人口特征对研究影响的细致讨论。持有边缘化或相对隐藏身份的研究人员必须在其立场透明度方面了解更多层面。目的我们确定立场影响研究的方式，特别强调人口身份维度。我们注意到，在研究背景中，身份是否相对边缘化、特权、隐藏或明显，都会给概念化、实践和披露一个人的立场带来复杂性。方法在以自我民族志为基础的协作调查中，我们汇集了当前工程教育研究人员的立场反思，以展示立场影响研究的主要方式。结果我们发现立场影响研究的六个基本方面：研究主题、认识论、本体论、方法论、与参与者的关系和沟通。研究的这些方面比作为方法限制、防止偏见的措施或研究质量要求的立场概念进行了更深入的探讨。结论立场对研究的影响是复杂的，特别是当研究人员占据少数身份以及质疑身份群体之间权力关系的研究主题时。通过展示质疑和代表立场的做法，我们希望鼓励更多的研究人员透明地代表立场，从而使研究人员的透明度对所有人来说更加安全。我们认为，立场是反思和破坏特权的重要工具，特别是在进行股权研究时。
Background Many engineering education researchers acknowledge that their positionality impacts their research. Practices for reporting positionality vary widely and rarely incorporate a nuanced discussion of the impact of demographic identities on research. Researchers holding marginalized or relatively hidden identities must navigate additional layers regarding transparency of their positionality.Purpose We identify ways in which positionality impacts research, with a particular emphasis on demographic identity dimensions. We note that whether identities are relatively marginalized, privileged, hidden, or apparent in a research context creates complexities for conceptualizing, practicing, and disclosing one's positionality.Method In a collaborative inquiry informed by autoethnography, we assemble positionality reflections of current engineering education researchers to demonstrate the primary ways in which positionality impacts research.Results We find that positionality impacts six fundamental aspects of research: research topic, epistemology, ontology, methodology, relation to participants, and communication. These aspects of research delve deeper than conceptions of positionality as a methodological limitation, a measure to prevent bias, or a requirement for research quality.Conclusion The impact of positionality on research is complex, particularly when researchers occupy minoritized identities and for research topics that interrogate power relations between identity groups. By demonstrating the practices of interrogating and representing positionality, we hope to encourage more researchers to represent positionality transparently, thus making researchers' transparency safer for all. We argue that positionality is an important tool for reflecting on and dislocating privilege, particularly when working on equity research.