Positionality Map for Qualitative Social Research

In qualitative social research, researchers play an active role as "research instruments". They are not just observers, but participants in the process of making sense of data. Understanding their 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 is therefore key. 

Positionality refers to a researcher’s life experiences and how these shape their position in relation to the people or setting they study. In qualitative social research, it is important to reflect critically on one’s positionality because it influences both how the research is carried out and the findings that emerge. This is particularly crucial in interpretative research, where the focus is on how people understand reality and the meanings they attach to it.

Positionality shapes many aspects of research: what a researcher chooses to focus on, what they notice or overlook, who they want to speak with, who agrees (or refuses) to speak with them, the questions they ask or avoid, and the type of information they receive.

A helpful starting point for reflecting critically on positionality is to create a positionality map. This involves analysing how specific aspects of one’s lived experience (such as profession, age, nationality, gender, education, or ethnicity) affect the research process and focus.

It is important to bear in mind that the impact of these social positions depends on the research context and relationships, and can change over time. For this reason, positionality should not be treated as a one-off “tick box” exercise, but as something researchers return to and reflect on throughout their work.

For a more detailed discussion, see:

Jacobson, D., & Mustafa, N. (2019). Social identity map: A reflexivity tool for practicing explicit positionality in critical qualitative research. International journal of qualitative methods, 18, 1609406919870075