(Inter)Subjectivity in the Research Pair

Abstract

We draw on our experiences in one organizational study to explore the reflexive process of writing fieldnotes. Bridging the literatures on reflexivity, intersubjectivity, and psychoanalysis, we develop a unique four-dimension method of writing and analyzing fieldnotes–observing, capturing the story, articulating countertransference, and developing interpretations. Fieldnotes developed individually, and shared between researchers, can become the basis of reflexive dialogue to enhance researchers’ intersubjective understanding of the field and, in so doing, give voice to research participants. Shared fieldnotes provide an opportunity to explore different noticings as a means to develop more nuanced interpretations. Articulating countertransference, a technique borrowed from contemporary psychoanalytic theory, informs our efforts to raise awareness of the unconscious dimensions of field experiences and develop a reflexive double-loop within the research pair. We illustrate our reflexive fieldnote-writing method with excerpts from our fieldnotes while describing our research process. Our approach is unique in that it focuses on the researcher-researcher relationship and the hidden emotions that influence research accounts.