Researching a marginalised group: Reflections on being an outsider

Abstract

AbstractAimReflective practice is common across a range of disciplines requiring self‐examination and exploration of the impact of the researcher on the research and vice versa. This article reflects on the personal issues involved in representing other groups, drawing on experiences of research into same‐sex couple counselling by a straight identified researcher.Design/methodologyA reflective exploration on the experience of conducting in‐depth interviews with participants who had been in same‐sex couple counselling. Data from interviews and an Internet survey, utilising thematic and discourse analysis, are used to illustrate the reflections.ResultsResearchers into Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual (LGB) topics are often assumed to be LGB themselves raising questions of whether or not to ‘come out’ as heterosexual. Therefore, aspects of researching a community as an outsider have an impact on how the researcher presents themselves. Reflections are linked to the researcher's own heterosexual identity development, and on the participants’ responses.Conclusions & implicationsResearching as an outsider requires a reflection on power and the impact of self‐disclosure. This will be an individual process for each researcher at that stage of their own development. Researchers working as an outsider can use heterosexual identity development models to inform their thinking about engaging with potential participants.