Research in the first person: Reflection on the research experience using a research journal
Document Type
Journal Article
Publisher
The Australian Market & Social Research Society
Faculty
Faculty of Business and Law
School
School of Business
RAS ID
16093
Abstract
This paper draws on a phenomenological study based study (Waters, 1994) to demonstrate the applicability of collecting and recording data using a research journal. The study focused on two key life stages, first-time pregnancy and first-time parenthood, which is an under developed area of research in family leisure studies, as previous approaches have tended to concentrate on all phases of family life (Beck & Arnold 2009). The study collected data in two phases using focus groups and interviews with pre-birth and post-birth groups and interviews with leisure facility managers. The paper discusses the meaning and importance of reflections as a means of evaluating the experiences of the researcher. A number of key research issues emerging during the study in terms of the validity of using journals as a method recording data are discussed and evaluated. The paper concludes with affirming the benefits of reflection through journal writing as an alternative to traditional qualitative methods
Comments
Lamb, D. (2013). Research in the first person: Reflection on the research experience using a research journal. Market and Social Research, 21(2), 32-39. Available here