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Articles

Vol. 6 No. 2 (2019): Brazilian Journal of Empirical Legal Studies

The challenges of the insider researcher: reflexivity, triangulation and ethical concerns in qualitative research in institutions in which they work

DOI
https://doi.org/10.19092/reed.v6i2.361
Submitted
October 31, 2018
Published
2019-08-22

Abstract

This article explores a frequent albeit rarely discussed issue in judicial research: the challenges of doing qualitative research in which the researcher is an insider, that is, when he investigates the institution in which he works. This article reflects on methodological and ethical strategies aimed at overcoming biases in native qualitative researches, in order to provide researchers with tools to produce more reliable research in the future. The study explores four research strategies adopted in the author’s doctoral thesis: reflexivity, which means reflecting about how one’s epistemological position affects the collection of data and its results; triangulation, which is related to collection of data in different sources and different levels of analysis; case selection through transparent criteria that include negative or dissonant cases that contradict the author’s initial research hypothesis; and, finally, the adoption of ethical concerns, such as anonymity, respondent validation and the approval of the research project in the Ethics Committee.

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