Identifying Your Unique Perspective
Before we talk about positionality The identity of us as a researcher as it relates to the social and political context of a research study. Our positionality is based on our past experiences and shapes how you approach the research process. and creating a researcher identity statement, it’s important to take stock of who you are and how your lived experience informs who you are as a student, scholar, and professional. You will also want to think about what’s motivating you to do research right now and how that will shape the ways you work.
Each person has a multifaceted identity shaped by individual, relational, and social contexts. Our professional identities as librarians and researchers are influenced by many factors that change over time.
Activity
Complete the following reflective activity. You will answer a series of questions, and you may write down your answers in your LPOL Workbook or elsewhere.
First, let’s identify your personal and professional values, experiences, and interests. As a reflective exercise, write down your answers to the following questions using the 1.1.1 Identifying Your Personal and Professional Values worksheet in your LPOL Workbook.
- What motivates you to pursue research? Are your motivations primarily intrinsic (an internal desire to accomplish a goal), extrinsic (a desire to achieve an external accomplishment or reward), or both?
- What issues are important to you, excite you, or frustrate you in relation to the LIS An interdisciplinary field that examines how physical and digital information is organized, accessed, collected, managed, disseminated and used, particularly in library settings. field? How do they connect to you or your work?
- What previous experiences do you have as a student, scholar, professional, or person that you can inform your research perspective?
- How does your current role and responsibilities influence the kind of research you want to do?
- Identify an audience, impact, or goal that drives you. Ask questions such as, who do I want to reach? or what impact do I want to have?
- Are there particular scholars that inspire you or help shape your approach to your research interests?
- Review your responses to the above questions. What major themes can you identify?
Now that you’ve reflected on your personal and professional values, review your answers. What themes or trends stick out to you from your answers? Do you see any patterns that can help you focus your research?
Topic 1 References
Gonzalez-Smith, Isabel, Swanson, Julia, and Azusa Tanaka. “Unpacking Identity: Racial, Ethnic, and Professional Identity and Academic Librarians of Color” In The Librarian Stereotype: Deconstructing Perceptions and Presentations of Information Work, eds. Miriam Rigby and Nicole Pagowsky (Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2014), 149–74. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/27322.
Jardine, Hannah. 2018. “The Impact of Researcher Identity and Positionality.” The University of Maryland Graduate School Blog. October 3, 2018. https://gradschool.umd.edu/about-us/blog/4222. Pierson, Cameron M., Goulding, Anne, and Jennifer Campbell-Meier. “An Integrated Understanding of Librarian Professional Identity.” Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication 68, no. 4/5 (2019): 413-430. doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2019-0008.
Identifying Your Unique Perspective
Before we talk about positionalityPositionality The identity of us as a researcher as it relates to the social and political context of a research study. Our positionality is based on our past experiences and shapes how you approach the research process. and creating a researcher identity statement, it’s important to take stock of who you are and how your lived experience informs who you are as a student, scholar, and professional. You will also want to think about what’s motivating you to do research right now and how that will shape the ways you work.
Each person has a multifaceted identity shaped by individual, relational, and social contexts. Our professional identities as librarians and researchers are influenced by many factors that change over time.
Activity
Complete the following reflective activity. You will answer a series of questions, and you may write down your answers in your LPOL Workbook or elsewhere.
First, let’s identify your personal and professional values, experiences, and interests. As a reflective exercise, write down your answers to the following questions using the 1.1.1 Identifying Your Personal and Professional Values worksheet in your LPOL Workbook.
Now that you’ve reflected on your personal and professional values, review your answers. What themes or trends stick out to you from your answers? Do you see any patterns that can help you focus your research?
Topic 1 References
Gonzalez-Smith, Isabel, Swanson, Julia, and Azusa Tanaka. “Unpacking Identity: Racial, Ethnic, and Professional Identity and Academic Librarians of Color” In The Librarian Stereotype: Deconstructing Perceptions and Presentations of Information Work, eds. Miriam Rigby and Nicole Pagowsky (Chicago, IL: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2014), 149–74. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/27322.
Jardine, Hannah. 2018. “The Impact of Researcher Identity and Positionality.” The University of Maryland Graduate School Blog. October 3, 2018. https://gradschool.umd.edu/about-us/blog/4222. Pierson, Cameron M., Goulding, Anne, and Jennifer Campbell-Meier. “An Integrated Understanding of Librarian Professional Identity.” Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication 68, no. 4/5 (2019): 413-430. doi.org/10.1108/GKMC-01-2019-0008.