This blogpost is a summary of discussions during the NLRN webinar on Open Qualitative Research and during the OSC NL Barcamp. Anyone interested in the topic is welcome to join this discussion. Please find a link to a newsletter below the text.
Background: What are positionality statements and reflexivity?
Reflexivity practices constitute one set of resources, traditionally used by qualitative researchers, to examine researchers’ beliefs and worldviews and how these may influence the research processes. Qualitative research is typically characterized by methodological approaches that embrace flexibility and subjectivity. It encompasses its own processes and procedures to ensure rigor, one of which is writing clear and coherent positionality statements*.
Positionality statements are a tool for reflecting on how researcher’s personal characteristics, experiences, and opinions could influence the research processes. They can become part of methods sections or stand on their own. Positionality statements can also be written for a research group, reflecting on how the individuals’ backgrounds align with, enhance or hinder each other.
*quote from the session description at NOSF 2025
Background: What are Data Management Plans (DMPs) ?
From Leiden University Libraries: Data management plans ask researchers to gather all information about the data in their project. They are asked to provide information on the type of data, the method of collection, the format and the documentation of the data. It also includes sections on facilities that are used, legal or ethical reasons (not) to share data, and on the way data is shared and preserved in the long term.
In practice, researchers set up such plans at the beginning of any research project as many research performing organizations mandate them. Often, DMPs are set up once and not updated throughout the projects life cycle.
During our webinar on Open Qualitative Research in October 2025, the panelists discussed, among other things positionality statements and how those help bring biases, beliefs and assumptions to light and thereby open the study process. One participant, (Anna Volkova) remarked that data management plans would be a good starting point for any researcher to think about their positionality. Given that DMPs are usually written when setting up a research project, the timing would be right for a first round of reflections. DMPs are also mandatory for any research conducted in the Netherlands and might hence be a possibility to reach colleagues that are still somewhat removed from the open science sphere, or are not familiar with reflective practices.
During the Open Science Barcamp in Groningen, we had the chance to take this idea up with fellow barcamp participants and discuss the how and why of this idea in depth:
Firstly, we established that positionality statements are a common tool in a lot of qualitative research. Also researchers in the humanities, for example historians, reflect on their own assumptions, even if they might not have a separate positionality statement. We also confirmed that DMPs are mandatory documentation at all research institutions in the Netherlands. Ideally, a DMP is used as a living document that gets updated as the research project evolves. In reality, many DMPs are written once at the start of a project and then forgotten or not updated as the project continues.
DMPs are already nudging researchers into reflection. There are for example ethics questions, and researchers are asked to come up with mitigation procedures for responsible data handling. While those reflections are centered around the project itself and not around the researcher as a person, they might open doors for deeper reflection. Another example are questions around data collection tools and software. Again, researchers are given prompts to think about the ethics and openness on platforms and tools that they will employ. This might open doors for reflections about the positionality of the person performing research.
We thought about what use mandatory reflection statements would have. Some argued that the code of conduct mandates many actions to uphold research integrity, adding reflection would be just one more. A mandate would be useful to get at least some sort of statement out of everyone. Others argued that this might encourage throw-away 3-sentence statements which stand in contrast to the deep reflections positionality statements are based on. On this point, we agreed that copy-pasting a well thought-out statements is acceptable if studies are very similar to each other.
Along the line of thought of a mandatory reflection, we briefly raised the question how much such a mandate would infringe individual researchers’ academic freedom. Would they perceive a mandate as too controlling? Or can we mandate reflection because it is (and as it becomes) part of good research practices?
We had many data stewards in the room and discussed if such a reflection moment could be part of their work.
Most research performing institutions employ data stewards who help with setting up DMPs. Many of the present stewards meet in 1-on-1 meetings with each researcher who submits a data management plan. Some of the present colleagues were open to encourage researchers to write positionality statements in those consultation sessions.
What do we do with this?
Do you have ideas how to take this forward? Share them via email, social media or in a comment under this post. Here are a few ideas:
> take these thoughts back to researchers already working with positionality statements to understand if our discussions so far are cutting too many corners from the original meaning of a positionality statement
> take several standard DMP templates and find the questions where researchers are already nudged into reflections (about the project but also about themselves)
> work on materials/ collect existing materials that datastewards could refer researchers too to start working on their positionality statement
> come up with a pilot intervention to integrate reflections on positionality in DMP consultations
> Your ideas!
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Helpful links and references:
Jamieson, M. K., Govaart, G. H., & Pownall, M. (2023). Reflexivity in quantitative research: A rationale and beginner’s guide. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 17(4), e12735. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12735
Workbook Positionality Statements: https://zenodo.org/records/17174961
Blogpost Candidness: Open by Reflection – Candidness for more transparent science – reproducibilitynetwork
Background: What are positionality statements and reflexivity practices?
Reflexivity practices constitute one set of resources, traditionally used by qualitative researchers, to examine researchers’ beliefs and worldviews and how these may influence the research processes. Qualitative research is typically characterized by methodological approaches that embrace flexibility and subjectivity. It encompasses its own processes and procedures to ensure rigor, one of which is writing clear and coherent positionality statements.
Positionality statements are a tool for reflecting on how researcher’s personal characteristics, experiences, and opinions could influence the research processes. They can become part of methods sections or stand on their own. Positionality statements can also be written for a research group, reflecting on how the individuals’ backgrounds align with, enhance or hinder each other.
Background: What are Data Management Plans?
From Leiden University Libraries: Data management plans ask researchers to gather all information about the data in their project. They are asked to provide information on the type of data, the method of collection, the format and the documentation of the data. It also includes sections on facilities that are used, legal or ethical reasons (not) to share data, and on the way data is shared and preserved in the long term.
In practice, researchers set up such plans at the beginning of any research project as many research performing organizations mandate them. Often, DMPs are set up once and not updated throughout the projects life cycle.