Exercising a Process of Incorporated Self-Reflexivity and Co-Reflexivity: Conducting Research on Chinese Family Caregivers of End-of-Life Patients

Abstract

There are considerable methodological and emotional challenges conducting research on family caregivers of end-of-life patients. In this article, we identified the major challenges encountered while studying a group of Chinese immigrant family caregivers of terminally ill patients. Drawing upon the concept of reflexivity and building on the previous literature, two types of reflexivity, self-reflexivity and co-reflexivity, were introduced and incorporated into a research process. It is argued that co-reflexivity, where co-researchers engaging in reflexive dialogues, can be an essential component to a process of reflexive activities, in addition to self-reflexivity. During the journey of designing and applying this incorporated process, we were able to manage ethical, methodological and emotional challenges, to gain in-depth and critical interpretations of the participant's narratives, to mitigate researcher biases, and to inspire new ideas for future research. We argue this process may serve as a working structure for exercising reflexivity within a small multidisciplinary/cross-functional research team. It can be an unfinalized research method tool open for other researchers to adapt, revise and re-create for their own implementation.