About Research - Positionality and Reflexivity in Breastfeeding Research.

This article focuses on the concepts of positionality and reflexivity as essential practices that enhance rigor, transparency, and ethical integrity across qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research. Positionality refers to a researcher's social, cultural, and professional identity and how these influence research decisions and interactions, while reflexivity involves continuous self-evaluation to recognize and manage biases throughout the research process. The article outlines three strategies for practicing reflexivity—identity mapping, reflexive journaling, and bracketing—and discusses how researchers can communicate these practices through positionality statements. Incorporating these approaches aims to improve credibility, trustworthiness, and inclusivity in knowledge production by making researchers' assumptions and influences explicit.