Abstract

This paper explores the challenges and benefits of conducting research within the researcher’s own educational institution. The paper will also review the current literature on this topic in addition to the experiences of the author whilst undertaking a professional doctorate within the author’s own institution. The aim of the professional doctorate incorporates making a significant contribution to the researcher’s own professional practice. This includes but is not limited to conducting a research study within the researcher’s own practice. The concomitant result is that the researcher is thus classed as an inside researcher. Throughout the paper, the ethical considerations and the personal and professional issues that can be associated with insider research are discussed.

The research on the professional doctorate comprised of the title Collapsing Hierarchies and Dissolving Dichotomies in Higher Education through Subject Specific Communities of Practice and explored the working relationships between two groups of staff at a North Eastern University. The study aimed to critically analyse the working relationships between academic and administrative staff at a post 1992 University in the North East of England. It was anticipated that the final recommendations would demonstrate strategies that, if adopted would enhance the working relationship between the two groups of staff. The aim of the study was not to prove the existence of a particular phenomenon, as there were no preconceived ideas about what the findings would be.

For the study, an interpretative paradigm was adopted, and semi structured interviews were conducted from a sample of staff. Within the study there needed to be an understanding of the position of the researcher and an understanding of the issues that may influence the findings within the study. These issues include, but are not limited to sensitivity towards colleagues, access to participants and bias in terms of analyzing the data. Whilst undertaking the research there were choices that had to be made in terms of the methodological issue of insider research. This paper is not proposing that these choices may suit all research studies, however it offers an insight into the experiences and choices the author was faced with throughout the research. The paper discusses the choices made in the light of research and explores the benefits and challenges of being an insider researcher.

In addition to the choices made in the study the paper will also review literature both from the study and research conducted after the study relating to insider research. The literature, in addition to the strategies used within the study are used to demonstrate how to minimize and, in some cases, alleviate the impact of being an insider researcher. The paper discusses the benefits of being an insider researcher and critiques studies involving insider research whereby the researcher
had to mitigate and minimize challenges throughout the research. The paper argues how the notion of an insider researcher can be of benefit to the study and how recent literature can support this view. This involves the ways in which the author approached this as an insider researcher throughout the study and comparing this to recent studies.