'Reflexivity in action’: navigating researcher positionality(ies) and responsibility(ies) through a Community Advisory Board

The ‘reflexive turn’ across the social sciences has increasingly emphasized the scrutiny of researcher positionality and its impact on the research process. However, less attention has been paid to strategies that not only interrogate, but mobilize, positionality. Key questions remain: how might positionality shape ongoing research practices and outcomes? and what role do participatory methods play in facilitating reflexivity across the research process? Drawing on my experience as a Hungarian-Australian researcher conducting Hungarian diaspora research, this paper documents the application of reflexivity through a participatory research project. In particular, it explores how I engaged in reflexivity through a Community Advisory Board (CAB) with leaders from the Hungarian-Australian diaspora. I explore how CAB engagement was instrumental in navigating my changing roles across the research. As part of my critical reflection, I highlight how CAB engagement not only ensured a more ethically grounded research process, but enabled the fulfillment of my moral responsibilities to the community. Overall, this paper contributes to the limited discussion of practical reflexivity as it unfolds across participatory research. In reflecting on my ‘lessons learnt’, the paper adds to the ethical and pragmatic function of CABs for negotiating insider-outsider dilemmas, suggesting that researchers work flexibility with community to maximize benefits for all involved.