Doing Reflexivity in Research on Donor Conception: Examining Moments of Bonding and Becoming

Abstract

For qualitative researchers, reflexivity is always an important aspect of ethical practice. In research on donor conception, there is a particular need for greater attention to be paid to the ways in which researchers’ positionality, experiences and attitudes influence the research process and findings. With the aim of ‘doing reflexivity’, in this chapter I explore three phases of becoming: becoming donor-conceived, becoming activist and becoming researcher. In ‘becoming donor-conceived’, I explore how connecting with other donor-conceived people online strongly influenced the way that I understood my own experiences and contributed to a sense of belonging. Next, I describe how through ‘becoming activist’, I became more aware of the political value of donor-conceived people’s voices and the need to privilege donor-conceived people’s perspectives in research. Finally, I explore how I navigate my position as an ‘insider’ in my research including how I manage risk and reciprocity. In doing so, I explore how people with lived experience bring different priorities and approaches to the research process. More broadly, I underscore the need for donor conception researchers to engage with and empower donor-conceived people in order to meaningfully influence policy and practice responses to this complex topic.