Opportunities to interpret: a methodological discussion of insider research, perceptions of the researcher, and knowledge production

Abstract

Insider research is increasingly common in sociocultural studies of sport. Less common is insider research in socio-historical work. As a women’s lacrosse umpire and a lacrosse scholar, I maintain multiple investments in the sport; this insider perspective and role fosters unique considerations during the research process. In this article, I assess my position as an insider in women’s lacrosse and the manners in which relationships – both actual and perceived – impact knowledge production. My experiences and this article exemplify the importance of consistent reflexivity throughout the research process; my role as an umpire was ever-present, even when I was unaware in the moment. Reflexivity enabled my recognition and analysis of this status. A researcher’s multiple group and professional affiliations, whether consciously employed or tacitly assumed, impact the knowledge that is shared and produced.

Acknowledgement

I thank Sarah K. Fields, Lindsay Parks Pieper, Andrew D. Linden, and the anonymous reviewers for their assistance in the various stages of producing this article.

Notes

1. Different than most field sports, women’s lacrosse did not have hard boundary lines until 2006. The addition of lines not only made the playing surface uniform in size, it also changed the concept of possession (US Lacrosse 2005, 2006).

2. Because this paper focuses on access to information as opposed to the specific information and views they shared with me, I decided to leave out names and general descriptions from the methodological conversation.

3. See Jacobs-Huey (2002) for further discussion of the importance of language and cultural discourse.