oa Object van weerstand: werken met betwiste onderzoeksobjecten

Qualitative methods have always been sensitive to the relationship between the researcher and the research object. Reflecting on the role of the researcher in the construction of the object of research is an important condition and an indicator of a study’s quality. Yet some research objects are difficult to pin down or even relate to, due to their heavily contested nature and context, which makes reflexivity challenging. In this article, I describe my struggles in relating to my research object and I suggest some ways in which qualitative researchers may work with contested research objects in a productive way.