3.3.2. Explicit Reflexivity

The second important factor related to the constructivist principle is that effective CDA requires leveraging reflexivity. In the context of research, reflexivity is when a researcher is aware not just of the social context of their participants, but also of their own, and how their own social context influences their conduct, interpretations, and representations of data [16]. As with ontological and epistemological claims, researchers must not only keep reflexivity in the back of their minds, but also document it as a core element of their research findings. This is crucial because of the value CDA places on the connection between power and knowledge. Given that the majority of researchers are affiliated with universities, they occupy a position of social power in society. When analyzing text concerning a marginalized community, a researcher must be aware of how their position and the power that comes with it influences their conclusions. This reflexivity is necessary independent of a researcher's relative power in society, because researchers hold positions of power relative to participants in the research setting. It is especially important in projects targeting marginalized communities, who frequently hold little to no relative influence in society and the research setting. For effective and socially just research, it is necessary to consider the role of power relations in the process of knowledge construction in CDA research [1].
