Research by Looking Backwards: Reflexive Praxis in Search of Archaic Wisdom

Abstract

Many of us, as researchers, would find it challenging to let our research data speak to us rather that to see it exclusively as part of the methodological categories we have already developed. This article proposes a methodology called 'Reflexive Praxis', a form of action research, to do just this. As 'Action Research', such methodologies remain controversial compared with the more conventional Empirical Research'. Indeed any development of action research, such as reflexive praxis, may be expected to be treated with even more skepticism. Nonetheless this article seeks to explore reflexive praxis as one way with which the researcher can interrogate both her/his inner and outer worlds. It is hoped that by doing this as action researchers we may be able to apprehend new combinations and patterns in our research data and indeed our lived life. This in turn can help us as researchers encounter meta-meaning in these combinations.