Explorations in feminist participant-led research: Conducting focus group discussion with polyamorous women

Abstract

This paper addresses the methodology used in research centring on a group of polyamorous women. It outlines the methodological processes of participant led research and highlights some key ethical and epistemological considerations. The research centred on a focus group discussion. Participants were involved in every stage of the research and the researcher / researched relationship was understood as one of collaboration. Participants had ownership of the research process in terms of generating discussion questions, facilitating the focus group discussion, and analysing the transcript. Their reflections on this process are also incorporated in this article. The paper focuses in particular on issues of accountability in participant led research and on reflexivity when researchers are part of the group they are researchin