Exercising a Process of Incorporated Self‐Reflexivity and Co‐Reflexivity: Conducting Research on Chinese Family Caregivers of End‐of‐Life Patients

ABSTRACT There are considerable methodological and emotional challenges conducting research on family caregivers of end‐of‐life patients. In this article, we identified the major challenges encountered while studying a group of Chinese immigrant family caregivers of terminally ill patients. Drawing upon the concept of reflexivity and building on the previous literature, two types of reflexivity, self‐reflexivity and co‐reflexivity, were introduced and incorporated into a research process. It is argued that co‐reflexivity, where co‐researchers engaging in reflexive dialogues, can be an essential component to a process of reflexive activities, in addition to self‐reflexivity. During the journey of designing and applying this incorporated process, we were able to manage ethical, methodological and emotional challenges, to gain in‐depth and critical interpretations of the participant's narratives, to mitigate researcher biases, and to inspire new ideas for future research. We argue this process may serve as a working structure for exercising reflexivity within a small multidisciplinary/cross‐functional research team. It can be an unfinalized research method tool open for other researchers to adapt, revise and re‐create for their own implementation.