Putting ourselves on the line: The epistemology of the hyphen, intersubjectivity and social responsibility in qualitative research

As researchers, we are intertwined in our research relationships in two ways that put us on the line. First, our very beings are co-constituted and developed in an intersubjective exchange with the people we work with. Acknowledging our interdependence frees us to take an empathetic and hermeneutic stance that I have termed the epistemology of the hyphen, in our qualitative research relationships, and in the process, reject the objectivist, dissociative mode of procuring research. Instead, we produce knowledge that is socially responsible by virtue of its grounding in empathy and care. Second, I suggest that we are also on the line when it comes to the relationship between ourselves, and our audiences. The constraints and freedoms that contour our voices as qualitative researchers shape not only the stories we tell about our participants, but also ourselves as human beings. We must incorporate affect into our reports for them to do justice to ourselves, our readers and listeners, and our participants.