The position of the “radiographer”: Reflections on positionality when conducting ethnographic research within one's own field

Awareness of one's position as a researcher in ethnography is essential. Being a radiographer, an associate lecturer in radiography, and a researcher gives me many options for positioning myself doing my fieldwork. The process of finding the right balance is full of thoughts, considerations, and judgements between pros and cons. As Hammersley and Atkinson (1995) have stated in their well-known analysis of field relations, finding the "right position" seems challenging. Yet, there is no "right position", as different positions give different opportunities to collect different knowledge and information about the group of interest. Likewise, the group of interest will try to position the researcher within the social landscape defined by their experiences. That adds to the thought, considerations, and judgements: "How will the radiographers in the radiologic department judge me? As a radiographer, an associate lecturer, a researcher, or a spy?".