Practitioner Researcher Intuition in Stimulated Recall Studies

Practitioner researchers have much to gain from using stimulated recall, a powerful data collection method whereby structured observations are followed by introspectively focused interviews. The close insider positions that practitioner researchers maintain, however, mean that they are liable to very powerful intuitions. Working under the assumption that intuition can benefit inquiry if it is appropriately managed, this paper offers a theoretical exploration of intuition in practitioner-led stimulated recall studies. In the first section of the paper, a review of extant literature reveals that the expertise of practitioner researchers lends credence to the quality of their intuitions. In the second section of the paper, reflective examples from the authors’ own projects illustrate the strengths that intuition can bring to stimulated recall inquiry. Finally, in the third section of the paper, discussions of the dangers of intuition highlight the very real issues that practitioner researchers face when negotiating intuitive thoughts. Two important solutions are presented in the paper: the employment of reflection to appropriately interrogate intuition, and the formulation of sound research principles upon which intuitions can positively emerge. We end the paper by offering our own contribution, the practitioner researcher intuition in stimulated recall model, a tool to support reflection upon emerging intuitions in stimulated recall research.