Peer reflection-on-action: a method for collective reflective analysis in a community of practice

Reflection-on-action is a cornerstone of creative practice research, with methods enabling practitioners to surface the values, contexts, and meaning-making processes that shape their work. When these are conducted individually, however, they can leave important dimensions of practice shaped by a researcher’s positionality and contexts unexplored. This paper draws on psychosocial research methods, which provide valuable tools for surfacing critical interpretations of a researcher’s positionality and contexts, to develop a collective approach to reflection-on-action. Peer reflection-on-action is proposed as a method for practice-based researchers to analyse and reflect on their practice collaboratively with their community of practice. Through an illustrative case study, the paper outlines one way to implement this method, discussing how it enables richer insight into the processes and knowledge embedded in creative work. Ultimately, this paper positions this collective approach not only as a method for analysis but as a means to strengthen reflexive practice and research, and to enhance the rigour and accountability of creative practice research.