‘Tick the Box Please’: A Reflexive Approach to Doing Quantitative Social Research

This article considers the value of reflexivity in relation to a quantitative research project which we worked on as contract researchers. Reflexivity in the research process has been discussed by social scientists for over three decades. However, many quantitative researchers continue to avoid explicit forms of reflexivity, especially in relation to data collection. We discuss our specific experiences and also raise general questions about the application of reflexivity to quantitative methods. In addition, we outline the difficulties of being reflexive given the financial and time constraints of contract research. We consider this article a timely contribution to current discussions about the continuing growth of contract research and debates about the relevance of quantitative research methodologies for social scientists.