Bias

I do appreciate this brief and fairly accurate reference to the common biases that can occur in research.

The succinct definitions highlight some of the most common cognitive biases that can negatively impact both doing research and reading research.

It’s important to understand what these are so that we can be more reflective practitioners to work toward mitigating them in our practices. Like it is often said, the first step is naming things and understanding them.

In addition to thinking through cognitive biases, we also have to acknowledge that is almost impossible to completely eliminate bias from research, particularly qualitative research. The sole reason for that is because we are human people. This is why it’s so important to put reflective attention into designing a strong research study that uses appropriate methods to answer your question.

It is also why when I say to the point y’all are likely rolling your eyes….you have to consistently question yourself and do critical reflection on your own practices. Being aware of the possibility of bias derailing the research is the first and most important way to combat bias.