How do you identify and address your own biases and assumptions in bilingual communication research?

1 What are biases and assumptions?

Biases and assumptions are preconceived notions or beliefs that you have about a topic, a group, a situation, or yourself. They can be explicit or implicit, conscious or unconscious, positive or negative, and personal or professional. Biases and assumptions can influence your research questions, hypotheses, methods, sampling, instruments, coding, findings, and recommendations. They can also affect how you interact with your participants, collaborators, reviewers, and audiences.

2 How to identify your biases and assumptions?

It is not always easy to identify our biases and assumptions when conducting ethical and rigorous bilingual communication research, but it is essential. To get started, reflect on your own background, experiences, values, goals, and motivations as a bilingual communication researcher; this will help you shape your perspective and expectations. Additionally, review the literature and existing knowledge on your topic to inform or challenge your biases and assumptions. Furthermore, seek feedback and input from others with different backgrounds than you to gain insight into how they agree or disagree with your biases and assumptions. Lastly, examine your research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation to reveal or conceal any biases or assumptions.

3 How to address your biases and assumptions?

Addressing your biases and assumptions is not easy, yet it is necessary for improving the quality and validity of your bilingual communication research. To do so, you should acknowledge and disclose your biases and assumptions in your research proposal, report, or presentation. Explain how they can potentially affect your research process and outcomes. Moreover, adopt a critical and reflexive approach to your research by questioning your own assumptions and challenging your own biases throughout the process. Additionally, use multiple sources of data, methods, perspectives, and theories to triangulate and corroborate your research. Compare and contrast different data, methods, perspectives, and theories to identify and resolve discrepancies or contradictions. Lastly, seek peer review and external validation of your research by inviting others to critique and comment on your research design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Respond to their feedback with openness and humility.

4 How to avoid common pitfalls in bilingual communication research?

Bilingual communication research is a complex and dynamic field that necessitates ongoing learning and adaptation. Nevertheless, there are some common pitfalls to be aware of. For instance, overgeneralizing or stereotyping bilinguals or bilingual communities based on limited or biased data should be avoided by using representative and diverse samples, collecting rich and contextualized data, and recognizing the variability and heterogeneity of bilingualism and bilingual communication. Additionally, imposing or assuming a monolingual or dominant language norm or standard on bilingual communication should be avoided by recognizing and respecting the linguistic rights and choices of bilinguals, acknowledging the legitimacy and value of bilingual practices and varieties, and adopting a bilingual or multilingual perspective for your research. Furthermore, ethical and social implications of bilingual communication research should not be ignored. To prevent this, adhere to the ethical principles and guidelines of your discipline and institution, obtain informed consent from participants, protect their confidentiality, and consider the potential benefits and harms of your research for the bilingual individuals and communities involved.

5 How to enhance your bilingual communication research skills?

Bilingual communication research is a rewarding and challenging field that offers many opportunities for personal and professional growth. To enhance your bilingual communication research skills, it is important to stay up to date with the latest developments and trends in the field. You can do this by reading journals, books, blogs, podcasts, and newsletters, as well as attending webinars, workshops, conferences, and seminars. Networking and collaborating with other bilingual communication researchers is also key - join online or offline communities, forums, groups, or associations of bilingual communication researchers and participate in discussions, debates, projects, or publications. Seeking mentorship and guidance from experienced bilingual communication researchers is also beneficial - find a mentor or coach who can support and advise you on your bilingual communication research. Ask for feedback and suggestions from your mentor or coach on your bilingual communication research.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?