Citation

Galea A. J. Health Saf. Res. Pract. 2009; 1(1): 3-12.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Safety Institute of Australia, Publisher LexisNexis Media)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Despite an increased interest in examining workplaces from an insider's perspective, there has been little scholarly focus within the literature on qualitative insider research, particularly in the field of Occupational Health and Safety. There are three key elements that provide strength and veracity to insider research: the People; the Organization; and the Insider. These three elements are interdependent, dynamic and reciprocal. The importance of insider research is the interplay between these three elements and how they can manifest into an intensity of research that cannot be derived to the same extent from an external positioning. These three elements provide a useful framework for conceptualizing the conduct of research that is relevant to the needs of the organization, pragmatic in its approach and holistic in its application. This approach is particularly useful in the field of Occupational Health and Safety. The aims of this paper are to examine the literature from a thematic perspective on the areas of definition, application, issues of validity, benefits and constraints of insider research, ethical considerations and how it can be applied to Occupational Health and Safety using the proposed framework.