[1][2][3] They have become commonplace in certain fields of social science, especially within the United States.
[1][2][4] Positionality statements focus on an "author's racial, gender, class, or other self-identifications, experiences, and privileges", based on the idea that the author's identity can, intentionally or not, influence the results of their research.
[7][8] The expectation and/or practice of writing a positionality statement can also inform the researcher of ways to mitigate the influence of their personal identity on the research by clarifying such interactions before the data collection or analysis process concludes.
[11] On the other hand, supporters of positionality statements point out that such criticisms often stem from "bad" positionality statements, and instead argue for a comprehensive standard of quality.
[14] Positionality statements have increased in popularity during the 2000s, required not just of researchers, but also students.