Reflexis: Supporting Reflexivity and Rigor in Collaborative Qualitative Analysis through Design for Deliberation

2026-01-21

AI Summary

This study addresses a critical gap in existing qualitative analysis tools, which often prioritize efficiency and consensus at the expense of reflexivity, traceability of analytical processes, and constructive disagreement. To redress this imbalance, the authors design and implement Reflexis, a collaborative analysis workspace that systematically integrates reflexivity, visualizations of code evolution, and stance-aware dialogue into its core architecture. Through embedded reflective prompts, transparent tracking of coding trajectories, and scaffolding for stance-aware discussions, Reflexis facilitates rigorous and nuanced collaborative interpretation. A user study with twelve participants demonstrates that the tool effectively fosters fine-grained reflection, transforms disagreements into productive dialogue, and reveals emergent design requirements such as higher-order memo networks and timely proactive reminders.

Technology Category

• Knowledge Representation and Reasoning: Qualitative Reasoning
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Solvers and Tools
• Humans and AI: Brain-Sensing and Analysis

Application Category

• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web query analysis, representation and understanding
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Data quality aspects of human-annotated datasets
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Web data visualization

Abstract

Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) is a critical method for generating deep interpretive insights. Yet its core tenets, including researcher reflexivity, tangible analytical evolution, and productive disagreement, are often poorly supported by software tools that prioritize speed and consensus over interpretive depth. To address this gap, we introduce Reflexis, a collaborative workspace that centers these practices. It supports reflexivity by integrating in-situ reflection prompts, makes code evolution transparent and tangible, and scaffolds collaborative interpretation by turning differences into productive, positionality-aware dialogue. Results from our paired-analyst study (N=12) indicate that Reflexis encouraged participants toward more granular reflection and reframed disagreements as productive conversations. The evaluation also surfaced key design tensions, including a desire for higher-level, networked memos and more user control over the timing of proactive alerts. Reflexis contributes a design framework for tools that prioritize rigor and transparency to support deep, collaborative interpretation in an age of automation.

Problem

• Reflexive Thematic Analysis
• collaborative qualitative analysis
• researcher reflexivity
• analytical evolution
• productive disagreement

Innovation

• Reflexivity
• Collaborative Qualitative Analysis
• Reflexive Thematic Analysis
• Design for Deliberation
• Positionality-aware Dialogue