Rethinking data, theory, and positionality: Chapter 1. Introduction: Innovative paths in researching multilingual literacy development

Kibler, Amanda K.; Karam, Fares J.

Part of

Innovative Qualitative Methodologies in Multilingual Literacy Development Research: Amplifying voices from immigrant, transnational, and refugee communities
Edited by Amanda K. Kibler and Fares J. Karam
[Research Methods in Applied Linguistics 11] 2025
► pp. 1–21

Chapter 1
Introduction: Innovative paths in researching multilingual literacy development

Rethinking data, theory, and positionality

Amanda K. Kibler | Oregon State University

Fares J. Karam | University of Nevada, Reno

In this introductory chapter to the volume, Innovative Qualitative Methodologies in Multilingual Literacy Development Research: Amplifying Voices from Immigrant, Transnational, and Refugee Communities, we situate the key aims of the collection in the context of conceptual innovations in multilingualism, literacy, and equity. To unlock the full potential of these recent developments, innovative rethinking of methodological approaches is needed to keep pushing the boundaries of our understanding of multilingual literacy development and to further our ethical commitments to humanizing research. We describe selected recent empirical studies in which qualitative literacy researchers have begun to “rethink” data, theory, and positionality in their work before presenting an overview of the contributions in this volume.

Keywords: qualitative research, literacy, multilingual, methodology, innovation, equity

Article outline

Introduction
Resituating concepts in multilingual literacy development
Resituating equity in multilingual literacy development
Resituating research on multilingual literacy development
- Rethinking data
- Rethinking theory
  - Rethinking positionality
Overview of chapters in the volume
References

This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.

References (98)

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Chapter 1Introduction: Innovative paths in researching multilingual literacy development

Rethinking data, theory, and positionality

Chapter 1
Introduction: Innovative paths in researching multilingual literacy development