%0 Journal Article %T Being Where? Navigating the Involvement Paradox in Qualitative Research Accounts %A Ann Langley %A Malvina Klag %J Organizational Research Methods %@ 1552-7425 %D 2019 %R 10.1177/1094428117741967 %X Researcher presence in the field (¡°being there¡±) has long been a topic of scholarly discussion in qualitative inquiry. However, the representation of field presence in research accounts merits increased methodological attention as it impacts readers¡¯ understanding of study phenomena and theoretical contributions. We maintain that the current ambiguity around representing field involvement is rooted in our scholarly community¡¯s ¡°involvement paradox.¡± On one hand, we laud field proximity as a tenet of qualitative inquiry. On the other hand, we insist on professional distance to avoid ¡°contamination¡± of findings. This leaves authors in a difficult position as they attempt to weave field involvement into written accounts. We draw on existing conceptual articles and illustrative exemplars to introduce four interrelated dimensions of representation: visibility, voice, stance, and reflexivity. These are intended to structure thinking about how authors do, and can, cast field involvement in research accounts as they navigate the involvement paradox. We encourage researcher-authors to think carefully about how they attend to their field presence as they craft research accounts, in order to enhance their legitimacy, trustworthiness, and richness %K qualitative research %K authorial voice %K research accounts %K participant-observation %K reflexivity %U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1094428117741967