ABSTRACT
Military research in the social sciences is often carried out by individuals with past or ongoing military service as well as by those who have no prior experiences of military life. The author draws upon his/her recent research on career soldiers who were leaving the British Army to explore some of the important methodological dynamics that he/she encountered. He/ she show that military insider-ness may be put to good research use if a professional and reflexive approach is adopted. The author explores a number of issues associated with researching the military when a researcher has personal knowledge and experience of the service being investigated. He/she reviews some relevant literature about insider-ness in qualitative research. The author research focuses on leavers' narrative attempts to construct and project a continuance of self across the anticipated social rupture of Army exit.
