Studying ‘insider activists’ and how they organise is an important element in our collective methodological repertoire to understand how grand challenges can be tackled through action within organisations and at the field-level. This paper reflects on the methodological positioning and choices of conducting qualitative, ethnomethodological fieldwork on the work of such insider activists. We follow a call for activist research that responds to serious problems and involves active experimentation in conjunction with other interested stakeholders. Our approach puts emphasis on ‘being with’, which favours a set of methodological choices on understanding processes from within and practising solidarity with those pursuing the change. We distinguish three approaches – joining, helping and following the activists – and illustrate the respective challenges based on three empirical cases. In conclusion, we discuss how this approach can be applied to researching possible futures.
