I’m Interested in Autoethnography, but How Do I Do It?

Authors

Robin Cooper, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
Bruce V. Lilyea, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow

Abstract

Autoethnography is one of the qualitative research methodologies that remains somewhat mysterious to many scholars. While the use of autoethnography has expanded across numerous fields, it can be difficult to find much guidance about the procedures involved in conducting an autoethnography. Recognizing both the flexibility and creativity inherent in autoethnography, as well as the need for rigor in achieving meaningful research results, we offer in this article some suggestions and reflections regarding the process of conducting an autoethnography – from developing the research question to reporting the findings. These recommendations draw from both narrative and ethnographic research methodologies, as well as descriptive and arts-based approaches. This discussion may serve as a resource for those interested in teaching and conducting autoethnography.

Keywords

autoethnography, qualitative research, cultural analysis

Author Bio(s)

Robin Cooper, PhD, and Bruce Lilyea, PhD, are both members of the editorial board for The Qualitative Report, as well as instructors in the Qualitative Research Graduate Certificate Program at Nova Southeastern University. Please direct correspondence to robicoop@nova.edu - lilyea@nova.edu

Publication Date

1-14-2022

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5288

Recommended APA Citation

Cooper, R., & Lilyea, B. V. (2022). I’m Interested in Autoethnography, but How Do I Do It?. The Qualitative Report, 27(1), 197-208. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2022.5288