Writing as a Process of Inquiry in Autoethnography for Meaning-Making: Reflections and Some Points for Consideration

Authors

• Niroj Dahal, Kathmandu University School of Education, Lalitpur, NepalFollow

Abstract

This article explores writing as a process of inquiry and meaning-making in the autoethnographic tradition, offering reflections on the recursive, emergent, and dialogical/dialectical nature of writing, along with some points for consideration. Drawing on perspectives from qualitative research and narrative inquiry (Riessman, 2008), I argue that autoethnographic writing serves as a method of inquiry and/or discovery, generating ontological, epistemological, and axiological-driven cultural meaning that functions as a site of reflection, interrogation, and re-storying of lived experiences. This recursive, often messy, and reflexive act allows researchers to excavate, analyze, and interpret their lived experiences. Rather than viewing writing as a final-stage product for reporting insights, this article explores how composing text can generate new questions, reveal hidden emotions, and create connections between the individual and the broader cultural context. Drawing on personal reflections from my own autoethnographic writing, I explore the transformative potential of writing as a form of inquiry. I provide space for reflection from my master's and Ph.D. inquiries on how the writing process, grounded in autoethnography, enhances the rigor of qualitative reports. I offer key points for autoethnographers who wish to engage more consciously and productively with writing as a core epistemological process, including strategies for embracing vulnerability; navigating narrative truth and addressing its threats, such as narcissism, solipsism, and aestheticism; and practicing rigorous reflexivity. I conclude that treating writing as inquiry allows autoethnographers to foreground uncertainty, complexity, and the transformative potential of meaning-making.

Keywords

autoethnography, writing as process of inquiry, meaning-making, reflexivity, qualitative research, narrative research, creative-analytic practices

Author Bio(s)

Niroj Dahal (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7646-1186) holds a Ph.D. in STEAM Education and has built a career focused on innovative teaching methodologies and educational research. Dr. Dahal works at the Kathmandu University School of Education in Nepal. Dr. Dahal also serves on the editorial board of TQR. Dr. Dahal's research interests include ICT in education, artificial intelligence (AI), generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), qualitative research such as action research, participatory action research, appreciative inquiry, arts-based inquiry, autoethnography, narrative inquiry, case study, content analysis, critical ethnography, critical social theories inquiry, decolonizing methodologies, decolonizing autoethnography, thematic analysis, narrative analysis, and collaborative inquiry (among other alternative research methodologies such as Pandheri Guff, Swa-Twam-Tat inquiry), mathematics education, open, distance & e-learning, STEAM education, research and development, and ICT & e-Research. Dr. Dahal has been teaching graduate and undergraduate students for the past two decades. Dr. Dahal has also been continuously participating in and presenting his research and practices at more than five dozen national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars. Dr. Dahal has published articles, research notes, commentaries, editorials, book reviews, books, and book chapters in various national and international journals and publication presses, focusing on ICT in education, qualitative research, education in general, mathematics education, and STEAM education. Likewise, Dr. Dahal has continuously contributed as an organizing committee member at national and international conferences, seminars, and workshops. In addition to his regular work, he has been actively engaging with scholarly communities worldwide by providing support in research, innovation, and publications. Dr. Dahal was honored with the Science and Technology Youth Award by the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) in December 2025 for recognition of his significant contributions to STEAM education, innovative pedagogy, technology integration, educational research, and academic leadership in Nepal. Dr. Dahal also serves as the managing editor of the Journal of Transformative Praxis (JrTP), published by the Kathmandu University School of Education in Nepal. Dr. Dahal may be contacted by email at niroj@kusoed.edu.np.

Acknowledgements

This article describes the writing process as a form of inquiry for meaning-making in autoethnographic traditions that I have adopted in my research projects, dissertation, and thesis for my master's degree and Ph.D. Thus, I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to my master's degree dissertation supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Binod Prasad Pant, Ph.D., and Ph.D. thesis supervisor, Prof. Bal Chandra Luitel, Ph.D. I am also grateful to everyone who contributed to improving the quality of my article. Likewise, I would like to thank the reviewers and editors of the TQR for their suggestions, comments, and guidance that helped elevate this article to the next level.

Publication Date

4-27-2026

Creative Commons License

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

Recommended APA Citation

Dahal, N. (2026). Writing as a process of inquiry in autoethnography for meaning-making: Reflections and some points for consideration. The Qualitative Report, 31(4), 5595-5615. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2026.7996

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7646-1186

ResearcherID

AEK-2733-2022