Good Autoethnography

As Pelias astutely argued more than two decades ago, we devote much of our waking life to critique and evaluation.1 We assess others’ (re)actions. determine whether certain foods, drinks, flavors will quench us, give us energy, make sick. appreciate caring supportive friends, family, strangers, students, try avoid those who harm with their words deeds. note how bodies desires change time, age, circumstance. choices about the places (won’t) visit clothing wear. For instruct, students (e.g., grades) they course evaluations). may favor exciting enthralling stories over boring unrealistic ones, and, as academics, often decisions good not-so-good research, journals, publishers. Indeed, across a multitude contexts, evaluate quality desirability choices, objects, entities, which/who is (not) worthy energy attention.As editors this journal, spend time critiquing evaluating autoethnographic manuscripts. Did author use autoethnography appropriately? Does manuscript align editorial vision? Accept, Revise & Resubmit, or (desk) Reject? criteria for manuscripts2—required journal be supported deemed by University California Press organizations like Scopus—and clear constructive on what “good autoethnography” means us.3 care autoethnographies because believe have better chance being read, understood, shared, used; might never found or, if are, promote bad ideas, ridiculed dismissed,4 terribly misunderstood. (And an doesn’t audiences, readership then there isn’t need publish manuscript.)Here, editorial, offer some general insights evaluation process—what we’ve learned these past few years passes, reviewers, autoethnography. And done in previous editorials,5 again emphasize core components “autoethnography”—the “auto-,” “-ethno-,” “-graphy.”The “auto-” relates one-self, author’s subjectivity, lived experience. manuscripts do/use autoethnography, expect share self-reflexive experiences. unique doing social goal improve research practice, demonstrate epistemic potential personal experience—that is, show can experience study specific issues topics effectively other methods.We don’t think auto- component difficult comprehend, yet receive that contain very little reflection example, thirty-page espouses but includes only one pages autoethnography—there enough “data.”Sometimes had authors claim experiences others oral histories, interviews) uses reflections find justification unfounded inappropriate, it would any relies “autoethnographic.” Surveys, interviews, focus groups, histories gather analyze others, grounded theory thematic analysis purpose By collecting taking apart peoples’ stories, treating objective data, become “narratives-under-analysis.”6 This not say forms qualitative aren’t valuable. They are. are just autoethnographies.For prioritized—used, reflected on, theorized throughout manuscript. Of course, included project (which we’ll mention next section) insights, experiences, should present manuscript.And which experiences? them? must used deliberately offering specified topic—insights possible using methods. reject “life chronology” attempt assemble disparate moments from person’s without purpose. In tone form, chronologies read this:I was born 1972. My parents divorced 1976. I enjoyed math grade school. child, three dogs fish. attended college. got job. married. changed jobs. divorced. Covid. my sister. Traveling fun. Twitter fun too.Life-chronologies tend rote ramblings myriad experiences—and, examples Generally, focused event experience, several around same topic theme.Similarly, aspect missing chronology writing expression emotion. writers researchers, know things; feel them. Good does downplay fact people emotional beings.7 love, anger, despair, joy, bliss, disgust, all feelings comprise range human emotions. narrative’s verisimilitude built through integrity.8And yet, mere sharing The -ethno- auto-ethno-graphy. pushes outside beyond ourselves. such, working knowledge key principles practices ethnography, can’t considered autoethnography.The primary ethnographic identify, sometimes challenge, cultural expectations, beliefs, practices, then, via “thick description,”9 facilitate nuanced understanding phenomena. Ethnographers various techniques accomplish goal.Ethnographers value fieldwork—sometimes referred “participant observation” “deep hanging out”—in “natural settings,” accidental situations10 contexts exist regardless researcher’s presence. do such fieldwork immersing themselves recording everyday happenings in-person and/or online community,11 mean live particular trait, identity, relationship variety contexts.12 Some ethnographers archival conduct formal informal interviews persons who’ve kinds experiences.13 engage extant theories research,14 well popular texts15 films, books, news reports, blogs, media posts) topics.16 An techniques, at least them, else goes unfulfilled.Once ethnographer completes tasks, craft thick description observations of, with, practices. process “-graphy” (auto)ethnography.When -graphy suffix, art practice engaging creating processes representations. Cartography—the science map-making; photography—the capturing processing images; musicography—the music; choreography—the staging movement dance.Auto-ethno-graphy comprised -graphy: autobio-graphy, one’s life; ethno-graphy, representing—producing vivid concrete, description—of Together, representing relation practices.In addition, ethnography (and thus autoethnography) methods component. interview-graphy content-analysis-graphy nor create case-study-graphies phenomenology-graphies. so, -graphy, sterile texts—a sin both serious autobiographers ethnographers—then autoethnography.17For outlet takes medium representation, requires writing. autobiography too. Autoethnography really Really having command language (for limited English). especially written autoethnographies, begin assessing basic practices: structure assemblage symbols into coherent fragments words, sentences) language. If careless submit work abundance errors, incomplete comprehend sentences, misunderstand consider inadequate.18 Although minor errors common manuscript, suggest carelessness apathy arguments correspondingly, readers’ ability understand text. text deciphered easily likely won’t used.Finally, although introduction-literature review-methods-findings-discussion-conclusion formula expected many up conducive Granted, (ourselves included!) write way when thesis dissertations, part socialized scientists. format, however, generally fit Neither ever structured way, many, any, ethnographies follow formula. solid structure, follows will, upon initial review, wholly suspect. To format suggests hasn’t familiar broadly, concern method.* * *The connective tissue between idea you, researcher, tool.19 Your mind, body, instincts intuitions, interests, emotions, perspectives, values everything makes you one-of-a-kind instrument. want world your senses voice, learn attention.Although also fuller book published 2024, describe autoethnography—components rely evaluation. Determining starting components. foreground contains unfocused demonstrates lack awareness discourse topic, offers work—their arguments, voice—may published, used.