Autoethnography

Autoethnographic research, and similar methodologies (e.g., ethnography of the self) where the researcher is the “participant” or “subject” of the research reflecting on their own subjective experiences within a broader cultural or social context, is a distinct type of research that carries its own unique ethical considerations. Autoethnography differs from traditional ethnography as it connects the researcher’s personal and often subjective experiences to wider socio-cultural and political contexts and meanings.

Autoethnography presents the subjective of the researcher in relation to others and to broader social or cultural meanings and understandings, rather than the experiences of others.  Protecting the privacy of others in autoethnographic research may be more difficult than in other kinds of research.  While the method may be quite different from other kinds of qualitative research, individuals mentioned in the text of autoethnography have the same rights as any human participant in any research project.

Autoethnography may require review by the Ethics Review Sub-Committee.  This document highlights potential ethical challenges and provides guidance on whether an ethics submission is required.

While autoethnography emphasizes the perspective and subjective experience of the researcher, those who are also involved, e.g. those the researcher interacts with as part of the autoethnography whether they are identified or not, while they may not be categorized as traditional participants, should be provided with an opportunity to provide full and informed consent.  The researcher must ensure that individuals who may be involved in an autoethnographic project have a clear opportunity, before research begins, to provide informed consent to be included in such a project.   Children should be given the opportunity to give assent and parental consent is required for those under 18 years of age. Researchers should be mindful of issues of coercion if including reflections on their own family, especially if they involve children. 

Consent is considered to be a dynamic process and researchers must take special care to ensure that informed consent, provided prior to participation, continues throughout the life of the project. 

Researchers should consider whether their study refers to specific individuals or groups and whether this may lead readers to identify particular individuals or groups particularly as the author’s identity will be known.

The researcher must take measures, in publishing or presenting their research, to protect the confidentiality of persons who might be mentioned in publications or presentations.  In many small groups and communities, it may be quite easy to identify or feel that someone is identifiable by details or information about a person that may serve as a unique identifier, even without a name.  Details clarifying how confidentiality will be protected should be part of an informed consent process. Ideally information should be presented in a general way minimizing the risk of identification. 

Individuals, who may be mentioned or included in the publication or presentation of an autoethnographic project, should have the opportunity to provide consent and, therefore, agree to the provisions provided to protect confidentiality throughout the life of a project.

Researchers should not disclose things about other participants in their autoethnographic project that one would not reasonably want others to know. This includes embarrassing items, revealing/intimate information, and stories that may have legal and/or professional implications. The researcher should consider whether there are any potential negative impacts on the groups or individuals who may be identified from the research outputs.

Individuals mentioned in the text of an autoethnography have the same rights as any human participant in any research project.

Researchers should be mindful of the possible negative consequences that may arise as a result of conducting autoethnographic research. For example, once researchers reveal their autobiographical experiences, their data may become irretrievable depending on their dissemination and data retention plans. Thus, it is important for researchers to think carefully about not disclosing things about themselves that they would not want others to know. This typically includes embarrassing items, intimate information, and stories that may have legal and/or professional implications. In cases where researchers wish to reveal sensitive information about themselves, they should consider implementing safeguards to protect their own confidentiality (e.g., publishing the document using a pseudonym, incorporating pseudonyms for all participants, changing the names of towns, schools, and so on).

Ethics review will be necessary if encounters/reflections are undertaken with a view to research e.g. intentionally attending an event for the purpose of undertaking observations which will contribute to autoethnographic research.  The intentional solicitation of responses from individuals for the purpose of autoethnographic research will also require ethics review prior to this engagement.

A considerable amount of autoethnographic research is based on analysis of the researchers’ previous experiences/interactions, that are only later identified by the researcher as an object for research.  For instance, information that was originally obtained for purposes other than research, such as during the course of one’s daily life. Such retrospective autoethnography is not subject to research ethics review if and only if there was no research project, no prospective research data collection, and no intention to perform research at the time the experiences/interactions occur.

The University does not provide retrospective ethics clearance, and any attempt to describe a prospective autoethnography as a retrospective autoethnography in order to avoid research ethics review could be considered research misconduct.

If individuals will be identified through retrospective autoethnography their agreement should be sought before publication.

For projects that are ongoing and draw on both retrospective data and continue to collect new data, the collection of new data requires review.

A researcher publishing a retrospective autoethnography must still consider all relevant ethical and legal implications of the publication especially confidentiality and anonymity of individuals involved. 

Edwards, J. (2021). Ethical Autoethnography: Is it Possible? International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20.  DOI: 10.1177/1609406921995306