Collaborative autoethnography: “self-reflection” as a timely alternative research approach during the global pandemic

Abstract

<jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Purpose</jats:title><jats:p>The authors’ aim in this commentary is to critically assess the potential benefits and limitations of collaborative autoethnography (CAE) as a research tool to be used by qualitative researchers during this unprecedented, methodologically challenging time when physical isolation and distancing are the best strategies to prevent spread of the virus.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Design/methodology/approach</jats:title><jats:p>The authors probe into the potential of collaborative reflection on self-narrative as an alternative and perhaps timely research approach.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Findings</jats:title><jats:p>The COVID-19 pandemic has altered our experiences of conventional teaching, learning and research. It is a scholarly challenging time, particularly for qualitative researchers in the social sciences whose research involves data collection methods that require face-to-face human interactions. Due to the worldwide lockdowns, self-isolation and social distancing, qualitative researchers are encountering methodological difficulties in continuing with their empirical fieldwork. In such circumstances, researchers are exploring alternative methodological approaches, taking advantage of telecommunication and digital tools for remote data collection. However, the authors argue that qualitative researchers should consider utilizing self-narratives of their experiences during the pandemic as a rich source of qualitative data for further delving into the socioeconomic, political and cultural impacts of the pandemic.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type="abstract-subheading">Originality/value</jats:title><jats:p>The authors’ focus might be secondary in the minds of many social scientists who are directly contributing to our understanding of how the pandemic has upended communities. However, despite some limitations and ethical concerns, we urge qualitative researchers to embrace the potentials of CAE to study society, especially, but not only, in this unprecedented time.</jats:p></jats:sec>

Participatory Research Approaches in Times of Covid-19: A Narrative Literature Review

“…Taking the autoethnographic approach one step further, Roy and Uekusa (2020) argue that individual researchers can combine their auto-ethnographies in the form of a collaborative auto-ethnography (CAE) to create richer data from multiple sources. In this way, CAE facilitates a sense of community in investigating shared stories and allows individual narratives to be considered in relation to wider collective experiences (Roy & Uekusa, 2020). However, conducting this form of research during a time of great uncertainty and stress may lead researchers to be more subjective and selective in their analysis than Creative Methods Golmohammadi (2020) Empirical Academic Blog Entry Digital probes may serve as prompts for participants to explore tactile experiences, memories and associations.…”

COVID-Driven Innovation in Higher Education: Analysing the Collaboration of Leadership and Digital Technology during the Pandemic in UiTM Malaysia and UNNES Indonesia

“…Moreover, during the worldwide lockdowns, physical and social distancing, researchers face methodological barriers in conducting their empirical fieldwork. Under such predicaments, qualitative researchers are trying to find alternative methodological approaches, making use of telecommunications and digital tools for remote data collection (Roy & Uekusa, 2020). Among quantitative researchers, digital technology also means a lot.…”

“…Many researchers develop a wide range of technology-based research innovation in this pandemic. Some of them are the development of digital approaches to remote paediatric healthcare (Badawy & Radovic, 2020); the usage of digital tools for geriatric care (Nicol, Piccirillo, Mulsant & Lenze, 2020); self-reflection method for qualitative research (Roy & Uekusa, 2020); tourism recovery strategy against pandemic (Yeh, 2020); developing online business model (Setiawan & Fatimah, 2020); technology usage in education during pandemic (Tufan, 2020;Dutta, 2020;Rohman, Marji, Sugandi & Nurhadi, 2020;Azlan et al, 2020) and many more. All these publications reflect the support of digital technology in many aspects of life during the pandemic, including in research methodology issues.…”

Critical Thinking among Indonesian Students Studying Public Health in Australia: Autoethnography of Challenges and Strategies to Adapt

“…This qualitative research employed a Collaborative Autoethnography (CAE) tool to unpack the narratives on researcher-participants experience during the time of studying public health in Australia [10]. Several studies mention that autoethnographic data is useful to provide rigorous understanding of particular issues and its related sociocultural experiences [11].…”

“…Finally we reflected also upon the strategies we used to adapt with the academic as well as social life in Australia. Two important components of the CEA approach are self-reflection and collaboration [10]. Stories derived from the journals then will be subject to a thematic analysis.…”