Autoethnography as a debriefing strategy: The creative-relational foundations for a transformative ethico-onto-epistemology in the academy

Leandro Tolmos, Karin Hannes, Marisa De Andrade

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Today’s qualitative research may take place in complicated ethnographic fields, which situate researchers near difficult experiences at an individual, community, environmental or political level. The current academic climate frequently ignores the emotional impact of doing research under challenging circumstances. The overarching culture in higher education is one that carries taboos around ‘what is’ and ‘what is not’ expected from the researcher. The general expectation is for researchers to ‘neutralize’ themselves from the research topic rather than personally relate to it. Under the cultural belief of sustaining ‘scholarly composure’ the affective and emotional impact of fieldwork is often left on the margins of recognition. This paper explores the value of autoethnography as a creative-relational approach to promote spaces in which researchers feel safe enough to process fieldwork experiences through debriefing sessions. This is a courageous effort that calls for a transformative ethico-onto-epistemological shift in the academy. One that opens-up ways of ‘knowing and being’ that are not entirely about an outcome-based pursuit but about growth and change that materializes through relationality.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-20
Number of pages20
JournalInternational Review of Qualitative Research
Early online date4 Jul 2023
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 4 Jul 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • autoethnography
  • creative-relational
  • ethico-onto-epistemology
  • academy

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