The ethical "I" in research: autoethnography and ethics

In: SAGE Research Methods. Cases

Abstract

For reasons that are discussed in what follows, the author of this case study prefers to remain anonymous. Autoethnography is a qualitative research method that aims to improve sociological understanding through the reconciliation of personal experience with social phenomena. Despite receiving no small degree of criticism, autoethnography has grown in popularity, especially in fields such as sexuality, immigration, and health care research. One possible reason for this is that health care, having both personal and social value, is a subjective phenomenon and, as such, can only be properly experienced and understood by the self. My own research, conducted as part of my MA dissertation, adopted an autoethnographic approach and drew upon my experiences during my fathers cancer. In this way, I sought to explore the goals of health care during the end stages of terminal illness. Currently, there is relatively little guidance for researchers using autoethnographic methodology, especially regarding data collection, the presentation of results, and, most pertinently for this case study, ethics. In this case study, I explore the novel ethical issues I encountered when conducting my autoethnographic project. Particular emphasis is placed on questions of informed consent and the anonymity of individuals involved in the research. Two key challenges with respect to the informed consent of those who might be thought of as research participants in the context of autoethnography are outlined. These are the validity of retrospective consent and whether consent given by participants known to the researcher can be considered to be genuine, freely given, and ?ouncoerced.? Subsequently, the challenges of anonymity in qualitative and authoethnographic research are discussed. This case study concludes with some suggestions for ways in which these issues might be engaged and overcome along with a discussion of the practicalities of the suggested solutions.