Autoethnography: introducing 'I' into medical education research

Autoethnography is a methodology that allows clinician-educators to research their own cultures, sharing insights about their own teaching and learning journeys in ways that will resonate with others. There are few examples of autoethnographic research in medical education, and many areas would benefit from this methodology to help improve understanding of, for example, teacher-learner interactions, transitions and interprofessional development.

We wish to share this methodology so that others may consider it in their own education environments as a viable qualitative research approach to gain new insights and understandings.

This paper introduces autoethnography, discusses important considerations in terms of data collection and analysis, explores ethical aspects of writing about others and considers the benefits and limitations of conducting research that includes self.

Autoethnography allows medical educators to increasingly engage in self-reflective narration while analysing their own cultural biographies. It moves beyond simple autobiography through the inclusion of other voices and the analytical examination of the relationships between self and others. Autoethnography has achieved its goal if it results in new insights and improvements in personal teaching practices, and if it promotes broader reflection amongst readers about their own teaching and learning environments.

Researchers should consider autoethnography as an important methodology to help advance our understanding of the culture and practices of medical education.