In this chapter, I describe collaborative autoethnography—the methodology which was chosen for this book. In order to clearly explain this methodology, I explore my own journey as I moved into social science research, discovered autoethnography, and subsequently encountered collaborative autoethnography. Through my reflections, I highlight the knowledge which can be gained through purposeful exploration of personal experience. I also demonstrate how, when multiple autoethnographers work together, the resulting collaboration creates a profound synergy and harmony of voices which cannot be achieved by an individual alone. Finally, I present the specific framework used to apply the collaborative autoethnography methodology in this book.

In qualitative research, using pseudonyms for participants is a common practice. This paper examines how inviting participants to choose their pseudonyms contributes to epistemic justice in the res...

This essay explores the integration of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) as a co-creative partner in autoethnographic research and teaching, focusing on the production of creative artefacts as evidence. Centring on my use of GenAI to create two representative images of my academic identity as both educator and researcher, I reflect on the iterative and dialogic process of prompting, interpretation, and refinement that characterised this visual inquiry. These images, initially intended to be published in a book chapter on GenAI, served not only as evocative representations but also as catalysts for deep self-reflection and theoretical exploration. Despite the profound insights I gained through this visual journey, the figures which were so central to my sense-making were ultimately silenced by the gatekeeping logic of existing publication norms. Denied a place in the formal publication, I gave the images life elsewhere through an open-access repository and cited them in the final published chapter. In this way, I used the academic citation norms as a subtle defiance, a deliberate move against the constraints that sought to erase part of my scholarly voice. I have since extended this innovation into the classroom, developing a pedagogical approach where students use GenAI to visualise and narrate aspects of their own identities in their own autoethnographic projects. This essay illuminates both the empowering possibilities and institutional barriers encountered when introducing novel modes of research sharing. By foregrounding visual evidence co-created with GenAI, this work advocates for more inclusive, imaginative, and multimodal approaches to academic expression.

The increasing presence of generative AI in research presents both opportunities and challenges for qualitative data analysis. While generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can assist with pattern reco...

A sound understanding of research paradigms is crucial for developing coherent and philosophically grounded research designs, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. This paper offers an a...

An important component of PhD students’ educational experiences is the understanding they develop of their academic identity. In this study, we explore PhD students’ expectations and lived realitie...

This book offers personal stories that highlight the diverse voices of doctoral students. It calls for an academic environment where PhD skills are developed in concert with the skills needed to maint...

This chapter investigates the experiences of two higher education lecturers as they adapted to the emergence of generative artificial intelligence (AI) over the