Qualitative Research: An Introduction to Methods and Designs

Critical Responses to Autoethnography

“How do people evaluate autoethnographies?” asks Cindy.

“That's a great but tricky question,” says Tony. “Often autoethnographies are erroneously evaluated by traditional research standards of reliability, validity, and generalizability. These standards function differently for autoethnographers.”

“For instance,” Carolyn interrupts, “establishing reliability means assessing an autoethnographer's credibility. This means asking such questions as Could the author have had the experiences described given available evidence? Does the author believe that this is actually what happened to her or him? and Has the author taken ‘literary license’ to the point that the story is better viewed as fiction rather than as ...