Writing as a Process of Inquiry in Autoethnography for Meaning-Making: Reflections and Some Points for Consideration
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores writing as a process of inquiry and meaning-making in the autoethnographic tradition, offering reflections on the recursive, emergent, and dialogical/dialectical nature of writing, along with some points for consideration. Drawing on perspectives from qualitative research and narrative inquiry (Riessman, 2008), I argue that autoethnographic writing serves as a method of inquiry and/or discovery, generating ontological, epistemological, and axiological-driven cultural meaning that functions as a site of reflection, interrogation, and re-storying of lived experiences. This recursive, often messy, and reflexive act allows researchers to excavate, analyze, and interpret their lived experiences. Rather than viewing writing as a final-stage product for reporting insights, this article explores how composing text can generate new questions, reveal hidden emotions, and create connections between the individual and the broader cultural context. Drawing on personal reflections from my own autoethnographic writing, I explore the transformative potential of writing as a form of inquiry. I provide space for reflection from my master's and Ph.D. inquiries on how the writing process, grounded in autoethnography, enhances the rigor of qualitative reports. I offer key points for autoethnographers who wish to engage more consciously and productively with writing as a core epistemological process, including strategies for embracing vulnerability; navigating narrative truth and addressing its threats, such as narcissism, solipsism, and aestheticism; and practicing rigorous reflexivity. I conclude that treating writing as inquiry allows autoethnographers to foreground uncertainty, complexity, and the transformative potential of meaning-making.
Source: The Qualitative Report
Author: Niroj Dahal
Institution: Kathmandu University
Language: English
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $500
OpenAlex ID: W7157931728
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