Towards Integrated Mixed Methods Autoethnographic Approaches: A Dimensional and Poetic Journey

Abstract

In the domain of research, where stories unfold,
There’s autoethnography, a tale to be told.
Traditionally, a qualitative approach, both personal and wide,
Weaving lives and meanings, a cultural guide.
Bochner and Ellis promoted the autoethnographic scene,
Where layers of consciousness seem to intervene.
Offering in their 2016 Evocative Autoethnography
A genre that links the self to society.
First-person prose, in varied forms it appears,
Short stories, poetry, sparking emotions and tears.
Novels and essays, with photographs to tell,
Autoethnographic tales in ways that compel.
In this present article, with hearts bold and true,
Tony Onwuegbuzie, Sandra Abrams, and Madeline Abrams, too,
Alongside Anna CohenMiller and Anthony Bambrola, they stand,
Reframing autoethnography, mapping out new land.
Autoethnography, a call for methods combined,
By these scholars’ efforts, a new frame outlined.
Connecting the personal to the wide scopes,
Of social, cultural, and political tropes.

Ten dimensions identified in their expansive span,
Tony, Sandra, Madeline, Anna, and Anthony began
An integrated, integrative, integral dance.
Autoethnography’s reborn, given a new chance.
At the heart of an autoethnographic quest,
A radical middle is where researchers should invest,
This means embracing an emtic view,
With critical dialectical pluralism being what they pursue.
In this radical middle, integrated methods intertwine,
Meta-methods combine, creating a sign,
Different designs, each with its own tone,
Collaborative minds, in harmony, do hone.
Balanced contribution between participant and investigator,
Iterative pathways, each team member, an innovator,
Narratives woven, deeply entwined,
Semi-personalized tales, rich stories combined.
So, let us explore, with minds open wide,
Autoethnography’s depths, where meaning making abides.
With Tony, Sandra, Madeline, Anna, and Antho
On this rich tapestry, where science meets art.