Autoethnography and Collaborative Autoethnography for Early-Career Researchers’ Professional Development and Empowerment: An Autoethnography

This autoethnographic article aims to advocate for the use of autoethnography (AE) and collaborative autoethnography (CAE) as both methodological tools and avenues for professional development and empowerment among early-career researchers (ECRs). Through an exploration of the significance of AE and CAE, particularly for ECRs, this article underscores their value in decolonizing research practices and shaping the future of scholarly inquiry. Drawing on personal experience and relevant literature, the article discusses how these methodological approaches have played a pivotal role in the author’s maturation and establishment within academia. It delves into how, as methodological processes, AE and CAE empower ECRs in various ways: (1) amplifying ECR voices in academia; (2) cultivating sociological imagination, critical analytical skills, and scholarly confidence; (3) enhancing ECRs’ positionality and reflexivity in research; (4) fostering solidarity, liberation, and activism, particularly through CAE; and (5) providing publishing opportunities.