Between the Field and Elsewhere: Using Dialogic Collaborative Autoethnography in Ethnographic Restudies

This article discusses the uses of collaborative autoethnography (CAE) as a tool for reflecting on fieldwork experiences conducted as part of a restudy of two ethnographic studies by Pearl Jephcott from 1954 and 1964. We approach CAE in a novel way; through “dialogic exchange” which is presented as transcript excerpts. Through this, we demonstrate two major contributions: (a) that “past” researchers are present, despite their contemporaneous “absence,” in ethnographic restudies as collaborators and (b) the importance and effectiveness of dialogic processes for qualitative research practice. Overall, this reveals new dimensions for consideration in ethnographic restudies and CAE.