The Implications

This chapter presents current research insights into various forms and representations of the results of self-as-subject data analyses from both expert and doctoral research experiences. Distinctions between heuristic inquiry and autoethnography are highlighted as well as differences between self-as-subject data analysis approaches when compared with convention methods used within other forms of qualitative research. In self-as-subject research, data representation and data interpretation are often also simultaneous or overlap in presentation to illustrate key findings and insights into the phenomenon of inquiry.

Self-Discovery

Heuristic, autoethnographic, or other biographical approaches to doctoral research allow for a deeper understanding of self in context of a phenomenon experienced by the self-as-subject and the greater understanding of others, society, and culture. This chapter presents current research insights into data collection processes used for self-as-subject research at the doctoral level. Illustrations of the variety of data sources used for both heuristic research and autoethnography are presented as well as insights and recommendations from method experts are included.

Heuristic Inquiry

This chapter presents current research insights into the selection of heuristic inquiries for a doctoral-level inquiry. Heuristic inquiry within social science research allows for self-as-subject representations in search of the essential meaning of phenomena or constructs explored and through the analysis of the individual experience, results may inform larger sociocultural contexts. While receptivity of heuristic inquiry as rigorous doctoral-level research varies by discipline and institution, the research design in doctoral education remains widely accepted for doctoral-level inquiry as it often appeals to the doctoral scholar due to the deep introspection expected in the phases of analysis. While heuristic inquiry emerged within psychology, doctoral scholars use the introspective research design across fields of study, the doctoral degree program, and institution to meet all institutional requirements and ethical assurances. Like autoethnography, the relational aspects between doctoral scholar and research supervisor are vital to successful heuristic inquiry and the doctoral scholar's development as a new investigator.

Self-as-Subject for Doctoral Research

This chapter presents reflections on the use of self-as-subject research within doctoral education as a pathway to explore meaning of study phenomena to uncover new knowledge from the individual of the self. Knowledge is contextual and discoverable from within this rich internal experience of the researcher-participant and extant and contemporary perspectives are presented to illustrate the importance and appropriateness of the selection of self-as-subject research methods including autoethnography and heuristic inquiry for doctoral-level research. The importance of the relational aspects of the doctoral researcher and doctoral research supervisor is briefly considered as well as contextual and institutional aspects necessary to inform doctoral researchers who may choose these methods of inquiry.

Autoethnography

This chapter presents current research insights into the selection of autoethnography for doctoral-level inquiry. Autoethnography translates the personal to social science research with accessible self-as-subject representations, and autoethnography can reveal unheard voices of experiences to inform larger sociocultural contexts. The use of autoethnography in doctoral education remains widely accepted for doctoral-level inquiry as autoethnography often appeals to the doctoral scholar due to its fluidity, flexibility, and as both process and product. It is also essential for doctoral scholars to situate the autoethnography within the bounds of the scholarship, field of study, the doctoral degree program, and institution to meet all institutional requirements and ethical assurances as relational aspects between doctoral scholar and research supervisor are vital to successful autoethnography for the transformative experience of the doctoral scholar as new investigator.

Researcher Positionality

This chapter presents researcher positionality within the context of two systematic methods of inquiry for the examination of self-as-subject: autoethnography and heuristic inquiry for doctoral-level research. These ways of knowing and understanding the lived experience of the self are meant to further inform not only the individual experience, but the collective or cultural experience at large. The articulation of researcher positionality is an essential precursor to doctoral inquiry, the supervision of which often requires doctoral research supervisor agency to oversee the heuristic introspection. While the doctoral scholar may not initially choose the approach as creative research, outcomes of the research may result in enhanced creative thinking and arts-based research products as representations of findings.

The Contribution

This chapter presents current research insights into forms of theoretical, empirical, and artistic contributions to the scholarship from self-as-subject research and others who blended these approaches with other methods. Illustrations of resonant and relevant inferences and contributions from current doctoral research that used either and/or both autoethnography and heuristic inquiry or with other methods are highlighted. These examples showcase how and why self-as-subject research method findings from the current research can offer fresh insights into the phenomenon of inquiry for self, others, society, and the discipline for a culminating doctoral research study.