Autobiography and Organizations: Theoretical and Methodological Issues

Abstract

This essay provides a general theoretical and methodological framework for understanding autobiographies. The authors argue that the autobiographies of applied behavioral scientists are useful research tools, particularly for clarifying the presuppositions underlying applied behavioral science endeavors. The autobiographies and biographies of both social scientists and nonscientists are a much neglected source of data for examining social issues, and a means of advancing our knowledge of everyday life and its organizational and cultural context. The essay concludes with the major themes of the autobiographies presented in this special issue of the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science.