Exploring Duoethnography in ELT Research Ecosystems: Accessibility, Misuse, and Further Horizons

Abstract

Duoethnography is an approach to qualitative research in which two researchers engage in dialogue to understand how a particular phenomenon has manifested differently in their lives, and in so doing, aim to come to a new understanding of that phenomenon. In this paper, two applied linguists from different research backgrounds, and with different priorities, engage in a metaduoethnography to explore what they each find of value of the method for their separate research programs. Through dialogue, they uncover what first drew each of them to duoethnography, and go on to both praise and problematize the accessibility of the method. Following this, they use the concept of the “research ecosystem” to investigate the role duoethnography plays, or may play, in their separate and evolving research programs, particularly focusing on the concepts of reflexivity and praxis. It is hoped that this exploratory dialogue may resonate with other researchers, and assist them in evaluating the benefits of duoethnography for their work.