Capturing accidental moments: the self-reflective researcher and the utility of the research diary

Accidental ethnography is rarely discussed across research. This absence can affect ‘new’ researchers entering the fieldwork phase of the research when revelatory moments arrive during the immersion of the self during the practical aspects of research. Accidental ethnography directly involves the researcher in the processes and meanings that are central to the construction and transformation of meaning-making that happen by chance (Fujii in Qualitative Research 15(4):525–539, 2015). In order to respond to this accidental moment, self-reflexivity through a close connection to the fieldwork diary is needed. Significantly, attachment to the fieldwork diary is less discussed across ethnographic research. This absence towards accidental moments and the self-reflective recording of these in the fieldwork diary can affect the revealing of potentially new and innovative ways in which to collect the data needed for the research. By bridging these two areas, I aim to show how original research can take exciting turns to reveal new modes of enquiry and changes to the ethnographic method without triggering ethical dilemmas or compensating on the ethical commitment of the researcher towards the participants.