Understanding my autoethnographic process

When undertaking an autoethnographic study of my professional career in high performance sport I found an absence of literature giving guidance on the construction of research processes based on personal reflection. To support other researchers who are taking their first steps in to autoethnography I have attempted to describe, and make accessible, my research process. Through my research I have identified two elements that other researchers may find useful as ‘handrails’ to guide their own methodology. These elements were ‘phasing’ and ‘layering’.
I experienced four research phases within my process as I moved from identifying critical events in my experiences to constructing a narrative to express my learning. The phases were interrelated and did not form a linear research path but did describe a generalised evolution of thought processes.
In writing I used what I describe as a ‘layered’ approach to constructing the final narrative. This involved writing, and then re-writing, different sections of the narrative in a non-linear way. The writing of any stage of the narrative could cause shifts in perspective that required re-writing of earlier or later stages. Consequently, the final narrative was written in ‘layers’ which reflected the evolution of my understanding of my experience.