“How does this Move us Forward?”

In research, rigour is the question of whether and how a study produces valid, reliable and generalisable results. Discussions of rigour tend to be limited to data collection and analysis techniques. Rigour, however, must be considered from beginning to end throughout the research process. I call this “end-to-end rigour.” In this chapter, I develop the concept of end-to-end rigour specific to autoethnography. I begin by briefly discussing some rigour-related criticisms of autoethnography, and then I discuss proposals for evaluating autoethnography. Following that, I outline some tips for conducting a rigorous autoethnography. Next, I suggest that the central procedure for ensuring end-to-end rigour is question-asking, and that a key question of rigour is “How does this move us forward?” All the parts of this question are important: “Us” denotes both the researcher and the relevant intellectual community, meaning that the work is theoretically situated and links self and culture. “Move forward” indicates heuristic value, whether theoretical or practical. And “how” reminds us that there are multiple ways this can be done. I suggest that by constantly returning to this question, or versions of it, at every stage of the research process, a researcher can improve the rigour of their autoethnography.