Putting the auto in ethnography: The embodied process of reflexivity on positionality

This article describes an unexpected methodological shift made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic during doctoral research, and exemplifies reflexivity action whilst negotiating my complex positionality as both a researcher social worker. The first UK national lockdown was announced after I had conducted 3 months of ethnographic data collection local authority adult work team, thus halting research. As society shut down, face-to-face research paused overnight, however, continued provide essential services support. Forging path forward, successfully gained job practising worker within team completed supplementary ethics application include auto-ethnographic which would complement existing ethnography. Although practicing analysing are established encouraged parts how actively conducts them varies usually remains unseen. Methodologies often presented sanitised polished manner, depriving reader messy yet informative reality draws upon fieldnotes practically illustrate bring this on fore. move from participant-observer complete-participant, findings zoom experience navigating positionality, revealing micro picture details subtleties process. journey enhanced level intimacy with phenomenon, site, participants. Overall, example enacting helps bridge gap between is theorised it practiced. Finally, call for more open, deeper, continual our researchers.