A life through the looking glass: the development of a qualitative method, International Digital Collaborative Autoethnographical Psychobiography (IDCAP)
| Date | 02 May 2024 |
| Pages | 1309-1324 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-04-2024-0050 |
| Published date | 02 May 2024 |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Social inclusion |
| Author | Patrick Hopkinson,Mats Niklasson |
A life through the looking glass: the
development of a qualitative method,
International Digital Collaborative
Autoethnographical
Psychobiography (IDCAP)
Patrick Hopkinson and Mats Niklasson
Abstract
Purpose –This paper aims to introduce International Digital Collaborative Autoethnographical
Psychobiography(IDCAP).
Design/methodology/approach –This paper describes how IDCAP was developed to answer
research questions about what it takes and what it means to recover from mental illness. During its
development, IDCAP combinedthe diverse and intersectional experiences, knowledgeand interests of
an Anglo-Swedish research team with what could be found in different publications concerning the
experiencesand the mental illnesses of the musiciansSyd Barrett, Peter Green andBrian Wilson.
Findings –IDCAP combines features of autoethnography and psychobiography to offer a novel
qualitativeresearch method.
Research limitations/implications –Whilst IDCAP was created to focus on recovery from mental
illness and musicians, it can be applied to other areas of research. It shares the same limitations as
autoethnography and psychobiography, although some of the features of IDCAP may go some way to
mitigateagainst these.
Practical implications –IDCAP is a novel research method that is offered to other researchers to
developand enhance further through application.
Social implications –IDCAP is a collaborative research method that encouragesthe involvement of a
wide range of researchers from different countries and cultures. It can be used to give voice to
marginalisedgroups and to counter discrimination and prejudice.Recovery from mental illness is a topic
of great personaland social value.
Originality/value –IDCAP is a novelresearch method that, to the best of the authors’knowledge, has not
been explicitlyused before.
Keywords IDCAP, Collaborative autoethnography, Psychobiography, Qualitative research, Recovery,
Mental illness, Music, Musicians, International collaboration, Syd Barrett, Peter Green, Brian Wilson
Paper type Conceptual paper
Background
Introduction
The present paper explores the development of a novel qualitative method, International
Digital Collaborative Autoethnographical Psychobiography (IDCAP). IDCAP is intended
to become a qualitative research method that combines features of autoethnography
and psychobiography to provide novel opportunities for research of previously under- or
Patrick Hopkinson is based
at the Apollo Eagle
Consulting Ltd, Banstead,
UK.
Mats Niklasson is based at
the Vestibularis Clinic,
Center for Sensorimotor
Research, Kalmar, Sweden
and Department of
Psychology, University of
Bolton, Bolton, UK.
The authors would like to thank
Andrew Voyce, Peter
Bryngelsson and Jerome
Carson for their contributions to
the development of IDCAP.
DOI 10.1108/MHSI-04-2024-0050 VOL. 28 NO. 6 2024, pp. 1309-1324, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2042-8308 jMENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION jPAGE 1309
un-researched topics. With the aim of providing new insights into recovery from mental
illness, the method was developed using an Anglo-Swedish research team’s own
experiences and understanding of the role of mental health needs and recovery in the
lives of the musicians Syd Barrett, Peter Green and Brian Wilson. This paper
summarises how IDCAP can be used and discusses its strengths, weaknesses and
limitations. It is hoped that IDCAP will be further developed by other researchers and
that IDCAP will inspire further international collaboration.
Structure of the paper
In Part I, we will tell the story of how it all started, followed by a description of the concepts
autoethnography and psychobiography and how they can be combined. In Part II, we will
describe how the concept of IDCAP was developed through application. Then we will
describe the qualitative research approach used in IDCAP. In Part III, we will discuss some
methodological and ethical considerations of IDCAP. Finally, we will end with a summary
and some concluding remarks.
Part I
How we began
Everything has a beginning and for us it began with some research questions, which
developed into a question of methodology. Given a sufficiently broad and person-centred
definition, it is possible to recover from mental illnesses, including schizophrenia, which has
been demonstrated through research and personal accounts (e.g. Vera San Juan et al.,
2021;Voyce, 2020). Althoughthe how, the why and the different factors involved in recovery
are beginning to be explored (Repper and Perkins, 2003), there are still unanswered
questions. Why do some people recover whilst some do not? Why do some people who
appear to have resources available in their life, which could assist recovery, still do not
recover? Why do people facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, even life-threatening
ones, still recover? These broad research questions were distilled into one question. Why
did Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd, who had fame, talent and seemingly considerable financial
and network resources not recover, while Andrew Voyce, whose well documented ‘‘career’’
(e.g. Voyce, 2018;Voyce and Cordle, 2012)receiving or avoiding mental health services
did?
This question led me, the first author of thispaper, to a question of methodology. How could
self-explored experiences be compared, contrasted and integrated with those of another
person who was not able toprovide their own autoethnography?
The answer seemed to lie in combining autoethnography with psychobiography, which
could offer a means of exploring and understandingthe motivations and inner life of another
person through accounts of their actions and their life. Could then autoethnography and
psychobiography possibly be combined to provide insights into the lives of Andrew Voyce
and Syd Barrett, and might sucha combination help us develop an understanding of what it
means and what it takes to recover from mental illness? It might, however, be helpful to first
give an explanation of what autoethnography and psychobiography are.
Two concepts
What is autoethnography?
Adams et al. (2017, p. 1) defined autoethnography as, “a research method that uses
personal experience (‘auto’) to describe and interpret (‘graphy’) cultural texts, experiences,
beliefs, and practices (‘ethno’)”. Drawing on Adams and Herrmann (2023), the three
components of autoethnographycan be understood as follows:
PAGE 1310 jMENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL INCLUSION jVOL. 28 NO. 6 2024
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