This would depend on how much of the parents'  own experience and reflections are included in the accounts,

Central to autoethnography is placing oneself in the content and in relation to the subject of the ethnography, Exploring the researcher's experience in the broader cultural, political,, social (and in this case, specifically educational), context as a way of giving meaning to the broader concerns. 

I would expect the ethnography you describe therefore to inevitably be autoethnographic . 

Like Jane says, it depends - it could be either; it depends on your focus. However, the situation you describe reminds me of the work of Patti & Peter Adler:

ADLER, P. A., & ADLER, P. (1998). Peer power: preadolescent culture and identity. New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers University Press

They position themselves as PARs (parents as researchers) and conduct a 'straight-up' ethnography rather than auto-ethnography.

It's possible, but I think is necessary an strong methodologycal support.  It Could be interessting working with a team,  so the parents and anothers. A  senior etnographic researcher helping the process.  Go on!!

Si la investigacion se realiza sobre el mismo sujeto ,eso es autoetnografia,al ser parientes proximos,aunque exista cercania,estariamos realizando etnografia o historias de vida,para poder llegara a conclusiones equilibradas.

En el caso de una autoetnografía de padres a sus hijos, considero ineludible la participación un Otro que  ayude en el análisis de las implicancias durante el proceso de investigación. Por otro lado, las autoetnografías nos abren interesantes desafíos epistemológicos y la necesidad no sólo de definir nuevas estrategias metodológicas si no también redefinir el rol de los investigadores profesionales en un contexto de pluralismo en la producción de conocimiento.

As I understand the autoethnography, it consists more in a compilation of sensations, moods and feelings felt by the person that is carrying out the ethnography, than an ethnography carried out "within" the dynamic you want to study. Thus, for me, in your case you have an ethnography carried out by an emic diferent (parents) to the reserarcher (you)

Estoy de acuerdo con Rodrigo Sepulveda que para realizar una investigacion con garantias,de estas caracteristicas,hay que contar con un investigador ajeno al nucleo familiar,para que se puedan contrastar los datos y que esten equilibrados.Pues,siguiendo lo que comenta Enrique Baleriola,la posicion emic y etic estaria viciada ,por proximidad de parentesco.

Autoethnography can be split into 3: auto - the self, ethno - the collective and graphy - the writing. In my view, if the parents are writing about the family (the ethno) the study could be autoethnographic. They are part of the collective and writing on the collective equals to writing on themselves. Writing from the child's perspective could be an interesting way of presenting the study. It would give one member of the collective a voice.

My guess is that readers of Mary Louise Pratt might quarrel with the idea that the parents are writing an autoethnography.  Autoethnography was conceived as a response to the power differentials that underwrite the observer/observed dynamic. The "etho" here may not be the family but rather children.  I suppose  it depends on your research goals, but I worry that we not forget that, in some cultures, children constitute a subculture, that children are typically "subaltern," and that, in the case of homeschooling in particular, the parents' writings may erase the child's "self."

Dear John,

I agree with what you have written. However, with parent's experience of homeschooling being the goal, it would probably make 'etho' pointing towards the family rather than the children.

No. Philosophy of knowledge reveals that “collaborative autoethnography” is an oxymoron. Autoethnography’s humanistic approach explores the subjective, interpretive world of only one individual’s experience. That individual’s experience is shared with others through a personal narrative style. Autoethnography is individual art, not collaborative science. However, a pair of conjoined twins can perhaps accomplish a collaborative autoethnography.

Yes. There is such a thing as collaborative ( sometimes called co-authored) autoethnography. Autoethnography is the study of self in relationship to society and others. it is not just "subjective," as many people claim it is.  See: 

Chang, H., Ngunjiri, F., & Hernandez, K. A. C. (2012). Collaborative autoethnography (Vol. 8). Left Coast Press.

Geist-Martin, P., Gates, L., Wiering, L., Kirby, E., Houston, R., Lilly, A., & Moreno, J. (2010). Exemplifying collaborative autoethnographic practice via shared stories of mothering. Journal of Research Practice, 6(1), 8.

Gale, K., Pelias, R., Russell, L., Spry, T., & Wyatt, J. (2013). Intensity: A collaborative autoethnography. International Review of Qualitative Research, 6(1), 165-180.

Herrmann, A. F., Barnhill, J. A., & Catherine Poole, M. (2013). Ragged edges in the fractured future: a co-authored organizational autoethnography. Journal of Organizational Ethnography, 2(1), 57-75.

More important than answering this as a yes or no question, however is the question of ethics in autoethnography. See this excellent piece:

Adams, T. E. (2008). A review of narrative ethics. Qualitative Inquiry, 14(2), 175-194.

Thanks for the references. However, co-authoring a subjective experience still seems impossible as I suggested in my previous response to the challenging question -- unless perhaps the authors are conjoined at the head:  "Philosophy of knowledge reveals that 'collaborative autoethnography' is an oxymoron. Autoethnography’s humanistic approach explores the subjective, interpretive world of only one individual’s experience. That individual’s experience is shared with others through a personal narrative style. Autoethnography is individual art, not collaborative science."  

After reading Dr. Herrmann's co-authored article "Ragged Edges ... A Co-authored Organizational Ethnography" I appreciate that the three researchers observed and experienced the same events and shared their observations and experiences in the same academic forum (as co-authors of the same article). However, they are co-authoring about the differences and similarities in their three subjective experiences. The article is comprised of three autoethnographies and not a single autoethnography.

In sum: That they met after the organized event and discussed their similar and different reactions to it and then agreed to articulate their subjective experiences in one co-authored article does not justify calling their collaboratio a "co-authored organizational autoethnography" (without their elaborating a justification in the contexts of philosophy of knowledge and philosophy of science discourses). Their co-authorship no doubt derives from the "edifying conversations" and "considered debates" between them on the organized event they attended together -- but articulated in the article as three distinct subjective experiences; three autoethnographies.

I'll make sure to add my philosophy of epistemology and all that philosophy of science to my next 30 page article. (Like that's possible!)

"If you think you can do it, begin it. Begin and the mind grows heated. Begin, and the task is completed." ~ Goethe

It looks like you have received some excellent feedback. I would agree that it depends but from my perspective it appears that the study is not about those who are doing the research, but about someone else, their child. If that is the case, then I do not see the fit as an ethnography of the self, an autoethnography but a better fit for a family ethnographic study. Good luck!

this is a debatable question. in my opinion as there collaborative autoethnographies where one is a main author whose feelings are primarily expressed and the other is a methodological or literature/theorist expert helping out with the research. so in such cases it is OK. but in your case it cannot be termed as an autoethnography as you are not the ones experiencing the feelings and emotions of the ''homeschooled" rather you are the ""teacher/parent doing the schooling (ipresume) . in this case your word (however deep and insightful it may be) will be more of an autobiography of the childs younger learning days. -