Coming out as an autistic researcher: academic writing and its breakdowns

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Boven, F. (2026). Coming out as an autistic researcher: academic writing and its breakdowns. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, 1678024-1678024. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1678024

Publication date: 30 Jan 2026 Added to AutiHub: 5 Jul 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
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Authors

Publication authors
1
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 1 (100.0%)
  1. Frederik Boven *

Abstract

This descriptive article offers an inside perspective of the experience of writing a publishable paper by an autistic early-career researcher. From an external perspective, this experience might be described as involving hyperfocus, indecision about framing, and conflicting norms of academic writing. The article develops an inside perspective on such experiences. The author adopts a philosophical approach, using phenomenological reflection on breakdowns as a method to explicate what is implicitly given in experience. Reflection on three types of research breakdown in academic writing results in an inside description of the complexities of this particular experience by someone who is both autistic and an academic researcher.

Bibliography cited by this reference

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These indicators describe the cited bibliography imported for this publication. Cited-reference metrics use the cited-reference total as denominator. Cited-author metrics state whether they use all cited-author occurrences or only occurrences linked to authors already integrated in the AutiHub database. They use cached links between cited authors and authors integrated in the AutiHub database. Last computed: 16 Aug 2026 11:30.

Cited references
33
Total cited references integrated for this publication.
Cited references with an identified autistic author
6 / 33 (18.2%)
Cited author occurrences identified as autistic
13 / 46 (28.3%)
Among occurrences linked to AutiHub author records: 13 / 19 (68.4%). Distinct cited authors identified as autistic: 12 / 45 (26.7%).
Cited author occurrences linked to AutiHub author records
19 / 46 (41.3%)
Distinct linked cited authors: 18 / 45 (40.0%)
Linked cited-author occurrences not identified as autistic
6 / 19 (31.6%)
Among linked cited-author occurrences only. Across all cited-author occurrences: 6 / 46 (13.0%). Distinct linked cited authors not identified as autistic: 6 / 18 (33.3%).
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