This chapter articulates the defining characteristics of self-study research—self-initiated and self-focused, improvement-aimed, collaborative and interactive, methodologically flexible, and grounded in rigor and trustworthiness. These principles distinguish self-study from other practitioner-oriented approaches and establish its core commitments. Readers are guided to identify aspects of their own professional practice that invite inquiry, particularly moments of tension, curiosity, or possibility. Through illustrative examples, the chapter demonstrates how naming and framing practice transforms everyday experience into researchable material. By its conclusion, readers possess both a conceptual understanding of what constitutes self-study and initial strategies for identifying and refining their own focus of inquiry.