Narrative inquiry

Narrative inquiry, also called narrative research or narrative analysis, is a social science qualitative research methodology that seeks to understand the ways in which people create meaning in their lives through the construction of narratives. Such life stories come in many forms—letters, journals, conversations and interviews, photographs, and other artifacts—which are then used as the tools of analysis to allow researchers to draw conclusions about particular life experiences. A common example of narrative inquiry is the analysis of interview transcriptions. By collecting a large volume of often subjective and fragmented anecdotal data, narrative inquiry challenges the notion of objective, quantitative data as the most reliable method of research.

Overview

Narrative inquiry is a form of qualitative research that asks why or how. The focus is on human knowledge rather than on data that can be easily measured. The value placed on human knowledge is significant, even if it comes from only one person. Narrative is an important part of knowledge transfer and communication. It is tied closely to memory that is perceived first-hand and constructed second-hand from information received. As a form of storytelling, narratives describe the emotion of a particular moment and thus communicate meaning that resonates in the past and present. The use of narratives in research implies that meaning and knowledge can be shared, stored away, and retrieved to be shared again.

There are many ways to conduct narrative inquiry and many fields in which the research methodology may be employed, including teaching, social work, nursing, and law. One of the common characteristics shared among variations is the application of life stories. Life stories are described through the “language of stories”—narratives with characters and plots—rather than through quantifiable data. These stories are subsequently analyzed in such a way that researchers can draw theoretical and philosophical conclusions about the ways in which people live.

Individual experience is also important because information collected through narrative inquiry often includes the stories of only one or a few individuals rather than large groups. The unique voice of each individual is given prominence, especially a voice that has not been heard in research before. This has led to the employment of narrative inquiry in fields especially concerned with the perspectives of individuals, including the study of historically marginalized or underrepresented groups such as women and children or examinations of cross-cultural contact.

Given that life experience is complex and continuously changing, researchers who use narrative inquiry must be flexible. Researchers understand that the direction of research will likely change as the inquiry progresses and expect participant information (from letters, interview transcripts, and so on) to drive it toward a theme, which may then be used by the researcher as a way to organize a retelling of the story. There is often an emphasis on literary writing in this retelling. By writing participants’ stories in an engaging manner—with plots, characters, and imagery such as metaphors or other literary devices—researchers can better show the complexity of human experience and help readers empathize with the participant.

Collaboration is another important component of narrative inquiry and is seen when researchers share their work-in-progress with other researchers. If the inquiry involves active participation from the individuals being studied, researchers may continue to interact with participants in order to understand the meanings of their stories. The individual under study is always placed at the forefront of the research, which requires flexibility on the part of researchers; reports detailing researchers’ conclusions find direction through their participants’ stories.

Narrative inquiry has been practiced in various fields of study, including sociology, cognitive science, educational studies, and knowledge management. It is deeply connected to the study of memory, as well as the concepts of time and communication.

Bibliography

Bignold, Wendy, and Feng Su. “The Role of the Narrator in Narrative Inquiry in Education: Construction and Co-Construction in Two Case Studies.” International Journal of Research & Method in Education, vol. 36, no. 4, 2013, pp. 400–14.

Clandinin, D. Jean, editor. Handbook of Narrative Inquiry: Mapping a Methodology. Sage, 2007.

Clandinin, D. Jean, and F. Michael Connelly. Narrative Inquiry: Experience and Story in Qualitative Research. Jossey-Bass, 2000.

Creswell, John W. Education Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 4th ed., Pearson, 2012.

Lai, Claudia K. Y. “Narrative and Narrative Enquiry in Health and Social Sciences.” Nurse Researcher, vol. 17, no. 3, 2010, pp. 72–84.

"Qualitative Study Design: Narrative Inquiry." Deakin University, 3 July 2024, deakin.libguides.com/qualitative-study-designs/narrative-inquiry. Accessed 15 Nov. 2024.

Schaafsma, David, and Ruth Vinz. On Narrative Inquiry: Approaches to Language and Literacy Research. Teachers College, 2011.

Trahar, Sheila, editor. Contextualizing Narrative Inquiry: Developing Methodological Approaches for Local Contexts. Routledge, 2013.

Wells, Kathleen. Narrative Inquiry. Oxford UP, 2011.