Narrative analysis

Nicole L. Sharp, Rosalind A. Bye, Anne Cusick

Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference PaperChapter

Abstract

![CDATA[Narrative inquiry methods have much to offer within health and social research. They have the capacity to reveal the complexity of human experience and to understand how people make sense of their lives within social, cultural, and historical contexts. There is no set approach to undertaking a narrative inquiry, and a number of scholars have offered interpretations of narrative inquiry approaches. Various combinations have also been employed successfully in the literature. There are, however, limited detailed accounts of the actual techniques and processes undertaken during the analysis phase of narrative inquiry. This can make it difficult for researchers to know where to start (and stop) when they come to do narrative analysis. This chapter describes in detail the practical steps that can be undertaken within narrative analysis. Drawing on the work of Polkinghorne (Int J Qual Stud Educ. 8(1):5–23, 1995), both narrative analysis and paradigmatic analysis of narrative techniques are explored, as they offer equally useful insights for different purposes. Narrative analysis procedures reveal the constructed story of an individual participant, while paradigmatic analysis of narratives uses both inductive and deductive means to identify common and contrasting themes between stories. These analysis methods can be used separately, or in combination, depending on the aims of the research. Details from narrative inquiries conducted by the authors to reveal the stories of emerging adults with cerebral palsy, and families of adolescents with acquired brain inquiry, are used throughout the chapter to provide practical examples of narrative analysis techniques.]]
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationHandbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences
EditorsPranee Liamputtong
Place of PublicationSingapore
PublisherSpringer
Pages1-21
Number of pages21
ISBN (Electronic)9789811027796
ISBN (Print)9789811052507
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018

Keywords

  • narrative inquiry (research method)
  • social constructionism
  • storytellers

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Narrative analysis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this