Abstract
![CDATA[Introduction: Narrative inquiry methods have much to offer within health research. They have the capacity to reveal the complexity of human experience; 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. Objectives: This presentation will highlight practical steps that can be undertaken during narrative analysis, facilitated through discussion and examples of techniques used in a doctoral study that explored the stories of emerging adults with cerebral palsy. Approach: Drawing on the work of Donald Polkinghorne, both narrative analysis and paradigmatic analysis of narratives techniques will be discussed, 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. Practice implications: Occupational therapists will be guided to make informed decisions around appropriate narrative analysis techniques to answer a range of qualitative research questions. Practical examples will facilitate therapists’ understanding of the steps involved in the actual “doing” of narrative analysis. Conclusion: Narrative inquiry methods, and narrative analysis techniques, can be useful for a wide range of occupational therapy research questions with the overall aim of understanding lived experience.]]
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, Vol. 66, Suppl. 1: Occupational Therapy Australia 28th National Conference and Exhibition, 10-12 July 2019, International Convention Centre, Sydney |
Publisher | Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia |
Pages | 137-137 |
Number of pages | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 2019 |
Event | Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition - Duration: 1 Jan 2019 → … |
Conference
Conference | Occupational Therapy Australia. National Conference and Exhibition |
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Period | 1/01/19 → … |
Keywords
- narrative inquiry (research method)
- occupational therapy
- research