The Qualitative Method of Inquiry Involving Narrative Research

8/3/2019 The Qualitative Method of Inquiry Involving Narrative Research

1/11

Kakei 0

The qualitative method of inquiry involving narrative research

By: Saed Kakei, Ph.D. Student (No1144759),

CARD 7110 DL1/A midterm essay paper.

Jason J. Campbell, Ph.D.

Nova Southeastern University

Department of Conflict Analysis & Resolution PhD Program

October 13, 2011


2/11

Kakei 1

The qualitative method of inquiry involving narrative research

Abstract

This midterm paper attempts to examine and explain the connection between the qualitative

method of inquiry and the narrative research approach. By applying well defined definitions for

research, qualitative inquiry and narrative research, the paper provides an explanatory rational

for the use of narrative research within the qualitative method of inquiry. As it reviews how the

intellectual expansions within the qualitative paradigm have been conceptualizing the narrative

approach, the paper attempts to provide reasons for understanding human life experiences

through narrative analysis.

What is research?

As a prologue for this short paper, Ive chosen to mention a comprehensive meaning for

the most over-abused word in the English Language; that is research. According to the online

dictionary of Merriam-Webster (2011), the basic definition for research is [a] studious inquiry

or examination; especially: investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and

interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or the

practical application of such new or revised theories or laws (Webster, 2011).

The central theme of this definition spins on discovering new knowledge which requires

the application of a systematic investigation or a methodical inquiry. Systemic inquiry has to

have an understanding value powered by prediction and control of the proceedings that

distinguishes it from other sources of opinion and belief. A proceeding can be understood by

relating it logically to other events. It can be predicted by linking it empirically to backgrounds.

It can also be measured by influencing the independent variable to which it is functionally


3/11

Kakei 2

related. Therefore, linking variables or happenings shapes the key characteristics of any

research.

Research influences the world of human activity. It produces the dynamics for human

actions which are in need of persistent change. Change occurs because of the discovery of new

knowledge. However, for new knowledge to be wittingly effective, it must be in the form of an

idea which then it has to be systematically examined. The systemic examination of an idea, in

turn, has been recognized by scholars as the method of inquiry or a research method.

The term research method basically means the process in which we proceed to solve

problems. Huitt (1992) defined problem solving as the process in which we perceive and

resolve a gap between a present situation and a desired goal, with the path to the goal blocked by

known or unknown obstacles (p. 34). By this definition, we understand that the methodology of

research is a basic process that requires fundamental approaches to solve problems. These

problem solving approaches include: defining the problem with questions; determining the main

cause by analyzing collected data; hypothesizing rational solutions; careful planning for

executing the confirmed hypothesis leading to a solution; and, once the problem is solved,

communicating the solution with empathy, integrity, and recognition.

Knowledge and paradigm

In all social sciences, knowledge is generated by stories told. In the processes of

storytelling, people try to make sense of particular phenomena in order to be able to make

predictions or provide justifications on how to control it. During this phase, two basic questions

dominate the occurrence. The first question is empirical. It pertains to knowingand it forms itself

as What is? The second question is normative; and, it is aboutthe occurrence which mostly

comes in the form of What ought to be. Empirical questions govern the use of data in


4/11

Kakei 3

laboratory sciences, whereas normative questioning predominate narrative knowledge in the

humanities and the social sciences. In other words, two major yet contrasting paradigms or

world views guide the methodology of any research (Willis, 2007). The first is pragmatic and it

is concerned with data collection commonly known as quantitative research. As for the other, it

is a normative paradigm popularly known as qualitative research. Thomas P. Wilson in Douglas

(1970) defined the normative paradigm as it consists of two major orienting ideas: interaction is

essentially rule governed, and sociological explanation should properly take the deductive form

characteristic of natural science (p. 59). Willis (2007) has challenged this widely perceived

notion by stating that [the] major difference between these approaches is not the type of data

collected. It is in the foundational assumptions, the givens that are assumed to be true (p. 7).

What is Qualitative Research?

The paradigm debates are no less than the increasingly complicating definitions written

for these two research approaches. For example, in defining qualitative research, Denzin and

Lincoln (2011) offered an initial generic definition stating that it "consists of a set of interpretive,

material practices that make the world visible." These multidimensional practices are described

as transformational with which "[t]hey turn the world into a series of representations, including

field notes, interviews, conversations, photographs, recordings, and memos to the self (p. 3).

These collected illustrations come from a variety of empirical materialscase study, personal

experience, introspection, life story, interview, artifacts, and cultural texts and productions, along

with observational, historical, interactional, and visual textsthat describe routine and

problematic moments and meanings in individuals lives (pp. 3-4). Creswell (2007) provided a

broader definition for qualitative research emphasizing the procedural nature, the intricacy of the

final process, and its naturalistic setting of inquiry:


5/11

Kakei 4

Qualitative researchbegins with assumptions, a woridview, the possible use of a

theoretical lens, and the study of research problems inquiring into the meaning

individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human problem. To study thisproblem, qualitative researchers use an emerging qualitative approach to inquiry,

the collection of data in a natural setting sensitive to the people and places under

study, and data analysis that is inductive and establishes patterns or themes. Thefinal written report or presentation includes the voices of participants, the

reflexivity of the researcher, and a complex description and interpretation of the

problem, and it extends the literature or signals a call for action (p. 37).

Denzin and Lincoln (2011) provided a chronological background for the history of

qualitative research. In the first half of the 20th century, The Traditional Period, qualitative

researchers were manipulated by imperialist powers. Then, from the post 1948 to 1970sknown

as the Modernist Phase, qualitative research was accepted as the norm of inquiry due to the

shortcomings of the quantitative post-positivism paradigm. However, as the qualitative

researchers developed their paradigms, approaches, and plans to use in their research during the

Blurred Genresprior to mid-1980s, the fourth phase shaped its domain by the Crisis of

Representation during which qualitative research faced with the problems of genderfeminism,

classcritical thinking, and raceethnicity epistemologies. Lastly, Denzin and Lincoln (2011)

branded the present era as a Triple Crisis. This phase is marked and formed by a triple crisis of

representation, legitimization and praxis [that] confronts qualitative researchers (p. 19),

especially with issues of whether qualitative researchers can flawlessly record subsisted

experience in the post-structural moment.

Qualitative research is concerned with understanding the natural life; and, it is decidedly

explanatory in nature. Qualitative researchs goal is to recognize the multidimensional

explanations of peoples experience and their interactive relations within socio-cultural systems.

As a problem solving method, qualitative inquiry gives the researchers and the participants a

learning experience. In his description of the characteristics of qualitative research, Ragin (1987)


6/11

Kakei 5

provided that the researcher is the key data collector who makes use of expressive language and

that data gets compiled as texts with attention to particular. Then, the end result would be an

analytical inductive process utilizing reason as the only mode of persuasion.

Creswell (2007) provided several validation points for undertaking a qualitative inquiry.

These validation or authentication reasons could be condensed into three categories. First, a

qualitative inquiry is intended to confirm hypotheses about a fundamental connection between

certain variables by asking open-ended questions regarding the nature of the inquiry and the

natural setting of the occurrence. In general, open-ended questions are exploratory and are

outlined to examine a certain phenomenon so that its credibility can be tested by a hypothetical

reason of why. Otherwise, a qualitative inquirer has to employ explanatory questions of

what and how to thoroughly comprehend the observed phenomenon. Second, a qualitative

inquiry needs to provide a thorough opinion of an issue in a written narrative style conditioned

by devoted time and necessary financial resources to collect extensive records and stage a

thorough data analysis in the field. Third, when targeted audience receptive to a qualitative

inquiry, the researcher should remain to be a vigorous learner without judging his or her research

participants.

In quantitative inquiry, distinctive terms such as validity, reliability, and objectivity are

the standards. In their goal to establish and confirm the "trustworthiness" of an inquiry, Lincoln

and Guba (1985) had used terms such as credibility, authenticity, dependability, and

confirmability (Creswell, 2007, p. 202). Patton (1990) emphasized three issues for a reliable

qualitative researcher to address. First, what methods and practices were chosen to confirm the

integrity, legitimacy and accuracy of his or her discoveries? Second, what kind of qualifications,


7/11

Kakei 6

experience, and perspective he or she is bringing to the study? Lastly, what paradigm and

assumptions underline his or her inquiry?

As provided above, the qualitative method of inquiry has grown into a complex research

system with multiple approaches and various research theories and strategies. Yet, until the

Triple Crisis moment comes to an end, many interpretive research scholars and qualitative

research philosophers are in concert to teach and reflect on fewer that ten methods of qualitative

research. In so far, Creswell (2007) has identified five of these methods as approaches for a

qualitative inquiry. These approaches include the narrative, phenomenology, grounded theory,

ethnography, and case studies. However, since this term paper has a predetermined rubric, I will

attempt to briefly cover narrative research by explaining its dynamics within the qualitative

inquiry.

What is Narrative Research?

The narrative research method is reshaping the qualitative inquiry in virtually every

social science discipline and the studies of humanities. Narrative research is the most appropriate

system of analysis for oral, written and recorded audio-visual stories of human experience.

Schwandt (2007) defined narrative study or the narrative inquiry as the interdisciplinary study

of the activities involved in generating and analyzing stories of life experiences (e.g., life

histories, narrative interviews, journals, diaries, memoirs, autobiographies, and biographies) and

reporting that kind of research (pp. 203-4).

Narrative research is uniquely positioned within the qualitative paradigm. In their quest

to explore and understand human problems, narrative researchers examine human life experience

by narrative or storytelling. Also, to understand the natural settings for the participants actions,

narrative researchers design their qualitative inquiries based on various theoretical interpretations


8/11

Kakei 7

of how individuals think and communicate narratively. In so doing, narrative researchers will be

better positioned to form a holistic meaning of a humans life experience for the purpose of

predicting possible outcomes of future actions. Therefore, as Creswell (2008) stated, narrative

research is a literary form of qualitative research (p. 512). For example, narrative research

would be the right approach to for conflict resolution students and professionals who seek to

prevent genocide and crimes against humanity. Another best-suited application of narrative

research in intrastate conflict is with peace and reconciliation commissions. These informal

conflict prevention commissions face with overwhelming traumatic story telling. Texting and

restorying contextual life experiences of victims of oppressive regimes and civil wars

undoubtedly help preventing human sufferings.

Like most qualitative researchers, narrative inquirers interpret their exploratory and

analytical work as a joint effort aimed at constructing a natural occurrence using the semantic of

life stories. As listeners, narrative researchers convert their participants stories into draft texts.

At this phase, narrative researchers emphasize the importance of using research tools such as the

Triangulation which expands the research possibilities to draw data from several available

sources related to the research inquiry. For example, to avoid potential biasness, narrative

researchers ask their peers and other researchers not only to review their findings, but also

evaluate the consistency of their findings processed by different story collection approaches and

interpretive theories (Creswell, 2007).

Once the draft texts triangulated, narrative researchers begin the encoding process for

chronologically categorizing the retelling or restorying of their participants historical

experiences. The most visible character of restorying is its adherence to story settings. In other

words, it has a beginning that develops the plot withsocial cues, a middle leading to a climax,


9/11

Kakei 8

and an end with predictable outcomes. Still, for these chronological acts to be flawlessly texted

with flexibility, narrative researchers accentuate the importance of collaboration with their

participants not only to learn from them, but also to keep a forgoing relationship that may lead to

emerging stories (Creswell, 2008). It is worth mentioning that just as trustworthiness is an

important validation for qualitative inquiry, it is equally important for narrative researchers to

ethically treat their research tools and adhere to the same validation norms of qualitative inquiry.

Otherwise, a narrative researcher may have to answer some serious questions about their abilities

to protect participants confidentiality. Also, narrative researchers may not need to exploit the

emerging stories without anticipating or predicting their end results. Additionally, just as

qualitative inquiry is a challenging research paradigm and requires extensive time and effort to

conclude a finding, narrative research demands extensive information gathering and a keen

attention to hiding knowledge between the multilayered context of a life (Creswell, 2007, p.

57).

Summary

This paper has discussed and explained the qualitative method of inquiry involving

narrative research. The fundamental question of the paper was answered by providing varying

qualitative as well as narrative research definitions cited from a grown crowed of recognized

scholars and researchers working in diverse disciplines of human sciences. By explaining some

of the characteristics as well as the settings of both qualitative inquiry and narrative research, this

paper has underlined their similarities by highlighting their shared norms and values. With

narrative research, many qualitative inquiries could be defined and their outcomes may

reasonably be predicted.


10/11

Kakei 9

References:

Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative approaches to inquiry. In Qualitative inquiry and

research design: Choosing among five approaches (2nd ed., pp. 53-84). Thousand Oaks,

CA: Sage.

Creswell, J. W. (2008). Narrative research designs.Educational research: Planning,

conducting and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (3rd ed., pp. 511-550).

Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

Denzin, N. K. & Lincoln, Y. S. (2011). Introduction: Entering the field of qualitative research. In

N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln. (eds.).Handbook of qualitative research, 4

th

Edition.

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Huitt, W. (1992). Problem solving and decision making: Consideration of individual differences

using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.Journal of Psychological Type, 24, 33-44.

Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985).Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (2011). Retrieved October 08, 2011, from

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/research.

Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative evaluation and research methods (2nd Ed.). Newbury Park,

CA: Sage.

Ragin, C. C. (1987). The comparative method: Moving beyond qualitative and quantitative

strategies. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Schwandt, T. A. (2007). "Literary turn (in social science) and Writing strategies [Dictionary

entries]. The Sage dictionary of qualitative inquiry (3rd ed., pp. 179-80, 322). Thousand

Oaks, CA: Sage.

Willis, J. W. (2007).Foundations of qualitative research: Interpretive and critical approaches.


11/11

Kakei 10

Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Wilson, T. P. (1971) Normative and Interpretive Paradigms in Sociology. In Douglas, J. D. (Ed.)

Understanding everyday life: toward the reconstruction of sociological knowledge (pp.

57-79). Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd., London.

Documents

The Qualitative Method of Inquiry Involving Narrative Research