Using Narrative in Social Research: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches

"An elegantly written, scholarly and accessible text. Jane Elliott shows a sophisticated appreciation of contemporary methodological developments, and makes a persuasive case for the use of narrative approaches in both qualitative and quantitative research. The book challenges and advances debates about combining methods, and shows how stories can work within and across conventional research boundaries. It is a truly original contribution to the literature. "
— Amanda Coffey Cardiff School of Social Sciences

This is a lucid and accessible introduction to narrative methods in social research. It is also an important book about the nature, role and theoretical basis of research methodology in general. Jane Elliott instructs the reader on the basic methods and methodological assumptions that form the basis of narrative methods. She does so in a way that is practical and accessible and in a way that will make the book a favourite with students and experienced researchers alike. Elliott argues that both qualitative and quantitative methods are characterized by a concern with narrative, and that our research data can best be analyzed if it is seen in narrative terms. In concrete, step-by-step terms she details for the reader how to go about collecting data and how to subject that data to narrative analysis, while at the same time placing this process in its wider theoretical context. She works across the traditional quantitative/qualitative divide to set out the ways in which narrative researchers can uncover such issues as social change, causality and social identity. She also shows how the techniques and skills used by qualitative researchers can be deployed when doing quantitative research and, similarly, how qualitative researchers can sometimes profit from using quantitative skills and techniques.

This approach to methodology differs from many by employing narrative to bridge the qualitative/quantitative divide, and by exploring theoretical and epistemological as well as methodological debates that should underlie research. Elliott, presumably a UK scholar, differentiates narratives from descriptions, and traces social sciences' interest in and issues about their validity as an inquiry tool. Chapters include narrative extracts, examples of discourse collection and analysis methods, and readings for discussion. The appendices feature annotations on major US and UK datasets (e.g. The Wisconsin Longitudinal Study), and a glossary of social science terms. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR