Narrative Research

Narrative Research provides an engaging, accessible introduction to narrative research in social sciences. It includes inspiring examples that illustrate how to do narrative research and why it can be exciting, challenging, and rewarding. Although it focuses on social sciences, it is useful for anyone interested in narrative studies across disciplines. – Hanna Meretoja, University of Turku, FinlandNarrative Research offers diverse and engaging approaches to exploring individuals and society. This book centers on the vivid voices of field experts with diverse experiences and academic backgrounds. This book is not merely an introduction to the meaning of narrative, narrative research methods, or practices. It seeks fundamental reflection on human and social issues. Narrative Research consists of engaging subjects, entertaining stories, and meaningful structures. This book is not something to be read quickly. Instead, it offers a serious and systematic approach for anyone seeking reflection on themselves and humanity. – Yohan Goh, Yonsei University, South KoreaBoth experienced and novice researchers will hugely benefit from this read. The book sketches the broad co-ordinates of narrative research, offering an expansive scope including numerous examples from a range of disciplines and applications of narrative work. The depth and breadth of examples, including many from the majority world, offer an expansive view of the exciting developments in the field that disrupt its ‘authority’ as ‘expertise’ located in the minority world. The book offers a reading of narrative research that is hugely relevant for our contemporary global context where questions of social justice, ethics and re-humanisation should take front and center stage. I strongly recommend this accessible and illuminating read! – Floretta Boonzaier, University of Cape Town, South AfricaThis book has much to offer researchers at all career stages who are seeking to incorporate narrative methods into their research. Apart from an overview of concepts essential to doing narrative research, the chapters also consider the ways in which narratives may be expressed beyond written and spoken modes, and examples of challenging social issues that can benefit from narrative research. Useful approaches and tools are presented alongside a range of different datasets as demonstrations of how this endeavour may be done. – Charity Lee, Universiti Malaya, MalaysiaThis comprehensive introduction to conducting narrative research in the social sciences reflects the unique sensitivity, wisdom, and responsibility gained from the authors’ extensive experience in the field. They invite you on a step-by-step journey filled with rich examples and practical tools, providing the valuable research companion they wished they had when they started. No matter where you are, this book will equip you with the resources you need to navigate your own path in narrative research. – Oriana Bernasconi, Alberto Hurtado University, Chile.Despite the remarkable growth of narrative approaches in the social sciences, there are few guides to actually carrying out the work and even fewer that do so through detailed examples. Written by a stellar cast of accomplished researcher-scholars, this accessible, informative, wide ranging book is just the guide needed, and those wishing to learn more about contemporary narrative research, especially as it relates to matters of social and political concern, will be richly rewarded by this valuable overview of the field. – Mark Freeman, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, College of the Holy Cross, USA

Corinne Squire, Mark Davis, Cigdem Esin, Molly Andrews, Barbara Harrison, Lars-Christer Hydén, Margareta Hydén and Aura Lounasmaa are all based at the Centre for Narrative Research, University of East London, UK. The Centre for Narrative Research (CNR) is the leading international centre for narrative work in the social sciences. CNR aims to generate and develop innovative narrative research of all kinds, and to bring narrative researchers from all over the world into productive dialogue.