Engaging in Narrative Inquiry

by D. Jean Clandinin

Narrative inquiry examines human lives through the lens of a narrative, honoring lived experience as a source of important knowledge and understanding. In this concise volume, D. Jean Clandinin, one of the pioneers in using narrative as research, updates her classic formulation on narrative inquiry (with F. Michael Connelly), clarifying, extending and refining the method based on an additional decade of work. A valuable feature is the inclusion of several exemplary cases with the author’s critique and analysis of the work. The rise of interest in narrative inquiry in recent years makes this is an essential guide for researchers and an excellent text for graduate courses in qualitative inquiry.

Genres: Nonfiction, Academic, Philosophy

232 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2013

Reviews

[Cynthia James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrative Inquiry as a methodology

I have been reading a lot of Clandinin's works lately - particularly the ones that she co-wrote with Michael Connelly. Although I find the idea of narrative inquiry intriguing, this is THE book that finally convinces me that narrative inquiry is indeed a valid research methodology. Clandinin's previous works described WHAT narrative inquiry is in great depth and detail, but if you're serious about knowing HOW narrative inquiry should be done - this is the book that you should read.

In this book, Clandinin explicated the steps and processes for narrative inquiry - answering the big question: what does a narrative inquirer do? In addition to that, she also provides exemplars and critical analysis or 'unpacking' of each of the exemplar. I find this to be extremely helpful in aiding my understanding of not only how narrative inquiries are done, but also how they are presented as a research text.

Reading this book opens up a whole new dimension for me - I have to unlearn and relearn everything that I have ever learned about research methodology. It's a subject that's rife with new terminology often meant to substitute the ones commonly used in conventional research e.g. 'field text' instead of 'data', 'research puzzles' instead of 'research questions', 'landscape' to describe 'field', 'story to live by' in place of 'identity', the preference of 'conversation' over 'interview.' Narrative inquiry searches for 'resonance' in 'narrative threads' instead of 'common themes' or 'emerging themes.' Clandinin stated that narrative inquiry is not interested in finding answers to questions, it's more "towards wondering about and imagining possibilities." In narrative inquiry, objectivity is not important (whaat???) and certainty is not a goal (seriously???)

My first impression? I think the only way for a beginning researcher like myself to remain absolutely neutral about narrative inquiry as a method is to stay away from it as far as possible. You can know that it exists, you know that it's out there and there are people who are adopting it as a methodology for their research, and you can go on with your life feeling nothing about it. But once you dig deeper, once you indulge in it, I believe it would be almost impossible to remain neutral about it. Delving into narrative inquiry would leave you with only two choices - either you'll fall in love with it to the point of obsession, OR you'll hate it so much and think it's rubbish.

I'm obsessed. There's no turning back. (Consider yourself warned :D )

[Monica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book so super helpful in reading concrete illustrations of narrative inquiry!

[Clayton Ellis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the major book for MAsters course,

[Apostolos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative. Worthwhile reading if you're interested in Narrative Inquiry as a research method.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great text for thinking about narrative inquiry as a research method.

[Hamed Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

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