Discuss the three characteristics of narrative research used to distinguish the types from each other. Provide examples of types of narrative research to support your answer.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Ans: Answer would ideally include: Several forms of narrative research exist. They all tell the stories of lived experiences, but three general characteristics differentiate one type from another. The first characteristic is who is telling or writing the story, the key factor being the particular perspective of the storytelling. For example, a biographical study is a form of narrative research where the researcher writes and records the experiences of another person’s life. An autobiographical study is similar but is written and recorded by the individual who is the subject of the study. The second characteristic concerns how much of a life story is being told and presented. A life history portrays an individual’s entire life, whereas a personal experience story is a narrative study of an individual’s personal experience as related to a single or multiple incidents or private situations. Finally, an oral history is conducted by gathering the personal reflections of events, as well as implications of those events, from one or several individuals. The third characteristic is the narrative research study’s particular theoretical lens or perspective (e.g., from a feminist perspective, the perspective of Hispanic Americans, or the perspective of marginalized individuals). A theoretical lens is a guiding perspective or ideology that provides structure that ultimately advocates for specific groups or individuals, during both the research and the writing of the final research report.