Essay on research paradigm
Hsc
BUS604Week4.pptx
Week 4
Qualitative research designs: Narrative research and phenomenology
Lecture overview
Definition of Narrative and phenomenological Research
Defining features of Narrative and phenomenological Research
Differences between Narrative and phenomenological Research
Definition of Narrative Research
Czarniawska (2004): “narrative is understood as a spoken or written text giving an account of an event/action or series of events/actions, chronologically connected” (p. 17).
Narrative research explores the lived and told stories of individuals.
Example, studying the lived experience of successful business men like Bill Gates, and Jack Ma
Creswell and Poth (2018)
Defining features of Narrative research
Narrative researchers gather stories from individuals about individuals’ lived and told experiences
Narrative stories tell of individual experiences, and they may shed light on the identities of individuals
Narrative stories occur within specific places or context
Creswell and Poth (2018)
Defining features of Narrative Research
Narrative researchers gather data through qualitative data collection methods such diary/journaling, interviews, and documents
Implementing narrative research strategy
Collect stories from a single individual, for example a Nepali immigrant worker in Sydney
State how you gathered stories and built relationship with this individual
Focus on the experiences of this one individual. For example, how colleagues, friends and workplace practices shape the identity of the Nepali immigrant worker
Implementing narrative research strategy
Discuss the physical and social context of the study (example, the workplace)
Gather data overtime through observations, interviews, field notes, and attendance at events
Analyse the data and report the findings. Your analysis must address the question “what happened”
Definition of phenomenological Research
Phenomenological research: explores the shared experience of a group of people regarding a phenomenon.
It reduces individual experiences with a phenomenon to a description of the universal essence(van Manen, 1990).
Example, exploring the experience of skydivers
Definition of phenomenological Research
It explores phenomenon such as “professional growth”, caring relationship, attachment
Defining features of phenomenological research
Participants are individuals who have experienced the phenomenon
Data is collected through interviews
Data analysis is down through a systematic procedure that moves from the narrow unit of analysis
Implementing a phenomenological research
Identify and describe the phenomenon. Example, workplace bullying experience of victims
Collect data with a group of workplace bullying victims
Mention the philosophical ideas behind phenomenology
Talk about how you shelved your own (bullying) experience (bracketing)
Analyse systematically, identify significant statements, and themes
Conclude by presenting the overall essence of the experience for all the participants
Differences between narrative and phenomenological research
| Foundational Considerations | Narrative Research | Phenomenological Research |
| Research focus of approach | Investigates the life of an individual | Explores the essence of the experience |
| Unit of analysis | one or more participants | Several individuals(participants) who have shared the experience |
| Type of research problem best suited for approach | Telling stories of individual experiences | Describing the essence of a lived phenomenon |
| Nature of disciplinary origins | Drawing from anthropology, literature, history, psychology, and sociology | Drawing from philosophy, psychology, and education |
Class Activities
See activity sheet
Reading list
Creswell, J.W and Poth, C.N., 2018, Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design Choosing Among Five Approaches, 4th ed, SAGE, Thousand Oaks
Creswell, J.W and Creswell, J.D. 2018, Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, SAGE, Thousand Oaks
