Trolling for Topics in a Qualitative Research Pool: Finding Stories Worth Telling in Narrative Inquiry

• In Event: Exploring Methodological Issues in Narrative Research

Abstract

How do narrative inquirers create the exemplars that become their research stories? This paper takes up this intriguing puzzle. Two research teams working on two internationally funded projects reflect backward on their respective bodies of work and question how ideas for their articles and chapters materialized. Stories worth telling are defined as those that can be justified personally, socially and practically—all at the same time. Conclusions are offered for the individual studies. Six overarching themes traversing both research projects additionally are identified and manuscripts yet to be written are revealed. A discussion of the unfinishable nature of narrative inquiry ends the paper.

Authors

• Cheryl J. Craig, University of Houston

• Yali Zou, University of Houston

• JeongAe You, Chung-Ang University

• Suhak Oh, Inha University

• Gayle A. Curtis, University of Houston