Case Studies

Construction of life histories in narrative research

In this case study, a rather open research approach is outlined, in which biographical constructions in forms of narratives are collected as data for a research project. It discusses the orientation on methodological rules and the idea of developing theories from empirical material in a reflexive way.

Edwards, D. (2014). ‘I'd rather you ask me because I/I/I don't really know, you know’: The dilemma of (auto)biographical interviewing in biographical research. In SAGE Research Methods Cases.

Question 1: Can you list the pros and cons of asking someone to tell you his or her life story?

Question 2: What do you think would be some of the ethical considerations of this method?