ABSTRACT
This chapter presents narrative as a research method. It considers many references from the 1980s and 1990s, as this is the period in which most of the key formational literature originates; however, the popularity of narrative inquiry among qualitative-focused researchers has not diminished. Four questions serve a useful framework in further exploring the background of narrative and its usefulness from a research perspective. The first question is ‘Why narrative?’ The second question is ‘What is the prominence of narrative in research?’ The third question is ‘What are the features of narrative in educational research?’ Finally, the fourth question—‘Does narrative provide a means to bring to the forefront features of human centredness in research?’—seeks to explore narrative’s vital link to real-life situations, a link often neglected by more traditional research methods. What makes narrative particularly appealing to research is its capacity to deal with the issues of human centredness and complexity in a holistic and sensitive manner.
