There is more than one way – a study of mixed analytical methods in biographical narrative research

ABSTRACT

The number of studies using biographical narrative data has increased worldwide. Given the variety of analytical approaches in narrative research, a critical investigation of the relationship between the methodological procedures and the implications for research practice is needed. This article reports on a mixed analysis study applying three analytical methods to autobiographical narrative interview data: (1) formal structural analysis, (2) narrative ethnography and (3) qualitative comparative analysis. Comparing these three models exposes key methodological challenges, such as the use of operational definitions and interpretative practice. The article discusses the role of analytical perspectives for biographical research method design and application as a part of mono-methods and mixed-methods studies.

KEYWORDS:

• Biography
• narrative ethnography
• QCA
• formal structural analysis
• methodological openness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Dr Marta Eichsteller is a Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy at Bangor University, the UK and Research Officer in the Wales Institute for Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods (WISERD).

Notes

1 EuroIdentities ‘The Evolution of European Identity: Using biographical methods to study the development of European identity’ is a Framework 7 Collaborative Project. Partners include Queens University, Northern Ireland; Bangor University, Wales; Otto-von-Guericke Universität, Magdeburg, Germany; Lódz University, Poland; Tallinn Technological University, Estonia; Institute of Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of Science; and ‘Federico II’ University, Napoli, Italy; more information available on http://www.euroidentities.org/

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Framework 7 ‘Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities’ Collaborative Project ‘EuroIdentities – The Evolution of European Identity: Using biographical methods to study the development of European identity’: [213998].