Once upon a time: Storytelling as a knowledge translation strategy for qualitative researchers

Abstract

Qualitative research should strive for knowledge translation toward the goal of closing the gap between knowledge and practice. However, it is often a challenge in nursing to identify knowledge translation strategies able to illustrate the usefulness of qualitative results in any given context. This article defines storytelling and uses pragmatism to examine storytelling as a strategy to promote the knowledge translation of qualitative results. Pragmatism posits that usefulness is defined by the people affected by the problem and that usefulness is promoted by modalities, like storytelling, that increase sensitivity to an experience. Indeed, stories have the power to give meaning to human behaviors and to trigger emotions, and in doing so bring many advantages. For example, by contextualizing research results and appealing to both the reason and the emotions of audiences, storytelling can help us grasp the usefulness of these research results. Various strategies exist to create stories that will produce an emotional experience capable of influencing readers' or listeners' actions. To illustrate the potential of storytelling as a knowledge translation strategy in health care, we will use our story of discovering this strategy during a qualitative study in a nursing home as an example.

Science-Narrative Explorations of “Drought Thresholds” in the Maritime Eden Catchment, Scotland: Implications for Local Drought Risk Management

“…This scientific evidence was shared in diverse settings for narrative engagement, with the aim of gathering "sciencestimulated narratives" across different stakeholders and sectors. The narrative approach used combined insights from different disciplinary ways of narrative working and storying practice (Lewis, 2011;Bourbonnais and Michaud, 2018;Liguori et al, 2021) and participatory methods (McEwen et al, 2016). This way of working recognized that within the United Kingdom, it was challenging to get local people to talk about local drought risk and experience, with the frequent need for researchers to go in more obliquely around wider water behaviors and environment (see Liguori et al, 2021).…”

Researchers’ and Research Users’ Experiences With and Reasons for Working Together in Spinal Cord Injury Research Partnerships: A Qualitative Study

“…The sharing of these powerful stories from inspirational role models may provide a novel approach to effective KT. 62,63 Relational Research Partnership Skills The third approach relates to the relational aspects of research partnerships. Participants' stories revealed that those who engaged in research partnerships were highly motivated and willing to improve their relational research partnership skills (eg, building relationships).…”

Giving a voice to patient experiences through the insights of pragmatism

“…Narrative enquiry is a way of understanding, organizing and communicating experiences, and in part surrounds the act of storytelling, as the world is 'full of partial stories that run parallel to one another, beginning and ending at odd times' (James, 1907(James, :2010. Within enquiry relating to pragmatism, it can include living via our stories, telling stories of experiences, and modifying stories by retelling and reliving the story (Bourbonnais & Michaud, 2018). Storytelling also entails a dialogical co-construction between people, in which a narrative unfolds yielding possible opportunity (Colapietro, 2013).…”