Using the Interpretive Narrative Research Method in Interdisciplinary Research Projects

Abstract

<p>Researchers from different disciplines bring to a project their different perspectives of the research problem. Differences in education, experiences, and understanding create a research project that has more depth and breadth than one designed by researchers from a single discipline. The purpose of this article is to describe how faculty from two disciplines, nursing and education, used the interpretive narrative method, a qualitative research method, in a pilot project to examine issues related to the recruitment and retention of Hispanic nurses. The researchers chose the interpretive narrative method for the flexibility it offers interdisciplinary research, its power in eliciting comprehensive narratives from participants, and the possibilities it offers for analysis. </p> <h4>AUTHORS</h4> <p>Received: October 23, 2004</p> <p>Accepted: April 1, 2005</p> <p>Dr. McQueen is Assistant Professor of Nursing, North Carolina A&T State University, School of Nursing, Greensboro, North Carolina, and Dr. Zimmerman is Associate Professor, Education, Purdue University Calumet, Hammond, Indiana.</p> <p>Address correspondence to Laura McQueen, PhD, APRN, BC, Assistant Professor of Nursing, North Carolina A&T State University, School of Nursing, 1601 East Market Street, Noble Hall, Greensboro, NC 27411; e-mail: <a href="mailto:llmcquee@ncat.edu" shape="rect">llmcquee@ncat.edu</a>.</p>

A Narrative in Search of a Methodology

“…Interpretive narrative research is guided more deliberately by the researchers who use a preplanned series of questions and use extra questions for clarification during the interview. The researchers are seeking dominant stories which are narratives put together based on the person's cultural influences (McQueen & Zimmerman, ). Although Kear () found, in a collection of narratives, that there are numerous threads that connect one to another, Hardy, Gregory, and Ramjeet () also noted that analyzing narratives can involve the search for patterns.…”

Exploring the impact of palliative care education for care assistants employed in residential aged care facilities in Otago, New Zealand

“…patton argued that evaluation theory can be effectively achieved through a storytelling approach to 'illuminate the processes and outcomes of the programme' thus providing insight that can lead to a deeper understanding of the programme's impact on participants' day-to-day practice and ultimately patient care (patton, 2002, p. 10). storytelling also illuminates participants' lived experiences and is an ideal way of giving voice to under-represented groups (mcQueen & Zimmerman, 2006). with this in mind, storytelling was chosen as the most appropriate tool for this study, thereby allowing us to share participants' experiences and perspectives by giving voice to their untold stories.…”

The Nursing Presence in General Practice: Revealing Dimensions of Day-to-day Experience of Practice Nurses in New Zealand

“…As Gubrium and Holstein (1998) state storytelling provides an "endless supply of potentially reportable, storyable items, it is the incorporation of particular items into a coherent account that gives them meaning" (p. 166). In addition, the consideration of other texts and literature supports the recognition of patterning during the analysis (McQueen & Zimmerman, 2006). This thinking forms the discussion chapter.…”

“…The narrator remains the central character and I as researcher have provided the 'supportive voice' • Explore the "similarities and differences across the narratives" (Chase, p. 657), through story reconstruction using an 'authoritative voice'. This perspective of identifying patterns is a common feature of interpretive narrative inquiry (McQueen & Zimmerman, 2006).…”

“…I am not sure why this was; perhaps it is an indication of the time of year, coming up to Christmas. Regardless of this small number, five participants is an appropriate number for an interpretive study, characteristic of and appropriate to an interpretative narrative inquiry that selects participants who meet particular criteria(Chase, 2005;McQueen & Zimmerman, 2006).I deliberately chose to interview nurses who worked in low cost access centres. These centres receive higher capitation payments or extra funding due to the nature of the enrolled population who may be located rurally or in low socio-economic areas.…”