Narrative survey: A Methodology for studying multiple populations

The narrative survey is a qualitative research strategy which offers a method for surveying large populations. While the research community relies on several types of qualitative approaches as alternative research responses to the quantitative types, the survey strategy has been the exclusive domain of positivistic-quantitative research. However, if we seek qualitative understandings in relation to many people, each finding expression as a unique narrative within the survey context, we need to develop a narrative-constructivist alternative to the traditional survey. Narrative survey is such a research strategy which follows the narrative-constructivist approach, uses mainly narrative methods of data collection and analysis, and produces a final narrative report. In this aritcle I describe the narrative survey, bring an example of a study project, and compare it to other research strategies of a similar nature: collective case study, case survey and meta-ethnography, and the “conventional” quantitative survey. (Narrative Survey, Data Analysis, Data Collection, Mulitple Population, Narrative-Constructivist Approach)