Storytelling Research Methods

Storytelling Research Methods establishes the methods, subject matter, tonal qualities, and philosophical underpinnings of Storytelling Research, while distinguishing it from its close relatives in Narrative Research, Narrative Inquiry, Performance Research, Autoethnography, and Qualitative Methods. The book includes philosophical discussion of Storytelling Research alongside practical advice on how to conduct storytelling research and international case studies from storytellers, scholars, and thinkers from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America examining how storytelling methods have been used in practice.

The distinctive emphasis in Storytelling Research is on the telling of stories—that is, on the vibrant moments in which stories are summoned into the psycho-cultural space between individuals and groups. The creation, documentation, and analysis of such moments are tasks of activism as well as pure research—their intention is to bring the world to a renewed condition, while advancing our understanding of such artful interactions. The book traces the interdisciplinary genealogies of storytelling research in Folklore, Performance Studies, Theatre, Communication Studies, Literature, Socio-linguistics, Sociology, History, and other contemporary lenses, while making the case for storytelling as its own uniquely rooted formation. It establishes holistic connections between storytelling as performing art and storytelling as a tool for generating data and social change.

The book will be useful as a textbook for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in Storytelling, as well as those who wish to expand their understanding of qualitative methods across the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.