“Guided tour”: a method for deepening the relational quality in narrative research

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is two‐fold: first, to provide a description and theoretical rationale for a methodological innovation used to explore relationships visitors form with a single museum over time; and second, to examine and critique the research outcomes in light of this approach.

Design/methodology/approach

To probe individual relationships with a museum, in this narrative inquiry, a unique method of data generation was developed – a “guided tour” of the museum. The guided tour, led by participants, provided a context and purpose for rich conversations between researcher and participant and deepened the relational quality of the research.

Findings

The quality of the researcher‐participant relationship played a critical role in shaping understandings, gained through the research process, about the phenomenon under investigation and self.

Research limitations/implications

Findings from the study document that novel insights emerge when opportunities to strengthen the researcher‐participant relationship are built into the research design.

Originality/value

This paper illustrates the value of employing strategies that deepen the relational quality in narrative research.

Citation

Everett, M.C. and Barrett, M.S. (2012), "“Guided tour”: a method for deepening the relational quality in narrative research", Qualitative Research Journal, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 32-46. https://doi.org/10.1108/14439881211222714