Endings, secrets, and silences: overreading in narrative inquiry

Area of Science:

• Qualitative Research Methods
• Narrative Inquiry
• Hermeneutics

Background:

• Qualitative researchers aim to understand participant perspectives through their narratives.
• Narrative inquiry is a method for interpreting stories to find meaning.
• This study explores the application of literary analysis techniques to qualitative interviews.

Observation:

• The concept of "overreading" involves a deep sensitivity to unspoken or indirect statements in qualitative data.
• Literary analysis tools, such as examining inconsistencies, endings, repetitions, and silence, can be applied to research interviews.
• Overreading requires careful consideration due to its potentially intrusive nature.

Findings:

• Applying literary "overreading" techniques to qualitative interviews can reveal nuanced meanings.
• Analysis of narrative elements like inconsistencies, repetitions, and silence enhances interpretation.
• The study demonstrates how to use these literary tools in qualitative research.

Implications:

• Researchers can gain deeper insights by employing "overreading" in narrative inquiry.
• Ethical considerations are paramount when applying intrusive interpretive methods like overreading.
• This approach offers a novel way to analyze qualitative interview data for richer understanding.