Reflecting on the value of vignettes in higher education research: toward a preliminary typology to guide future usage

When conceived of as both a research strategy and mode to present findings, vignettes can be combined with various qualitative methodologies in higher education research. Rather than being a discipline unto itself, higher education research is best understood as a multi and cross-disciplinary field of study that, we contend, is made richer by its diverse perspectives and methodological eclecticism. Drawing examples from higher education research and other fields, we seek to create a typology to guide higher education scholars through decisions about how, when, and why to use vignettes in their work. Based on our own experience incorporating vignettes in our research, we reflect upon the consequences of these choices for scholars, participants, and studies.