Description
The method of empathy-based stories (MEBS) is a qualitative data collection method that was originally developed in the 1970’s in United States as a modification of active role-playing (Mixon 1972; 1974; 1979; Ginsburg 1978; 1979; Eskola 1998). Since the 1970s MEBS has mostly been developed and used in Finland where the method has established a solid ground and it has been used in many different research fields but mostly in educational and social studies. Internationally there can be found only a few international research articles where the method has been introduced, although the amount has recently been increasing. (Wallin et. al. 2015.)In MEBS the informants write short writings accordingly to an introductional frame story given by the researcher. The frame story could for example be “Imagine that you had a great day. What happened during the day?”. One frame story is however not enough and there are always at least two different versions of the frame story in which one specific factor varies, e.g. the other frame story could be “Imagine that you had a bad day. What happened during the day?”. This variation enables the researcher to study how the stories change when one essential factor is varied – an idea that imitates traditional experimental research. The frame stories usually describe some situation and the respondents are instructed to continue the story or explain what has happened before the described situation. (Eskola & Wallin 2015; Wallin et. al. 2015.)
Empathy-based stories are not necessarily descriptions of reality but possible stories of what might happen and what different things mean. (Eskola 1998). The method is well suited for examining the informants' perceptions, expectations and values regarding a specific phenomenon. It is also a suitable tool for mapping out a research area, because the stories might provide new and unexpected insights into the topic. (Eskola 1998; Eskola & Wallin 2015; Wallin et. al. 2015.) The aim of this presentation is to introduce MEBS to researchers who are interested in collecting qualitative data. I will shortly present how to design and implement MEBS research and discuss the advantages and limitations of the method. Finally, I will discuss the future possibilities of using the method.
| Aikajakso | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Tapahtuman otsikko | Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Conference 2016 - TRANSFORMING EDUCATION RESEARCH |
| Tapahtuman tyyppi | Other |