Commonalities and Variegations: Notes on the Maturation of the Field of Narrative Research

The author of this essay comments upon the contents of the other articles in this issue of The Journal of Educational Research. He locates both similarities and differences within several dimensions of narrative research by the authors of these articles. These dimensions relate to: the definition(s) of narrative research, decisions about whose experiences are worthy of study by narrative researchers in the field of education, the manner in which narrative research may improve teaching and schooling, and the epistemological premises that support the purposes for engaging in narrative research. The author suggests that the differences-within-commonalities found in these articles reflect a healthy maturation of the field of narrative research.