Book review: Barbara Merrill and Linden West,Using Biographical Methods in Social Research

Line in the Sand

Draw the line in the sand. Define yourself as a researcher. Which side of the academic research line do you represent? Barbara Merrill and Linden West have written a book that clearly outlines the reasons for choosing qualitative over quantitative research. Whether an academic veteran with years of research experience or a graduate student just beginning the scientific journey, anyone can benefit from reading Merrill and West’s study of biographical methods focused on people’s lives and their unique stories.

A historical perspective and some basic definitions required of a successful qualitative researcher outline our initial steps into this book. Merrill and West ensure that the reader understands that language is a necessary component of this research method. ‘The Jack Roller’ (Merrill and West, 2009) story about a ‘14 year old boy named Stanley’ (Bulmer, 1984) is introduced as a classical case study, which remains popular to this day. The reader is drawn into the narrative of the manuscript with simple, clear, and sound advice from two veteran researchers.

Merrill and West invite the reader to consider today’s prevailing issues and how thinking about these captivating possibilities might impact their chosen field of study. These authors ask the reader to consider stepping into ‘someone else’s shoes’ when conducting research, which corresponds with a similar statement made by other authors encouraging researchers to ‘develop interpretations shaped by their own experiences’ (Andrews, 2009: 172). Charting the vast world of qualitative research, the reader is presented with a selective number of potential areas of interest.

To understand the various theoretical issues, the reader is provided with an in-depth opportunity to learn about each author individually. Reflecting on her own life, Merrill draws upon the theories of ‘symbolic interactionism, feminism, and critical theory’ to conduct her studies. Likewise, West looks at his distinguished past to formulate a direction for his research in ‘psychology, sociology, and cultural theory’. Merrill and West’s overview of ‘ethnomethodology’ is consistent with previous studies and the claim that people being researched prefer to have an ‘interpretative omnipotence’ (Hammersley, 1995) when identifying themselves. The two-word statement, ‘history matters,’ summarizes the beliefs of both authors perfectly. This evocative message answers the question of why it is important to listen to people tell their stories, making this book recommended reading for new qualitative researchers.

In Chapter 5, our authors turn their attention toward various stories as a means of providing a better understanding of this qualitative research approach. A total of six case studies, which include two mothers, a group of general practitioners, two teachers, and a poet are each presented in summary fashion. Merrill and West perform an outstanding job in reconstructing the often-complicated details of a person’s history into a meaningful, biographical story. On a personal note, readers should prepare themselves to be emotionally drawn into these personal and truly painful stories because the concept of ‘counter-transference’ is powerful and very real.

Chapters 6–9 feature the practical steps involved in conducting a biographical methods study. Helpful do’s and don’ts are offered as advice for the researcher in this extraordinarily long inquiry process. Next, our authors identify that line in the sand mentioned earlier. This line appears to have become the controversial issue separating both research camps today – the number of samples in a study. On this issue alone, Merrill and West offer sound advice to the new qualitative researcher – prepare to defend your work.

One of the intentional and interesting methods used by our authors to make this qualitative research method ‘appear more personal’ (EG Garivey, personal communication, 18 March 2011) to the reader is identifying themselves by given names. Throughout the book, Barbara is used instead of Merrill and Linden is listed instead of West. Although the authors offer no explanation, it is obvious to this writer how this approach might be construed as a viable and accepted technique in gaining trust during the interview process.

In defense of visual learners around the world, this book provides only one figure in the entire text and although the information provided in the diagram is essential, it lacks imagination in how it is conveyed to the reader. In contrast, a book published by Sheila Keegan (2009) on the same research method clearly demonstrates how figures, tables, charts, photographs, drawing, and even cartoons can be presented in conjunction with the narrative to gain a deeper understanding of the material.

So let’s return to the line in the sand. Where do you stand? What is motivating you to ‘scratch . . . that mental itch’ (Booth et al., 1995: 35)? For those aspiring researchers in graduate school, Merrill and West paint a vivid portrait explaining the difficulties, the challenges, and the diligence required to be a professional in this field. The authors are to be commended for an extremely well-written manuscript with a clearly articulated message. This book will undeniably contribute positively and significantly to the ongoing academic discourse regarding the validity of biographical methods in qualitative research.