The Use of Narrative Methods to Generate Engineering Design Knowledge: A Scoping Literature Review

Abstract Narrative inquiry is a form of qualitative research in which researchers derive meaning from narratives of individuals’ experiences. This scoping literature review explored how narrative methods have been used to generate engineering design knowledge. Sixteen papers met the author’s inclusion criteria. The author reviewed these papers to identify their research questions, the types of narratives employed to answer these research questions, and the methods that researchers used to derive meaning from their narratives. Five papers involved arts-based narratives: four analyzed visualizations of students’ design processes while one synthesized student design processes into a descriptive timeline. Five papers analyzed documentary narratives comprised of audio or video recordings of designers engaged in design work. Five papers analyzed biographical narratives derived from interviews with designers or from ethnographic study of design projects. Only one paper used an autobiographical narrative to examine liberatory design practices. Fourteen papers addressed their study aims by applying categorizing analysis processes to narratives. Only two papers created narratives from data as a method to explain their findings. Opportunities for deeper engagement with narrative methods in engineering design research include leveraging arts-based narratives to study experienced designers, synthesizing explanatory narratives, leveraging narratives to study design equity, and leveraging autobiographical narratives.