Fiction in research: The case of education fiction

The aim of this article is to introduce and provide an overview of fiction as a research method with examples from education. Although there are similarities with narrative research, particularly narrative construction , fiction allows for more speculation and imagination. Two types of fiction are discussed: informed fiction and speculative fiction . Informed fiction uses data to inform and inspire fictional works, while speculative fiction encourages researchers and research participants to craft more imaginative and creative fictional narratives. To illustrate different ways fiction can be informed, examples are provided of how fiction can draw from empirical data, workshops, and literature. Then, examples of how speculative fiction can connect with research and researchers are discussed. These include speculative fiction created as part of research, research participants creating speculative fiction, and researchers themselves creating speculative fiction. The article also critically examines what quality might mean when creating research fiction. While some traditional indicators of qualitative research quality may apply to informed fiction, they often do not apply to speculative fiction. Fiction, as a research method, encourages researchers to embrace their imagination and creativity rather than suppress it.