title: [Narratives as a research technique in nursing].
abstract: The text introduces the narrations as a possibility of approach in nursing research, specially as a technique of data collection and analysis, emphasizing its theoretical and practical aspects. A review of the narrative concept is included, through the understanding of authors from different knowledge areas: philosophy, anthropology, linguistics and nursing. With respect to the practical aspect of its application to research, three different types of narrative are introduced, identified based on the accounts rendered by individuals: short narrations, narrations of lived experiences, and popular narrations. The study also includes ways to present the narratives in scientific texts and their process of interpretation. Authors highlight that the narrations create a field of collective action, allowing health professionals to build up knowledge based on the individuals' experience.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermagem e do Programa de Pós-Graduação, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. denise@nfr.ufsc.br
authors.forename: Denise Guerreiro
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Mercedes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trentini
mesh_terms: D036262:Empirical Research; D033262:Narration; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods*