title: A Narrative in Search of a Methodology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Research papers present us with the summaries of scholars' work; what we readers do not see are the struggles behind the decision to choose one methodology over another.
  
  
  METHODS
  A student's mental health portfolio contained a narrative that led to an exploration of the most appropriate methodology for a projected study of clinical anecdotes told by nurses who work in mental health settings to undergraduates and new recruits about mental health nursing. This paper describes the process of struggle, beginning with the student's account, before posing a number of questions needing answers before the choice of the most appropriate methodology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We argue, after discussing the case for the use of literary analysis, discourse analysis, symbolic interactionism, hermeneutics, and narrative research, that case study research is the methodology of choice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Case study is frequently used in educational research and is sufficiently flexible to allow for an exploration of the phenomenon.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.|Integral Health, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Treloar
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Teresa Elizabeth
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.affiliation: Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Kirstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flakus
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000592:standards*; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing / Q000592:standards*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Case study; mental health nursing; research design; research qualitative; story; teaching/learning strategy