New Article Explores Ethical Decision-Making in Narrative Inquiry

André Freitas

How do researchers ethically engage with other people's life stories? In what ways do researchers’ emotional experiences impact the development of educational research? A new article by André Freitas offers a unique perspective on the ethical and emotional complexities involved in narrative inquiry in education.

Published in the International Journal of Research & Method in Education (Taylor & Francis), the article entitled “Decision-making in narrative inquiry in education: ethical gathering, transcription, validation and analysis of lived experiences” explores how the researcher navigated between methodological decisions and personal vulnerability while working with lived experiences, particularly in school contexts.

The article is based on André Freitas’ doctoral research, conducted at the University of Porto, in Portugal and Brazil, where he studied how the artistic experiences of teachers and students reveal new perspectives on cultural production, professional development, and educational journeys and meanings.

His autobiographical stories, centred on desire, passion, love, and freedom, underpin ethical reflections at four key moments of qualitative research: gathering-sharing, transcription, validation, and analysis. “I wanted to show that narrative inquiry is not just about data collection. It is about building relationships deeply rooted in responsibility and care – for ourselves, for others, and for institutions,” explains André Freitas. “Ethical decisions often emerge in moments of silence, emotional connection, or even exhaustion.”

The study presents a strong argument for emotional honesty and reflexivity in research, especially for early-career researchers working in educational contexts. André Freitas highlights the intentional use of strategies such as drawing, digital storytelling, and music as ways of respecting the complexity of human experience and preserving ethical integrity.

Key highlights of the article include:

• The use of arts-based narrative methods to explore the lived experiences of teachers and students.
• A focus on reflexivity and emotion as essential components of ethical research practice.
• An ethical analysis of how desire influences data gathering-sharing, how passion informs transcription, how love sustains validation, and how freedom guides analysis.
• A defence of a creative, flexible, and relational ethical approach in educational research.

The findings are particularly relevant for researchers, educators, and postgraduate students engaged in qualitative research, as well as for institutions seeking to strengthen their ethical frameworks in educational research.

To cite this work:

Freitas, A. (2025). Decision-making in narrative inquiry in education: ethical gathering, transcription, validation and analysis of lived experiences. International Journal of Research & Method in Education, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/1743727X.2025.2543261

To access the full text, please contact the author at andre.freitas@ulusofona.pt