Some suggestions for the conduct of biographical research

Journal/Book: J Adult Development. 1995; 2: 233 Spring St, New York, NY 10013. Plenum Publ Corp. 147-158.

Abstract: Despite the strong and growing interest in biography, few psychologists engage in such studies themselves or feel competent to supervise them. Yet biography is a naturalistic form of empirical research and a rich source of ideas about the development of the individual across the life span. I offer a set of five suggestions for the conduct of biographical research and illustrate its use with examples drawn from archival and biographical interviewing studies. Three of the five suggestions concern the selection, presentation, and interpretation of data, areas where the psychologist's concern about investigator bias and reliability of interpretation has been greatest.

Note: Article PM Newton, Wright Inst, 2728 Durant Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704 USA

Keyword(s): biography; adult development; qualitative research methods; ADULT DEVELOPMENT

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