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When Do Stories Work? Evidence and Illustration in the Social Sciences

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  • Andrew Gelman
  • Thomas Basbøll

Abstract

Storytelling has long been recognized as central to human cognition and communication. Here we explore a more active role of stories in social science research, not merely to illustrate concepts but also to develop new ideas and evaluate hypotheses, for example, in deciding that a research method is effective. We see stories as central to engagement with the development and evaluation of theories, and we argue that for a story to be useful in this way, it should be anomalous (representing aspects of life that are not well explained by existing models) and immutable (with details that are well-enough established that they have the potential to indicate problems with a new model). We develop these ideas through considering two well-known examples from the work of Karl Weick and Robert Axelrod, and we discuss why transparent sourcing (in the case of Axelrod) makes a story a more effective research tool, whereas improper sourcing (in the case of Weick) interferes with the key useful roles of stories in the scientific process.

Suggested Citation

  • Andrew Gelman & Thomas Basbøll, 2014. "When Do Stories Work? Evidence and Illustration in the Social Sciences," Sociological Methods & Research, , vol. 43(4), pages 547-570, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:somere:v:43:y:2014:i:4:p:547-570
    DOI: 10.1177/0049124114526377
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oecd, 2006. "Impacts of Unit-based Waste Collection Charges," OECD Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 6(8), pages 1-157.
    2. Swieringa, Rj & Weick, Ke, 1982. "An Assessment Of Laboratory Experiments In Accounting," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20, pages 56-101.
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    Cited by:

    1. Negash, Minga & Lemma, Tesfaye T. & Samkin, Grant, 2019. "Factors impacting accounting research output in developing countries: An exploratory study," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 51(2), pages 170-192.

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