Life History Method

Life history method is used in qualitative research, it generally involves interviews which aim to explore an individual’s micro-historical experiences, present behavior, and the impact of prior decisions. This data gathering technique was first utilized in interviewing Native American leaders. They were asked to describe their lives in detail and they were encouraged to use their own words. Hence, questions answerable by a mere “yes” or “no” were avoided to get the subjects to talk more about their lives. Most researchers begin by asking about the respondents’ childhood until the current experience while others ask their participants to write their life stories.