Using Vignettes to Explore Reality and Values With Young People

Abstract

There seems to be relatively little scholarship on the use of vignettes in qualitative research, despite their long-time application in these approaches. They appear to be a helpful tool for framing complex or sensitive topics, but there is also some disagreement as to what vignettes are and what they can/should be used for. In this article, we briefly review the literature on vignettes, identifying issues in what are often overly specific definitions and prescriptions for their use. Much of the literature focuses on the use of vignettes prior to data collection, or on the findings obtained in projects utilizing them. There is little to no consideration of how they are chosen/designed or the kind/s of data they help to produce. We will therefore focus on the choice, application, and participant responses to two vignettes from separate research projects that were undertaken to explore, in different ways, reality and values with young people.