Taking a fresh approach to educatonal research, this volume considers the role and use of literary and ethnographic approaches. There is a growing interest in the use of narrative and fictional methods and this book sets out to: locate narrative and fictional methods within the traditions of education research; exemplify the use of narrative in studies of educational and social settings; and explain the processes of composing narrative and fictional research. A distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of five "fictional" stories which demonstrate the use of narrative in reporting research. Detailed discussion of these five stories shows how they were created from actual events and the varied role of the author in their creation. The methodological implications of such an approach are considered along with its potential merits and difficulties and its possible uses.