Story-sharing as a method of data collection in qualitative research.

Story-sharing is the reciprocal exchange of relevant stories between the participant and researcher in qualitative research for the purpose of engaging the participant in a genuinely mutual experience that yields superior quality data because of that relationship. There is little documented in the literature about story-sharing. The use of story-sharing as a method of data collection is a technique used to achieve reciprocity that incorporates the processes of self-disclosure to reveal insider status and storytelling (ST). The primary purpose of self-disclosure is to make known the insider status of the researcher and ST permits participants to share their account thus legitimising their experiences, allowing them to reclaim power and (re)shape their identity (Holloway & Freshwater 2007). Story-sharing adds to ST by promoting an authentic relationship based on mutual understanding and experience of a specific phenomenon. Sharing relevant stories during data collection weakens the participant/researcher power imbalance, creates a safe environment, promotes trust and understanding and simultaneously establishes a cooperative researcher/participant relationship that has greater potential to yield more accurate and rich data. Design