Covid stories: A narrative exploration of experiences of the pandemic among members of an academic research group

Abstract

A narrative longitudinal study of experiences and lessons learnt by an English academic research group during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the research group acted as both participants and researchers. Each member of the group wrote their own accounts of academic and personal experiences during the pandemic at two timepoints. Key lessons learnt included, Resilience, Redemption, Self-Discovery, Personal strategies, Academic skills, Realisation, Acceptance, and Resignation. At timepoint one, the stories were generally progressive and were best described as accounts of a journey. Performative aspects of the stories were found to include defended elements experienced as ‘holes’ in the narratives. At timepoint two, narratives were characterised by a sense of heaviness and ‘stuckness’ but a developing openness in the accounts and group discussions emerged. The research process was found to be therapeutic in supporting participants to create shared and personal meaning of events related to the pandemic, but also in developing a group identity, openness and shared bond.