“I feel my inner child out”: Zine-making as a data collection tool in narrative inquiry

Abstract

This article attempts to answer two current calls in applied linguistics, including a specific call for more methodological investment in narrative inquiry (Barkhuizen & Consoli, 2021) and a general call for methodological innovation in all areas of applied linguistics (Li et al., 2023; Li & Prior, 2022). This article proposes zine-making as a fun, creative, ethical, and empowering data collection method in narrative inquiry (NI) in applied linguistics. Following a literature review of NI, zines and zine-making, I delineate the theoretical links between zine-making and NI in applied linguistics. I then demonstrate how zine-making was used to elicit individuals’ life stories by reflecting on my experiences. An illustration of a sample of the findings from the zine-making data in NI is presented, along with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of zine-making from participants’ perspectives. The article concludes with implications of zine-making as a methodological innovation in NI. Readers of this article will understand the basics of using zine-making for data collection in NI while being aware of and prepared for its limitations.