A Narrative on the Use of Vignette: Its Advantages and Drawbacks

Background & aim: In some situations in quantitative or qualitative research, complementary tools would be of great help in data collection. Vignette is a data collection tool, which has been used for over 50 years in different disciplines including health sciences. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of information regarding this method. With this background in mind, the present study aimed to provide thorough information about the vignette. Methods: This was a narrative review conducted through searching of databases of ISI Web of Science (65), PubMed (27), Science Direct (123), CINAHL (110), ProQuest (23), ERIC (44), Scopus (24) using keywords including “vignette”, “qualitative research”, “quantitative research”, and research” from their inception to September, 2018 to assess those studies regarding different aspects of vignette. Out of 416 documents, a number of 105 books and articles were reviewed regarding the different aspects of the vignette. No language restrictions were imposed. Results: Vignettes are used in different forms including text, illustrations, images, videotape and cartoons, computer-based data, and music as an elicitation tool to provide supplementary and complementary data during a research process. Using this tool, the researcher can gather some data which is not accessible through other sources. At the same time, the researchers should be cautious about its accurate design and validity to get more realistic data. Conclusion: Vignette as an effective tool can be employed in both quantitative and qualitative research to gather more diverse and thorough data even working cross-culturally.