The research process in studying narrative analysis, or story-telling, is examined, focusing on: (1) how researchers use narrative to position themselves with respect to participants in a study, (2) how researchers use conversational stories to construct and negotiate meaning, and (3) what the absence of certain stories reveals about the researchers' expectations and the frames operating within the community under study. The inquiry emerged from research on story-telling in an elementary school, in which the researchers observed that they were also telling stories rich in narrative form. One of the researchers subsequently interviewed another and analyzed the interaction, looking for linguistic evidence of assumptions and expectations, and also for the role of conversational stories in the re-telling of an experience. Some elements felt to be important in this analysis are highlighted, including use of stories to negotiate meaning, sort data, and evaluate an experience. Contains 11 references. (MSE)