台灣民間文學的調查與研究早在日治時期即已開始，當時著重在文本 (text) 的蒐集與紀錄。然而早在 1950 年以前，歐美就已經將焦點從文本擴大到情境 (context)，其中人類學派重視情境，文學學派重視文本；1960 年代，兩派有逐漸合流的現象，將文本與情境都納入調查研究中；到了 1970 年代更發展出表演論的觀點，視講唱者為表演者 (performer)，將焦點擴大到表演者身上。因此text、context、performer 三者合併已成為美國近四十年來民間文學調查、研究的趨勢。西方民間文學界在這四十年來有如此長足的發展，台灣的腳步雖然稍遲，卻也逐漸跟進。1960 年代開始，人類學學者已經很清楚認識到講唱情境的重要性；1990 年代人類學學者與文學學者也初步將焦點擴大到表演者身上；2002 年文學學者胡萬川展開台灣民間文學積極傳承人的調查與研究，將 text、context、performer 結合在一起，帶領台灣民間文學走向一個全新的發展，追上西方的腳步。

Investigation and research of Taiwan folk literature began from the period as Japan governing. It was focus on the record and gather of text. However, before early 1950, the focus has been extended from text to context in Europe and America. The anthropology school emphasizes on context and the literature school emphasizes on text. The two subdivisions of research groups were gradually merging together in 1960s. In 1970s, the viewpoint of performance was developed. The narrators are considered as performers. The focus has extended to the narrator. Therefore, merging text, context, and performer becomes the investigation and research tendency of America folk literature in recent forty years. Comparing the progress of West folk literature research groups, Taiwan's research groups lag behind a little. However, the folk literature research groups has gradually kept up with the West groups. From 1960s, anthropologists have found the importance of context. In 1990s, anthropologists and literature researchers extended the focus emphasis on the performers. In 2002, the literature researcher Hwu Wan-Chuan began the investigation and research of Taiwan folk literature bearers. He combined text, context, and performer. Therefore, the Taiwan folklore literature research has a new development and catch up with the West research.