During the data collection phase a researcher has to conduct interviews and focus group discussions. In in depth interviews there are certain guidelines that one can follow. These are:
1. As this is an unstructured interview, therefore , no prepared questions are required. First of all this does not mean that a researcher does not have to prepare for the interview; it simply means that there is no structured instrument needed. A structured interview is the one in which one provides the respondents with the choices to mark as his his response. In a semi structured interview, a researcher has open ended questions to as. However, in an unstructured interview niether open ended nor closed ended questions are required. This is because of the fact that one never knows what form an interview is going to take. Neither the researcher nor the respondent knows what result this interaction between them is going to generate.
2. However, instead of preparing interview questions, the researcher can identify themes for interview. A theme actually is a focus; it is an aspect of the issue under consideration that the researcher wants to focus. Thus, interviewing a kidney patient about his disease , if a researcher wants to focus on pain management issues, then this will become his major focus. Moreover, even during the interview one can narrow down this general focus to issues like (borrowing Glasers Grounded Theory Example Here) resting, medication and pacing. So, a general focus or theme can be further narrowed during the interview.
3. Since, in phenomenology one is more interested in the experiences of a respondent, therefore, it is not enough to know how a respondent judges something; the important thing is to know the experience/or experiences that led him to this judgment.
4. Since, in phenomenology , the focus is not on the world , rather it is one the subject or person who experiences the world, therefore, it is important to know how the respondent experienced the world, or any particular issue or situation. So, for instance if a researcher is interested in knowing how a respondent has experienced the visit to certain park, he should focus on the way this park was experienced by the respondent, and not the specific details of the park. So, a researcher is not particularly interested in how many entrances, swings and canteens were there in the park, but in knowing the way a respondent experienced these objects. And in doing so , he has to take his respondent to a stage where he starts reflecting on his past experience, and tell the researcher about his feelings, expectations, fears thoughts, stimuli selection etc. In short he has to tell how he was conscious of these things.
How to Do a Phenomenology Interview
These research questions could all be answered by phenomenology, a research approach that describes the lived experience. While not a specific method of research, phenomenology is a series of assumptions that guide research tactics and decisions.Phenomenological research is uncommon in traditional market research, but that may be due to little awareness of it rather than its lack of utility. (However, UX research, which follows many phenomenological assumptions, is quickly gaining popularity). If you have been conducting research, but feel like you are no longer discovering anything new, then a phenomenology approach may shed some fresh insights.
How do workers experience returning to work after an on-the-job injury? How does a single-mother experience taking her child to the doctor? What is a tourist’s experience on his first visit to Colorado?
Phenomenology is a qualitative research approach. It derives perspectives defined by experience and context, and the benefit of this research is a deeper and/or boarder understanding of these perspectives. To ensure perspectives are revealed, rather than prescribed, phenomenology avoids abstract concepts. The research doesn’t ask participants to justify their opinions or defend their behaviors. Rather, it investigates the respondents’ own terms in an organic way, assuming that people do not share the same interpretation of words or labels.
A phenomenology study is not appropriate in all instances. But it is a niche option in our research arsenal that might best answer the question you are asking. As always, which research approach you use depends on your research question and how you want to use the results.
The utility of this type of research may not be obvious at first. Project managers and decision makers may conclude the research project with a frustrating feeling of “now what?” This is a valid downside of phenomenological research. On the other hand, this approach has the power to make decision makers and organization leaders rethink basic assumptions and fundamental beliefs. It can reveal how reality manifests in very different ways.
Introduction: In my master of bioethics we were asked to develop a qualitative research proposal in second year as requirement for awarding the degree. My topic “Ethical Aspects of Doctor-Pharmaceutical Sales Representative Relationship” and my research question was “what is the Impact of promotional methods used by pharmaceutical companies on doctor’s prescribing behavior? In the research qualitative as well as quantitative methods are used, and in my research proposal qualitative approach was used. I was asked to prepare a literature review matrix formation of at least 20 articles from qualitative design or mix and I did it. We were also asked to apply one research design and method for my research. I did applied phenomenology and in-depth interview as my design and method. In other components I did mentioned that how I will collect the data and than analyze and interpret it. In this article I will justify the research design and method which I used in my research proposal.
• The participants are asked two broad, general questions (Moustakas, 1994): What have you experienced in terms of the phenomenon? What situations or contexts have typically influenced your experiences of the phenomenon? Other open-ended questions may also be asked, but these two, especially, focus attention on gathering data that will lead to a textural description and a structural description of the experiences, and ultimately provide an understanding of the common experiences of the participants. NursingAnswers.net can help you!
• A phenomenon of interest to study, such as anger, professionalism, what it means to be underweight, or what it means to be a wrestler, is identified.
Types of Phenomenology: Two approaches to phenomenology are highlighted in this discussion: hermeneutic phenomenology (van Manen, 1990), and empirical, or psychological phenomenology (Moustakas, 1994). Van Manen has written an instructive book on hermeneutical phenomenology in which he describes research as oriented toward lived experience (phenomenology) and interpreting the “texts” of life (hermeneutics) (van Manen, 1990). Although van Manen does not approach phenomenology with a set of methods or rules, he discusses phenomenology research as a dynamic interplay among six research activities. Researchers first turn to one phenomenon, which seriously interests them (e.g., reading, running, driving). They reflect on essential themes, that what constitutes the nature of the lived experience. They write a description and explanation of the phenomenon, maintaining a strong relation to the topic of inquiry and balancing the parts of the writing to the whole. Moustakas’s (1994) psychological or transcendental phenomenology is focuses less on the interpretations of the researcher and more on a description of the experiences of participants. Moustakas focuses on one of Husserl’s concepts, epoche (or bracketing), in which investigators set aside their experiences, as much as possible, to take a fresh perspective toward the phenomenon which is under examination. The procedures, illustrated by Moustakas, consist of identifying a phenomenon to study, bracketing out one’s experiences, and collecting data from several persons who have experienced the phenomenon. The researcher then analyzes the data by reducing the information to significant statements or quotes and combines the statements into themes. Following that, the research develops a textural description of the experiences of the persons (what participants experienced), a structural description of their experiences (how they experienced it in terms of the conditions, situations, or context), and a combination of the textural and structural descriptions to convey an overall essence of the experience.
Challenges: A phenomenology provides a deep understanding of a phenomenon as experienced by several individuals. Knowing some common experiences can be valuable for groups such as teachers, therapists, health personnel, and policymakers. Phenomenology can involve a streamlined form of data collection by including only single or multiple interviews with participants. Using the Moustakas (1994) approach for analyzing the data helps provide a structured approach for novice researchers. On the other hand, phenomenology requires at least some understanding of the broader philosophical assumptions, and these should be identified by the researcher. The participants in the study need to be carefully chosen to be individuals who have all experienced the phenomenon in question, so that the researcher, in the end, can forge a common understanding.
Valeria Bizzari wishes to thank the Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of Psychiatry of the Clinic University of Heidelberg, the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for the financial support (project 3H200042).
Sholokhova, S., Bizzari, V. & Fuchs, T. Exploring phenomenological interviews: questions, lessons learned and perspectives. Phenom Cogn Sci 21, 1–7 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-021-09799-y
1. As this is an unstructured interview, therefore , no prepared questions are required. First of all this does not mean that a researcher does not have to prepare for the interview; it simply means that there is no structured instrument needed. A structured interview is the one in which one provides the respondents with the choices to mark as his his response. In a semi structured interview, a researcher has open ended questions to as. However, in an unstructured interview niether open ended nor closed ended questions are required. This is because of the fact that one never knows what form an interview is going to take. Neither the researcher nor the respondent knows what result this interaction between them is going to generate.
2. However, instead of preparing interview questions, the researcher can identify themes for interview. A theme actually is a focus; it is an aspect of the issue under consideration that the researcher wants to focus. Thus, interviewing a kidney patient about his disease , if a researcher wants to focus on pain management issues, then this will become his major focus. Moreover, even during the interview one can narrow down this general focus to issues like (borrowing Glasers Grounded Theory Example Here) resting, medication and pacing. So, a general focus or theme can be further narrowed during the interview.
3. Since, in phenomenology one is more interested in the experiences of a respondent, therefore, it is not enough to know how a respondent judges something; the important thing is to know the experience/or experiences that led him to this judgment.
4. Since, in phenomenology , the focus is not on the world , rather it is one the subject or person who experiences the world, therefore, it is important to know how the respondent experienced the world, or any particular issue or situation. So, for instance if a researcher is interested in knowing how a respondent has experienced the visit to certain park, he should focus on the way this park was experienced by the respondent, and not the specific details of the park. So, a researcher is not particularly interested in how many entrances, swings and canteens were there in the park, but in knowing the way a respondent experienced these objects. And in doing so , he has to take his respondent to a stage where he starts reflecting on his past experience, and tell the researcher about his feelings, expectations, fears thoughts, stimuli selection etc. In short he has to tell how he was conscious of these things.
During the data collection phase a researcher has to conduct interviews and focus group discussions. In in depth interviews there are certain guidelines that one can follow. These are:
FAQ
What are phenomenological questions?
How many questions are asked in a phenomenological interview?
These interviews are can be open and unstructured with one or two questions to guide the interview from the outset or follow a semi-structured format.
What is phenomenological interviewing?
Can interviews be used in phenomenological research?
