What kind of qualitative research describe the lived experiences of its participants?
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Article Preview : Qualitative research examines life experiences (ie, the lived experience) in an effort to understand and give them meaning. This usually is done by systematically collecting and analyzing narrative materials using methods that ensure credibility of both
the data and the results. Phenomenology is one of many types of qualitative research that examines the lived experiences of humans.(1) Phenomenological researchers hope to gain understanding of the essential "truths" (ie, essences) of the lived experience. Examples of phenomenological research include exploring the lived experiences of women undergoing breast biopsy or the lived experiences of family members waiting for a loved one undergoing major surgery. The term phenomenology often
is used without a clear understanding of its meaning. Phenomenology has been described as a philosophy, methodology, and method.(2) Furthering confusion, the term phenomenology has been used interchangeably with the term hermeneutics (ie, analyses of the written word).(3) This column will provide a brief overview of phenomenological philosophy, methodology, and method. PHENOMENOLOGICAL PHILOSOPHY Phenomenologists believe that knowledge and understanding are embedded in our
everyday world. In other words, they do not believe knowledge can be quantified or reduced to numbers or statistics.(4) Phenomonologists believe that truth and understanding of life can emerge from people's life experiences. Although phenomenologists share this belief, they have developed more than one approach to gain understanding of human knowledge. Before the seventeenth century, religion or nature often provided the basis for man's understanding of the world. Rene Descartes,
however, articulated a split between man's mental being and his physical being. This viewpoint served as an impetus to link all knowledge to the realm of science. Scientists of that time heralded the scientific method, objectivity, and a fixed, orderly reality as the sole approach to knowledge discovery. Many early philosophers, however, found the scientific method too reductionistic, objective, and mechanistic; therefore, they advanced phenomenology as a preferred method to discover the meaning
of life experiences.(5) The father of phenomenology frequently is cited as Edmund Husserl.(6) Husserl was a German philosopher as well as a mathematician.(7) The works of Husserl, as well as those of Martin Heidegger, are cited in many nursing studies as the framework for the research approach and methods.(8) Even though both philosophers are considered phenomenologists, their approaches to research and understanding life experiences differ. PHENOMENOLOGICAL METHODOLOGY
Methodology links a particular philosophy to the appropriate research methods and bridges philosophical notions to practical and applicable research strategies. Husserl, for example, purported that essences serve as the ultimate structure of consciousness.(9) He contended that bracketing (ie, setting aside preconceived notions) enables one to objectively describe the... Get Full Access Gale offers a variety of resources for education, lifelong learning, and academic
research. Log in through your library to get access to full content and features! Access through your library Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2001 Elsevier Science Publishers Gale Document Number: GALE|A73308177 What is qualitative phenomenological research design?Phenomenological research is a qualitative research approach that seeks to understand and describe the universal essence of a phenomenon. The approach investigates the everyday experiences of human beings while suspending the researchers’ preconceived assumptions about the phenomenon. In other words, phenomenological research studies lived experiences to gain deeper insights into how people understand those experiences. Researchers using phenomenological research design assume that people use a universal structure or essence to make sense of their experience. They interpret the participants’ feelings, perceptions, and beliefs to clarify the essence of the phenomenon under investigation. Phenomenological research design requires the researcher to bracket whatever a priori assumption they have about the experience or phenomenon. In simpler terms, researchers use phenomenological research designs to understand a phenomenon’s universal nature by exploring the views of those who have experienced it. This approach is popularly used to study lived experience, gain a deeper understanding of how human beings think, and expand a researcher’s knowledge about a phenomenon. For example, a researcher could explore a phenomenon like antisocial behavior in the workplace, women’s experiences with a particular disease, and many more. What are the characteristics of phenomenological research design?Below are the four main characteristics of phenomenological research design.
What are the methods of collecting data for Phenomenological designs?Researchers can use a variety of methods in phenomenological designs. Some of the most common methods are:
Regardless of the method you use for qualitative phenomenological research design, you must focus on the research issues and avoid influencing the participants. Additionally, you must show empathy and establish a good level of rapport to gain deep insight into the participants’ experiences. What are the procedures involved in Phenomenological design?There is no clear-cut way to carry out a phenomenological inquiry. However, research involving phenomenological design often follow this pattern:
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 Phenomenological research design exampleBelow is a phenomenological research design example to help you better understand this qualitative research method.
What are the uses of qualitative phenomenological research design?Social scientists use phenomenological inquiry to:
What are the limitations of phenomenological design?Some of the downsides of phenomenological research are:
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What type of qualitative research is lived experiences of its participants?Phenomenological studies examine human experiences through the descriptions provided by the people involved. These experiences are called lived experiences. The goal of phenomenological studies is to describe the meaning that experiences hold for each subject.
What type of research is lived experience?Lived experience research in mental health is research that illuminates the perspectives and experiences of people who live with mental health issues and is conducted either by researchers with their own lived experience or in collaborative research teams that include people with lived experience [1, 2].
What is the kind of qualitative research that focuses on subjective lived experiences of the participants in order to understand phenomenon?Phenomenology is used to identify phenomena and focus on subjective experiences and understanding the structure of those lived experiences.
What type of qualitative research design where the meaning of lived experience is interpreted from the participants stories?An interpretive phenomenological study aims to explore the lived experience of a phenomenon, representing an individual level of analysis with an understanding that social contexts are embedded within an individual's being (i.e., being-with-others).
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