1. Phenomenology

2. Introduction
Originated by philosophers such as Husserl, Schutz and Merleu-Ponty
A framework for providing a qualitative understanding of human experience
Focuses on the meaning of human experiences (phenomenon)

3. Research Questions What is the essential meaning of an experience?
That which it is, and without which it could not be (van Manen)
For example:
What is the essence of being a mother?
What is the essential structure of a caring nurse-client interaction ?

4. Goal
To produce a brief statement that succinctly evokes the phenomenon

5. Assumptions
Phenomenologists assume that human experience is inherently subjective
Within these subjective experiences are essential structures that characterize the experience
The way to gain access to these structures is through description of experiences

6. Stages in a Phenomenological Study
Researcher chooses phenomenon and selects appropriate models, frameworks, or theories to guide data collection
Participants interviewed; researcher brackets own experiences.
A description is written that fully describes the experience.

7. Stages in a Phenomenological Study
Descriptions of the participants’ experiences (possibly including researcher) are reduced to themes
These themes are reduced to a statement that summarizes the essential meaning
Researcher returns to participants to check validity of analysis

8. Role of Researcher
Researcher’s own experiences with a phenomenon are included as a part of the study.
Since the essence is universal, meaning must be true for researcher as well as participants

9. Researcher
Participant 2
Participant 1

10. Characteristics of Phenomenology
Use of subjective data to describe an objective truth
Researcher’s own experiences integrated into the study
Focus on finding the common thread in phenomenon

11. Phenomenology is useful when …
researcher wants to understand human experience
the goal is to understand a universal meaning of an experience
the reduction of context specific information to a more general understanding of the phenomenon is desired

12. Phenomenology is useful when …
the researcher is willing to become closely entwined with the research

13. Phenomenology is not useful for
understanding differences in students performance
evaluating the effectiveness of particular curricular change
describing the the implementation of a curricular change
answering questions about the cognitive domain (misconceptions, spatial ability)

14. Phenomenology Research: “The Lived Experience”
Phenomenology is a science whose purpose is to describe the appearance of things as a lived experience.
It allows nursing to interpret the nature of consciousness in the world (Merleau-Ponty)
It can be descriptive or interpretive (hermeneutic).
It is a philosophy, an method, and an inductive logic strategy

15. Two Philosophical Differences
Peripheral research, stays distant from the subjects, objectivity seeking, and knowledge is gained by overcoming all doubt. Use Bracketing (Husserl)
Truth is not something we construct by distancing ourselves from those we want to study. Truth comes from our engagement with the world. Subjectivity is as important as objectivity. (Heideggerian)

16. Different Types of Phenomenology
Phenomenology of Essences
Experiment with relationships
Coding by categories
Using free imaginative variation
Phenomenology of Appearances
Focuses on phen. as it unfolds-takes shape
Sense of dynamic adventure with the world
Reductive Phenomenology
Is a constant work of the self related to bias, etc
Interpretive (Hermeneutic) Phenomenology
To interpret the phenomena being observed

17. Design Characteristics
Purposive samples of 7-20 usually going for saturation.
Instrument is the researcher
Data collection is by interview of groups or individual that are verbatim, taped, and field notes.
Data collection is directly tied to analysis, that eventually is coded or structured into themes.

18. Five Steps of the Method
Shared Experience is presented
Transform the lived experience into an experience the subject would agree with
Code the data
Put it into written form and create confirmation of the data texts.
Create a complete integration of all of these for a research document

19. The Rigor of Trustworthiness
Trustworthy questions
Trustworthy approach
Trustworthy in analysis
Trustworthy and authenticity of data

20. Other Research Rigors Descriptive Vividness Methodological Congruence
Theoretical Connectedness
Analytical Preciseness
Heuristic Relevance

21. Unique Features of Phenomenology
Most of the literature review is conducted at the end of the data collection. It is believed the CF biases the data collection and analysis.
Like Grounded Theory but without a BSP or bias already in mind.
It is conducted by gathering interview data from others.
It is never quantitative, but some would prefer to try and keep it objective.