What is qualitative research? Qualitative research is a process of naturalistic inquiry that seeks an in-depth understanding of social phenomena within their natural setting. It focuses on the "why" rather than the "what" of social phenomena and relies on the direct experiences of human beings as meaning-making agents in their every day lives. Rather than by logical and statistical procedures, qualitative researchers use multiple systems of inquiry for the study of human phenomena including biography, case study, historical analysis, discourse analysis, ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology. University of Utah College of Nursing, (n.d.). What is qualitative research? [Guide] Retrieved from https://nursing.utah.edu/research/qualitative-research/what-is-qualitative-research.php#what The following video will explain the fundamentals of qualitative research.
Definitions a systematic subjective approach used to describe life experiences and give them meaning a formal, objective, systematic process for obtaining information about the world. A method used to describe, test relationships, and examine cause and effect relationships.
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.
Below are the four main characteristics of phenomenological research design.
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.
There is no clear-cut way to carry out a phenomenological inquiry. However, research involving phenomenological design often follow this pattern:
Below is a phenomenological research design example to help you better understand this qualitative research method.
Social scientists use phenomenological inquiry to:
Some of the downsides of phenomenological research are:
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