Phenomenology analysis or research is the most important method of qualitative research that allows researchers to find something new by collecting experiences from others. It is a descriptive, inductive as well as qualitative method of research. Social sciences students can take help from this method, especially when they aim to conduct behavioural studies. This article will provide you with all important information about phenomenology analysis by highlighting seven untold facts.
Phenomenological Research Design:
Phenomenological research design is a type of qualitative research approach. It focuses on the essence of participants’ experiences to describe a phenomenon under study. To put it in another way, it is the qualitative method of research that identifies a phenomenon by taking into account how it is perceived by actors in a real situation. Currently, it is used as a method to grab in-depth information about a process by conducting interviews, group discussions, observations, and open-ended surveys. Using these methods, the experiences of the people who lived through a process are collected and analysed to reach a certain set of conclusions about a phenomenon. All in all, phenomenology is a study of the experience of people from their individual perspectives.
Phenomenology Analysis- a brief introduction
Phenomenology Analysis refers to the broad category of different types of analysis based on the phenomenological orientations of the philosophy of science. A phenomenological orientation includes bodily sensations, interpretations, and experiences. It aims to provide a detailed examination of the experiences of people without reviewing other experiences published in previous studies. It overlaps with many other qualitative methods of research, such as hermeneutics, ethnography, and symbolic interactionism. Generally, when we talk about phenomenology analysis, it means one must describe a fact in light of others’ experiences rather than explaining it.
To start a phenomenological analysis, one must not seek help from online sources, literature, or hypotheses. Sometimes it also becomes necessary to buy dissertation online from experts because, according to many humanists and feminists, to avoid bias in this method of analysis, a researcher should primarily focus on the information provided by the responses of participants. This is probably due to the fact that if you start a study by gathering background information, you may try to identify the facts and figures in the responses you have read.
Phenomenology analysis is a bit difficult to perform:
Yes, the majority of students face several challenges while conducting phenomenological research or analysis. The most obvious reason behind such difficulties includes the collection of highly diversified types of responses. The variety in the type of responses collected by researchers imposes challenges in reaching a particular conclusion. Furthermore, the situation goes worse if your data is collected from different methods such as interview notes, mind maps, audio or video recordings, and jottings. The best way to get through this difficulty is must collect data from a particular type of participant by collecting any one best supporting tools.
It is a descriptive and qualitative type of analysis:
For instance, you want to conduct research to know about the side effects that war survivor observes. Obviously, no one can provide better information on this area of interest than war survivors. Side effects must be in the form of complaints and assumptions, so it refers to the qualitative nature. However, while conducting analysis, you must describe the collection to get all information about war’s side effects. Thus, we can say that phenomenology research is qualitative as well as descriptive
It must not have any impact on researchers’ prejudices and norms:
In addition to its qualitative and descriptive nature, phenomenology analysis is inductive as well. The inductive nature of this analysis reflects that the researchers must not start with hypothesis construction. Rather, it can construct hypotheses based on the findings of the analysis. Hypothesis formulation at the start may affect the outcomes of research by suggesting a framework for your study. However, it is necessary that phenomenology research must be free from researchers’ own briefs, norms, and prejudices.
It must describe the experiences objectively:
Objectivity refers to the truth or independent reality that exists outside any investigation. In simple words, your phenomenology analysis cannot give you valid results unless you report and analyse the data honestly.
It can be conducted by using a number of different data collection methods:
It gives flexibility to researchers in terms of selecting the best method of collecting responses from the participants who lived through a process. For example, focus meetings, group talks, analysis of personal text, direct talks with participants, and action research are some common methods to collect experiences. You are free to choose any method that fascinates you and your research goals the most. But always remember one thing using only one method for conducting research will prevent you from confusion in the analysis steps.
It can be conducted in simple give steps:
Five simple steps are effective enough to conduct a phenomenology analysis. Thus, the following are some important steps for conducting such an analysis:
- Identify the phenomenon
- Develop detailed description
- Select participants that have lived through a phenomenon under study
- Collect information by choosing any one method of data collection
- Analyse the responses using by following theming and coding techniques
- Conclude study on useful logical inferences
Theming and coding are essential steps, and you must seek Dissertation help online to complete this process or to get a step-by-step guide.
Reaching certain conclusions does not demand the use of any statistical tool:
The chances of bias and fake representation of facts are very high in phenomenology studies as no statistical tool is required for analysis. However, non-statistical methods such as content analysis, thematic analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse analysis can help you in achieving the aims.
Final thoughts:
After all, is said and done, we can conclude that Phenomenology analysis refers to a set of methods that one can use to collect all vital information about a phenomenon. But the one thing that differentiates this method from other qualitative methods is the collection of data from only the participants who get through the circumstances about which you want to explore. The article has provided information about the seven most important points that are extremely helpful to get the best benefits from this method of study.