Qualitative Research Design & Phenomenology: Key Concepts and Examples

How do you choose a qualitative design?

Consider your focus, who/what you want to study (unit of analysis), your question, the problem you intend to address, and what you can reasonably accomplish

Narrative research question example?

How is identity shaped by the expectations of a person's nuclear family?

Phenomenology research question example?

What are the lived experiences of parents as they navigate the foster care system?

Grounded theory research question example?

What are the decision-making processes of adoptive parents when considering adopting children with disabilities?

Ethnography research question example?

What are the shared parenting values of Native American families in New Mexico?

Case study research question example?

How do adopted siblings engage in play within an adjustment-based support group?

Why use narrative research?

People construct and internalize stories to make sense of their lives

stories have psychological meaning, are reconstructions of experiences, and reflect which stories are told

Characteristics of narrative research?

Spoken or written text, chronologically connected events, often co-constructed with researcher, sheds light on identity, contains turning points or critical life events, context (time and place) is critical

Narrative analysis methods?

Restorying (chronological with epiphanies), causal links among ideas, identification of key elements, conversational analysis (meaning of words)

Phenomenology philosophy?

Reject scientism (knowledge only from senses), suspend natural attitude (bracketing), describe features of experience

Phenomenology intentionality of consciousness?

Everything in mental life is about something (OF or ABOUT), aware of environment, relationship between consciousness and external world

Phenomenon in phenomenology?

A thing as it appears in experience, normal moments, events, emotions, relationships, occupations, programs, places, organizations, cultural things

Lived experience?

Reflecting on significance of engagement, experience as it is lived, occurs when everyday flow takes particular significance

Examples of AN experience?

Emotion: feeling of loss mothers feel as children walk into first day of school

Event: being part of rescue team after Hurricane Katrina

Place: entering Taj Mahal

Activity: working kitchen crew in Cook County jail

Phenomenology research questions?

What are the lived experiences of X group as it relates to X phenomenon?

How do X people experience X phenomenon?

Phenomenology methods?

In-depth multiple interviews, questions about experiences and contexts, other data representing individual experience (journals, observations, poetry)

Example phenomenology study?

Student thesis (2018) : daily routines and occupations of LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness

Background of study?

Shelter for unhoused LGBTQ+ young people in Chicago, request for OT services, limited motivation, multiple barriers to independence, lack of skills for work and home management, poor social skills, literature shows 32%+ PEH, risk factors and health consequences

Research question of study?

What is the lived experience of participation in meaningful occupation for unhoused LGBTQ+ young people?

Phenomenology study methods?

Maximum variation sampling, 21 participants (age 18-24, mean 20.5), 2 individual interviews per person, 3 focus groups, 47.3 hours audio-taped, transcribed verbatim, thematic analysis, member checking, expert review

Findings: lack of productive occupations?

Limited access to school/work-supporting occupations, shelters make it hard to work, barriers lead to inhuman treatment and illegal survival activities

Findings: limited social participation?

Stigma and shame, inability to choose social relationships, lack of social support, forced interactions in shelters, isolation from friends

Findings: empty and altered routines?

Lack of control over daily schedules, detrimental effect on basic ADLs, motivation, and meaningful participation