Phenomenological Design: An Overview
Phenomenology is one of a multitude of different qualitative designs that a researcher can select. Other potential options include case studies, ethnographies, and grounded research. Phenomenology is one of the oldest and most flexible of all qualitative approaches. Phenomenology is a way of knowing that is focused not upon a predefined research question or even a highly specific community or individual like an ethnography or case study. It is a unique form of epistemology or way of knowing. “A paradigm is the patterning of the thinking of a person; it is a principal example among examples, an exemplar or model to follow according to which design actions are taken” (Groenewald, 2004, p.44).
Phenomenology: Philosophy
Phenomenology has a strong grounding in the philosophical orientation of the Enlightenment. It is predicated upon a belief that observing experience can yield valuable insights. Unlike quantitative research designs, however, which begin with a research hypothesis in the format of the scientific method or a data-derived research question that can be answered in a narrow fashion, phenomenology is more general in its approach and focuses upon simply understanding and observing a particular phenomenon in a variety of ways. According to Groenewald (2004), “the operative word in phenomenological research is ‘describe.’ The aim of the researcher is to describe as accurately as possible the phenomenon, refraining from any pre-given framework, but remaining true to the facts” (p.44). Although phenomenology may be relatively unstructured, it requires ruthless self-examination on the part of the researcher, given that he or she must put aside these preconceived notions to be an effective observer. That is why phenomenology is so useful to describe phenomenon about which little is known.
Qualitative Methodology
The cornerstone of phenomenology is that of a rich description, or a description which notes...
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