It was developed by jonathan smith, professor of psychology, birkbeck university of london. Here, researchers engage a double hermeneutic whereby participants are seen to make sense of x while researchers make. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is an increasingly popular approach to qualitative inquiry. Pdf the interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa. Pdf this paper focuses on the teaching of the qualitative method, interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa, to healthcare professionals hcps find. The techniques can also be taken further to develop theories, models and explanations that help us understand human experience better. A critical overview of interpretative phenomenological. A qualitative methodology of choice in healthcare research article pdf available in qualitative research in psychology 53 september 2008 with. As a research methodology, qualitative research method infuses an added advantage to the exploratory capability that researchers need to explore and. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is concerned with the detailed examination of individual lived experience and how individuals make sense of that experience. A critical evaluation of the use of interpretative phenomenological.
Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa was used to analyze our data. He also has a wider interest in qualitative psychology generally and has coedited a number of. We share the rationale behind the methodological decisions made in the study, which is followed by a detailed description of the methodological practice. It produces an account of lived experience in its own terms rather than one prescribed by preexisting theoretical preconceptions and it recognises that this is an interpretative endeavour as humans. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is concerned with the detailed examination of individual lived experience and how individuals make sense of that. Smith, 1996b was used to explore the meaning of the experience for each individual, rather than generate general theory. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was adopted as the methodological approach and five superordinate themes emerged from the interpretative analysis.
The research report comprises a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the supervision experiences of six chartered counselling psychologists. Download file pdf doing interpretative phenomenological analysis doing interpretative phenomenological analysis use of ipa in qualitative data analysis this short presentation is designed to provide the listener with working knowledge on the use and deployment of ipa, given its. This chapter introduces one particular form of qualitative analysis, interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa and takes the reader through the stages of. Therefore, i will examine the role of the bracketing interview in interpretative. However, the process also involves the interpretative activity of the researcher, otherwise known. Ipa is concerned with subjective experience and perceptions of the world smith, 2003. The thematic content that emerged indicated a lack of preparation for the role of supervisee and a lack of formal training for the supervisory role.
Studies based in ipa focus on examining how individuals make meaning of. The participants were then interviewed using a semistructured interview questionnaire ssiq and the interviews were then transcribed for ipa analysis. An introduction to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Between 1996 and 2008, 293 papers presenting empirical ipa studies were published. In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa has become a popular methodological framework in qualitative psychology. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis from a. The aim of the research is to undertake an interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa to explore counselling psychology trainees experiences of working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse csa. A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological. Interpretative phenomenological analysis sage research methods. Interpretative phenomenological analysis wikipedia. These two commitments point to ipa s joint theoretical underpinnings in phenomenology and hermeneutics. Ipa allows the researcher to capture an authentic insight into the unique contextual experiences of the participants with limited preconceived ideas regarding the variables at play. Ipa was also chosen for its ability to encompass an ideographic study, using.
Smith, 1996a, 1996b was used to explore the meaning of the experience for each individual, rather than generate general theory. However, in a study with an interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa approach, the advantageous elements of the study quadruple because of the bonding relationship that the approach allows for the researchers to develop with their research participants. Smith, angela 2010 an interpretative phenomenological. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is a qualitative approach which aims to provide detailed examinations of personal lived experience. A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological. A rationale is provided to illustrate the synergy between the underlying principles of interpretative phenomenological analysis as a research methodology and the social work profession, together with the need to adopt a nuanced and innovative approach through the utilisation of visual research methodology. The aim of interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is to explore in detail how participants are making sense of their personal and social world, and the main currency for an ipa study is the meanings particular experiences, events, states hold for participants. Studies based in ipa focus on examining how individuals make meaning of their life experiences. This handy text covers its theoretical foundations and provides a detailed guide to. Analysis of the coping process among visually impaired. Interpretative phenomenological analysis sage research.
A critical evaluation of the use of interpretative. This introduction is set out in order to provide background information about eating disorders and. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of counselling. However, in a study with an interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa approach, the advantageous elements of the study quadruple because of the bonding relationship that the approach allows.
Of central concern to ipa is indepth exploration of an individuals lived experience of a phenomenon. The desire to understand the theoretical underpinnings of this research approach is evident. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa has become a dominant qualitative research methodology in many academic disciplines. To investigate this gap in knowledge, an interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa approach was used and twelve participants recruited via a snowball sampling method. Ipa is part of a family of phenomenological psychology approaches, all of which differ to some degree in their theoretical emphases and methodological commitments but are in broad. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is one such framework, which was devel oped and described by smith et al. Data will be analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa. Ipa can be used to develop indepth descriptions of human experience. The fact of the matter is that the thought of deciding on what research tradition or approach to use in a qualitative research study can be daunting and tedious. In contrast to the descriptive phenomenological method, smith et al. This interpretative component situates the ipa analysis within an interpretative circle, involving the perspectives of both the participant and the researcher smith 2004.
Pdf interpretive phenomenological analysis ipa is a contemporary qualitative methodology, first developed by psychologist jonathan smith. Doing interpretive phenomenological research brown. They present their interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa as a systematic, flexible, multidirectional analytic process. The aim of interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is to explore in detail how participants are making sense of their personal and social world, and the. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is an approach to psychological qualitative research with an idiographic focus, which means that it aims to offer insights into how a given person, in a given context, makes sense of a given phenomenon. Ipa was originally developed as a method to undertake experiential research in psychology1 and has gained prominence across health and social sciences as. It is not often i can use accessible and phenomenology in the same sentence, but reading the new book, interpretative phenomenological analysis certainly provides me the occasion to do so. Ipa adopts a hermeneutic approach to phenomenology larkin et al. An interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa was undertaken as this approach has its theoretical foundations in phenomenology.
He is co author with paul flowers and michael larkin of interpretative phenomenological analysis. The designated teachers emphasised the importance of personal commitment and the need for resilience. As a methodology in its own right rather than simply a means of analysing data, ipa involves the detailed examination. Smiths interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa, which has gained considerable purchase in the qualitative psychology field in the united kingdom, is one such example. Therefore, this study need s to do an indepth analysis. A qualitative research method that used an interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa was employed to explore and interpret the meaning of the complexity experience of the whole life story of children and adults with visual impairment. This paper will hopefully equip researchers when deciding on the appropriate.
Although not to be confused with the now ubiquitous style of beer with the same initials india pale ale, interpretative phenomenological analysis is similarly accused of being too. Smith argues that his idiographic and inductive method, which seeks to explore participants personal lived experiences, is phenomenological in its concern for. Ipa interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa has been developed as a distinctive approach to conducting qualitative research in psychology offering a. Ipa permits researchers to interpret, based on their own experiences and knowledge, the participants accounts. Ipa seeks to examine, as far as is possible, the perceptions of the participant. Interpretative phenomenological analysis interpretative phenomenological analysis is an approach to qualitative research concerned with exploring and understanding the lived experience of a speci. Ipa is part of a family of phenomenological psychology approaches, all of which differ to some degree in their theoretical emphases and methodological commitments but are in broad agreement about the relevance of an experiential perspective for the discipline. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis for public. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa was chosen as the research methodology. Pdf interpretative phenomenological analysis download. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is an increasingly popular approach to qualitative inquiry and essentially an attempt to understand how participants experience and make meaning of their world. An interpretative phenomenological analysis of stress and. Table 2ethods associated with interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa m methods application to ipa sample and recruiting participants ipa focuses on small and homogeneous samples.
Ipa permits the researcher to interpret, based on their own experiences and knowledge, the participant. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is concerned with the detailed examination of personal lived experience. The article presents how a study that investigated the acquisition of second language academic literacy skills practised the qualitative methodology, interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa, from a realist perspective. In the last research made simple series article, we briefly outlined the main phenomenological research approaches in relation to investigating healthcare phenomena including interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa. Interpretative phenomenological analysis ipa is a distinctive approach to conducting qualitative research being used with increasing frequency in published studies. This paper is aimed at providing an overview and limitations of ipa. Reflexivity is a fundamental aspect of ipa research langdridge 2007. He has written many articles applying ipa to a range of areas in health, clinical and social psychology. Interpretative phenomenological analysis as a useful.