Phenomenological Research:
“The Lived Experience”
Presented by
Natasha Arthurton and Marni Gavritsas
Long Island University, C.W. Post
What is Phenomenology?
 noun
 the philosophical study of phenomena, as distinguished from ontology,
the study of being; specif., such a study of perceptual experience in its
purely subjective aspect
 a descriptive or classificatory account of the phenomena of a given
body of knowledge, without any further attempt at explanation
 noun
 A philosophy or method of inquiry based on the premise that reality
consists of objects and events as they are perceived or understood in
human consciousness and not of anything independent of human
consciousness.
 A movement based on this, originated about 1905 by Edmund Husserl
Phenomenological Research
 Phenomenological Research is a strategy of inquiry
in which the researcher identifies the essence of
human experiences about a phenomenon as
described by participants. Understanding the lived
experiences
marks
phenomenology
as
a
philosophy as well as a method, and the procedure
involves studying a small number of subjects
through extensive and prolonged engagement to
develop patterns and relationships of meaning
(Moustakas, 1994).
Phenomenologists
 Researchers who search for essentials, invariant
structure (essence) of the central underlying meaning
of the experience and emphasize the intentionality of
consciousness where experiences contain both the
outward appearance and inward consciousness
based on memory, image and meaning." (Creswell,
2008, p.52)
 Researchers depict this essence or basic structure of
experience.
Four Philosophical Perspectives
of Phenomenology
1. Philosophy without presupposition
2. Philosophy as a search for wisdom
3. Intentionality of consciousness
4. Refusal of subject-object dichotomy
The strong philosophical component makes phenomenology
particularly useful in social and health sciences, sociology,
psychology, nursing and education.
(Creswell, 2013)
Features of Phenomenology
 What is the phenomenon to be explored? Define a single concept or idea.
 Explore the phenomenon with a heterogeneous group who have
experienced the phenomenon. (groups vary from 3-4 to upwards of 25)
 Engage in a philosophical discussion. Discuss how the individuals have both
subjective and objective experiences of something in common with other
people. (refusal of subjective-objective perspective)
 Researcher may bracket self out of study by discussing personal experience
of phenomenon (this does not necessarily exclude researcher from study)
 Data collection through interview (or poems, observations and documents)
 Data analysis through systematic procedures looking at narrow units
(significant statements) and then broader units (meaning units). Detailed
descriptions are used to summarize the two key elements of WHAT THE
INDIVIDUALS HAVE EXPERIENCED and HOW THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED IT

“Essence” is the culmination of a phenomenological study
(Creswell, 2013)
Hermeneutical
Phenomenology
Van Manen, educator and phenomenological researcher
o
Research focused on the lived experience
“Phenomenology is not a set of foxed procedures, however hermeneutic
phenomenological research is a combination of six activities:
1. Turning to a phenomenon which seriously interests us and commits us to the
world;
2. Investigating experience as we live it rather as we conceptualize it;
3. Reflecting on the essential themes which characterize the phenomenon;
4. Describing the phenomenon through the art of writing and rewriting;
5. Manipulating a strong and oriented pedagogical relation to the
phenomenon;
6. Balancing the research context by considering parts and whole
(van Manen, 1990, p.30-31)

In hermeneutical phenomenology, the researcher provides not only a description, but an
interpretation of the lived experience.
Transcendental/Empirical/
Psychological Phenomenology
Moustakas, psychologist, phenomenological researcher

Research focused less on interpretation and more on description of
experience of participants
 Relies on Husserl’s concept of epoche, wherein investigator sets aside
their experience to take fresh perspective
 The epoche leads to the transcendental approach “in which
everything is perceived freshly, as if for the first time” (Moustakas, 1994,
p.34)
 Researcher develops two descriptions:
o Textural: What participants experiences
o Structural: How they experienced it (conditions, situations, context)
(Creswell, 2013)
(Moustakas, 1994)
 Researcher derives overall essence of experience from these two
descriptions
The Procedures of
Phenomenological Inquiry
1.Determine if phenomenological approach is best
1.Do several people share a common experience?
2.Can you develop policies, practices or develop deeper understanding
of the features of the phenomenon?
2. Define the phenomenon of interest to be studied
3. Recognize and understand the philosophy behind phenomenology
including bracketing, objective reality and individual experience
4. Collect data through multiple in-depth interviews or other forms of
collection
5. Begin with the broad “What” and “How” questions. Proceed with broader
open-ended questions to gather textural and structural data
(Creswell 2010)
Phenomenological Data
Collection
Interview-In depth interview
Participation observation
Conversation
Action research
Focus Meeting
Analysis of Personal Texts ( Diary Writing)
Interpretive (Hermeneutic)
Phenomenology
To interpret the phenomena being observed
Horizonalization
o Horizonalization- “significant sentences or quotes that provide
an understanding of how participants experienced the
phenomenon.”
o stems from the idea that the researcher should be receptive
to and place equal value on every statement or piece of
data. Being universally receptive allows the researcher initially
to grant equal value to each statement uttered by the
participant and thus promotes a rhythmic flow between the
researcher and the study participant—an interaction that
motivates full disclosure of the experience. The metaphor of a
horizon is utilized when discussing horizonalization. A horizon
can be thought of as a perspective, or way of seeing the
world. (Leech & Onwuegbuzie , 2008)
(The SAGE Encyclopedia of Qualitative
Research Methods, 2008)
(Creswell, 2013)
Analyzing the Data
 Two key questions are foundation for building and
organizing data (What, How)
 Highlight significant statements
 Develop clusters of meaning into themes
 Use themes to develop descriptions
 Textural description includes what the participant
experienced
 Imaginative variation/structural description
includes how the context or setting influenced the
experience of the phenomenon
 Composite description written based on data
represents the “essence” of the phenomenon called
the “essential invariant structure”
Conclusive Data…
A
B
C
D
The researcher is more
interested in gaining a
greater understanding of “Z”
than of “A”, “B”, “C”, or “D”.
However, the individual
participants’ interpretation
of the phenomenon is
necessary in the search for
the essence of “Z”
Unique Features of
Phenomenology
Most of the literature review is
conducted at the end of the data
collection.
It is conducted by gathering
interview data from others.
Phenomenology has ties to both
qualitative and quantitative
research in that there is a
subjective-objective perspective
Strengths
 Help to give a better understanding of the
real life situation and experiences
 Good at surfacing deep issues and making
voices heard, helps individuals to connect to
the phenomenon and possibly group
 Has the ability to query and probe in-depth
issue of a phenomenon
 Findings are allowed to emerge rather than
being imposed by investigator
Challenges
 Strong understanding of philosophical
approaches required
 Participants need to be carefully selected to
ensure they have shared the experienced
phenomenon
 Bracketing may be difficult for researcher
 Sample size-it can be hard to get over to
people that a single-figure sample or small
sample size is valid
 Some may see little value in the descriptive
conclusion of research
The Phenomenon of
Phenomenology
 “The challenge facing the human science researcher is to
describe things in themselves, to permit what is before one
to enter consciousness and be understood in its meanings
and essences in the light of intuition and self-reflection. The
process involves a blending of what is really present with
what is imagined as present from the vantage point of
possible meanings; thus a unit of the real and the idea”
(Merriam, p. 17, quote from Moustakas).
 According to van Manen, there are many ways to structure
phenomenological research: thematically, analytically,
exemplificatively, exergetically, existentially, and inventing
an approach. (p. 168-173)
(van Manen, 1990)
Resources
American Heritage Dictionary, Fourth Edition (2006). Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin.
Creswell, John. (1998). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing
Among Five Approaches (p. 52). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Creswell, John. (2013). Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing
Among Five Approaches (p. 76-82). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Giorgi, A. (1985). (Ed). Phenomenology and Psychological Research. Pittsburgh,
PA: Dusquesne University Press.
Stack, C. (1974). All Our Kin: Strategies for Survival in a Black Community. New
York, NY: Harper & Row Publishers.
Turner, d S. (2003). Horizons Revealed: From Methodology to Method.
International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 2(1). Article 1. Retrieved from
http://www.ualberta.ca/~iiqm/backissues/2_1/html/turner.html
van Manen, M. (1990) Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an
Action Sensitive Pedagogy. ( p. 168-173). Albany, NY: State University of
New York Press.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition (1999). Foster City, CA :
IDG Books Worldwide Inc.