Phenomenological Research is a research design used to study and describe the essence of the lived experiences of individuals within the world. There are two main types of phenomenological research, these are (a) descriptive phenomenological research and (b) interpretive phenomenological research. Many scholars regarded Edmund Husserl as the Father of Phenomenology.

1. PHENOMENOLOGY
study of an individual’s lived experience of the world
Ryan B. Bernido
PhDMathEd Student

2. Edmund Husserl (1859-1938)
He was the principal founder
of phenomenology. Husserl’s
initial work focused on
mathematics as the object of
study, but then moved to
examine other phenomena;
that is to value both objective
and subjective experiences.
He argued that phenomena as
perceived by the individual’s
consciousness should be the
object of scientific study.
https://literariness.org/2018/01/30/key-theories-of-edmund-husserl/

3. • an approach to research that seeks to describe the
essence of a phenomenon by exploring it from the
perspective of those who have experienced it
(Neubauer, Witkop, & Varpio, 2019).
• to describe the meaning of an experience—both in
terms of what was experienced and how it was
experienced.
• the study of phenomena as they manifest in our
experience, of the way we perceive and understand
phenomena, and of the meaning phenomena have in
our subjective experience.
What is Phenomenology?

4. Description of 3 Contemporary Approaches to
phenomenology (Neubauer, Witkop, &Varpio, 2019)
• A blended approach that explores how daily
experiences manifest in the life-world of individuals
• A blended approach that treats the phenomenon as the
unit of analysis but asserts that a phenomena are
multiple, partial, contextual, and in flux; being
simultaneously produced and producing.
• A blended approach that aims to provide detailed
examination of the lived experience of a phenomenon
through a participant’s personal experiences and
personal perceptions of objects and events; the
researcher performs an active role in the interpretive
process.
LIFEWORLD RESEARCH
POST-INTENTIONAL
PHENOMENOLOGY
INTERPRETIVE
PHENOMENOLOGICAL
ANALYSIS

5. COMPARISON OF TRANSCENDENTAL AND
HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGY
(Neubauer, Witkop, &Varpio, 2019)
TRANSCENDENTAL
(DESCRIPTIVE)
HERMENEUTIC
(INTERPRETIVE)
Reality is internal to the
knower, what appears to their
consciousness.
Lived experience is an
interpretive process situated
in an individual’s lifeworld.
ONTOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS

6. COMPARISON OF TRANSCENDENTAL AND
HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGY
(Neubauer, Witkop, &Varpio, 2019)
TRANSCENDENTAL
(DESCRIPTIVE)
HERMENEUTIC
(INTERPRETIVE)
Observer must separate him/herself
from the world including his/her own
physical being to reach the state of
transcendental I; bias-free; understands
phenomena by descriptive means.
Observer is part of the world and not
bias-free; understands phenomena
by interpretive means.
EPISTEMOLOGICAL ASSUMPTIONS

7. COMPARISON OF TRANSCENDENTAL AND
HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGY
(Neubauer, Witkop, &Varpio, 2019)
TRANSCENDENTAL
(DESCRIPTIVE)
HERMENEUTIC
(INTERPRETIVE)
Bracket researcher subjectivity
during data collection and analysis
Reflects on essential themes of
participant experience with
the phenomenon while
simultaneously reflection on
own experience
RESEARCHER ROLE IN DATA COLLECTION

8. COMPARISON OF TRANSCENDENTAL AND
HERMENEUTIC PHENOMENOLOGY
(Neubauer, Witkop, &Varpio, 2019)
TRANSCENDENTAL
(DESCRIPTIVE)
HERMENEUTIC
(INTERPRETIVE)
Consider phenomena from different perspectives, identify units
of meaning and cluster into themes to form textural description
(the what of the phenomenon). Use imaginative variation to
create structural description(the how) . Combine these
descriptions to form the essence of the phenomenon.
Iterative cycles of capturing and writing reflections towards
a robust and nuanced analysis; consider how the data (or
parts) contributed to evolving understanding of the
phenomenon (whole).
RESEARCHER ROLE IN DATA ANALYSIS/WRITING

9. 4 Philosophical Perspectives in
Phenomenology (Creswell, 2013)
1. A return to the traditional tasks of philosophy.
2. A philosophy without presupposition.
3. The intentionality of consciousness.
4. The refusal of the subject-object dichotomy.

10. Defining Features of Phenomenology
(Creswell, 2013)
1. An emphasis on a phenomenon to be explored,
phrased in terms of a single concept or idea.
2. Exploration of a phenomena with a group of
individuals who have all experienced the
phenomena.
3. A philosophical discussion about the basic ideas
involved in conducting a phenomenology.

11. Defining Features of Phenomenology
(Creswell, 2013)
4. The researcher bracket himself/herself out of the study by
discussing personal experiences with the phenomenon.
5. A data collection procedure that involves typically
interviewing individuals who have experienced the
phenomena.
6. Data analysis that can follow systematic procedure that
move from the narrow units of analysis, and on to detailed
descriptions that summarize two elements, “what” the
individuals have experienced and “how” they experienced it.
7. A phenomenology ends with a descriptive passage that
discusses the essence of the experience for individuals.

12. Procedures for Conducting
Phenomenological Research
Conceptualization Data Collection Data Analysis
Interview transcriptions
Horizonalization
Themes
Textural and Structural
Description
Essential, invariant structure
Research Problem
Phenomenon of interest
In-depth and multiple
interviews
Observations, journal, music

13. References
Neubauer, B., Witkop, C., & Varpio, L. (2019). How phenomenology can help us learn from the experiences of others. Perspect Med Educ 2019(8),
90-97. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-019-0509-2
Creswell, J. (2013). QualitativeInquiry & Research Design: Choosing Among the Five Approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications,Inc.
77-83
Mambrol, N. (2018). Key Theories of Edmund Husserl. Literary Theory & Criticism. https://literariness.org/2018/01/30/key-theories-of-edmund-
husserl/