Hi all,
I am a student working towards gaining my integrated Master's degree (I have not conducted research prior to now). I am a novice to research so bear with me if my terminology isn't 100% accurate. I am conducting qualitative research to explore the experiences and perceptions of diagnostic radiography students in the communication of radiation risk. My question is: Is it correct to use interpretative phenomenology and thematic analysis for my methodology/approach/data analysis? I am conducting semi-structured qualitative interviews with 12 participants, so I hope this will be enough to reach data saturation. A follow-up question I have is whether it would be appropriate for me to use researcher reflexivity in this process as I am a diagnostic radiography student with my own preconceived opinions and experience on the phenomenon under study. Any help or direction for further readings would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Braun and Clarke maintain a website with FAQs that addresses the comparison with IPA.
https://www.thematicanalysis.net/faqs/
Kirsty - it really does depend on your actual adopted phenomenological philosophical school. Phenomenology is not general with general frameworks. For it to be effective - it needs to be specific to the task at hand. IPA is its own school - and has its own analytical style. Different schools lean towards other analytical frameworks i.e. Giorgi and Colaizzi - and there are instances where certain philosophers have their own frameworks i.e., van Manen.
You can't pre-predict saturation - but reasonable to suggest that 12 in-depth participant narratives might reach saturation.
Reflexivity, again, depends on the adopted school.
Since you have a comparatively large sample (i.e., N = 12), and you probably aim at identifying themes in your data set and come up with practice-oriented implications, you could go for reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) instead of the interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). Here is an article rendering insights that could assist you in realizing the differences between RTA and IPA and when to use each.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). Can I use TA? Should I use TA? Should I not use TA? Comparing reflexive thematic analysis and other pattern-based qualitative analytic approaches. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 21(1), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12360
Good luck,
The guidance/illustrations as per the following publications may further help:
- Fereday, J. and Muir-Cochrane, E. (2006) Demonstrating Rigor Using Thematic Analysis: A Hybrid Approach of Inductive and Deductive Coding and Theme Development, International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5, 1, pp. 80-92.
- Javadi, M. and Zarea, K. (2016) Understanding Thematic Analysis and its Pitfall, Journal of Client Care, 1, 1, pp. 33-39.
- Joffe, H. (2012) Thematic Analysis, in Harper, D. and Thompson, A.R. (eds.) Qualitative methods in mental health and psychotherapy: A guide for students and practitioners. West Sussex, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 209-223.
- Shinebourne, P. (2011) The Theoretical Underpinnings of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 22, 1.
- Smith, J. A., Jarman, M. and Osbirn, M. (1999) Doing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, in Murry, M. and Chamberlain, K. (eds.) Qualitative Health Psychology. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, pp. 218-240.
Based on your sample and intention to conduct semi-structures interviews, Thematic Analysis (Braun and Clarke) is the most appropriate data analysis method. IPA requires more of an unstructured approach to data collection interviews. The above are both data analysis methods and are not typically used as the methodological approach. Interpretative Description is an approach that fits well with Thematic Analysis.
In addition- in determining the number of participants, it is better to purposively identify participants who could provide substantial information about communication of radiation risk (e.g., radiation students in the higher years). By doing so, you might need lesser participants.
Phenomenology and thematic analysis are both qualitative research methods. Phenomenology is a method that focuses on the study of human experience and consciousness. Thematic analysis is a method that involves identifying patterns or themes in qualitative data. While both methods are used to analyze qualitative data, they differ in their approach and focus.
Considering that you are a '...diagnostic radiography student with...own preconceived opinions and experience(s) on the phenomenon under study...'
I would urge you to use descriptive phenomenology as your design because it is predicated on 'bracketing' where you will have to bracket preconceptions and prior knowledge. Given this, for data analysis, I will suggest you use an approach that is congruent with your design. If you then decide to follow the Descriptive Phenomenology route, you will have to use 'Thematic Analysis which is based on descriptive phenomenology' see Giorgi (2009) or Giorgi et al. (2017) or Sundler et al. (2019). This same approach was used by Broome (2011) in a PhD thesis. This is similar to generic thematic analysis, but different in that, you will have to exercise bracketing also as you analyse your findings and present them.
All the best 😊
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