Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-27gpq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-18T19:23:01.027Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis for public health nutrition and dietetic research: a practical guide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 March 2007

Stephanie Fade*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London, SW3 6NP, UK
*
Corresponding author:Stephanie Fade, fax +44 2073 51 8990, email stephanie@fadeg.plus.com
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The present paper introduces interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as a framework for analysing qualitative research data collected for public health nutrition and dietetic research studies. The theoretical roots of IPA have been set out briefly in order to help researchers decide whether the approach is relevant for them and their particular research questions. IPA can be used to analyse data from one-to-one interviews in order to develop ‘thick descriptions’ that may help illuminate human experience. IPA can also be used to develop theories and/or models, which could help inform policy. The main body of the paper describes the analytical techniques and procedures used to achieve both outcomes in a practical way, using examples from the author's own research. In the following paper Krueger's methods for analysing focus group data are set out for comparison. It is hoped that these papers will empower researchers with little experience of qualitative research to develop confidence with qualitative data analysis. In addition, it is hoped that the material will stimulate debate amongst more experienced qualitative researchers from a public health or dietetic background.

Type
Workshop on ‘Developing qualitative research method skills: analysing and applying your results’
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2004

References

Bhaskar, R (1978) A Realist Theory of Science. Hassocks, West Sussex: Harvester PressGoogle Scholar
Caelli, K (2001) Engaging with phenomenology: Is it more of a challenge than it needs to be? Qualitative Health Research 11, 273281CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Colaizzi, PF (1978) Psychological research as the phenomenologist views it. In Existential Phenomenological Alternatives for Psychology, pp. 4871 [Vaile, R, King, M, editors]. New York Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Duck, S (1992) Human Relationships, 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Fade, SA (2003) Communicating and judging the quality of qualitative research: the need for a new languageb. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 16, 139149CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fiske, ST & Taylor, SE (1991) Social Cognition, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-HillGoogle Scholar
Gadamer, HG (1976) Philosophical Hermeneutics (translated by DE Linge). Berkley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Heidegger, M (1962) Being and Time (translated by J Macquarried and E Robinson). New York: Harper and Row.Google Scholar
Heron, J (1990) Helping the Client: A Creative Practical Guide. Newbury Park, CA Sage PublicationsGoogle Scholar
Husserl, E (1970) The Crisis of European Sciences and Transcendental Phenomenology (translated by D Carr). Evanston IL: Northwestern University Press.Google Scholar
Luft, J (1969) Of Human Interactions: The Johari Model. Palo Alto, CA: Mayfield.Google Scholar
Moustakas, C (1994) Phenomenological Research Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rabiee, F (2004) Focus group interview and data analysis. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 63, 655660CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, JA, Flowers, P & Osborn, M (1997) Interpretative phenomenological analysis and the psychology of health and illness. In Material Discourses in Health and Illness, pp. 6891 [Yardley, L, editor]. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Smith, JA, Harre, R & Van Langenhove, L (editors) (1995) Ideography and the case study. In Rethinking Psychology, pp. 5969. London: Sage Publications.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, JA, Jarman, M & Osborn, M (1999) Doing interpretative phenomenological analysis In Qualitative Health Psychology: Theories and Methods 218240 [Murray, M & Chamberlain, K, editors]. London: Sage PublicationsCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strauss, A & Corbin, J (1998) Axial coding. Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory, 123142 London: Sage Publications.Google Scholar
Willig, C (2001) Interpretative phenomenology. Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology: Adventures in Theory and Method 6569 Milton Keynes, Bucks: Open University Press.Google Scholar