PHENOMENOLOGY -

A RESEARCH DESIGN
JET LEE L. OCAMPO, Ph.D EM Student
What is Phenomenology?

Phenomenology as a research design is growing in popularity,

particularly among doctoral learners.  Departing from the traditional
positivistic nature of most survey and quantitative research,
phenomenology explores the lived experiences of individuals and
groups, and can provide a means to uncover deep understanding of these
experiences from the perspective of the individual actor or the group… 
…While many doctoral students gravitate towards this design, it can
also be challenging to design and execute an effective
phenomenological study–perhaps even more challenging than more
traditional designs. (Goes 2012)
According to Rawat, KJ (2010), Phenomenology is different from all
other research methods because its field of investigation is different
from other methods. What then is this difference? To understand this
difference first of all , phenomenology should be differentiated from
natural sciences’ research methods.
The first difference is , natural sciences study the world of nature , the
physical nature that follows its own laws commonly known as the laws
of nature. Physical nature exists in time and space and it follows the
laws of time and space for example causality. Rather than having events
in nature as its subject matter, phenomenology studies the purely mental
phenomenon. It studies consciousness.
The subject matter of phenomenology is the structure of consciousness,
while everything pertaining to time and space , to the physical nature is
eliminated from the consciousness.
How phenomenology attains to this aim of eliminating every thing bound by
time and space , every thing physical from its subject matter? It is done
through a change in attitude of the researcher. Phenomenology asks a
researcher to suspend all judgments about the physical world. This is called
epoche’ in the language of phenomenology. Epoche’ means ‘to pocket’. A
researcher , while excercising epoche’ holds back , or pockets or brackets
all judgments about the physical nature.
A researcher has to bracket or hold back even the most basic beliefs about
the nature. The most fundamental belief is the belief in the existence. So ,
while doing a phenomenological investigation , one is not concerned about
the existence of an object of consciousness. For example if some one is
doing a research on the notion of human soul , one should not be concerned
about the existence of human soul; rather one has to think about the way the
respondents experience human soul in their consciousness.
If a researcher is doing a research about the magical practices of a
community , he or she should not be concerned about the truth or
existence or veracity of such practices. All judgments are to be
suspended and the only thing to be considered is how people are
experiencing the phenomenon in their consciousness.
Phenomenology is also termed as the study of phenomenon. The word
phenomenon actually stands for the phrase’ how things appear to one’s
consciousness. In order to understand the meaning of phenomenon in
the context of phenomenology one has to understand that things only
give appearance in the consciousness and they are never fully given.
So, when you see a horse , you only see a phenomenon of it , neither
you see the particular horse you are looking at , fully and completely , in
one act of perception , nor you can perceive the universal horse, that
you mean when you say the word horse.
You only see or are aware of or conscious of a single perspective of a
horse , and the inference that what you are looking at is a complete
horse is to transgress or transcend your immediate consciousness. So, if
after looking at a perspective , a phenomenon of a thing , one infers the
whole thing from it , one violates the limits of phenomenology.
For , the inference that there is a horse standing in front of you is not
immanent in your single perception of a thing. If I see a profile of a
picture and infer from this profile the whole image , it means that I have
transcended what is given to my consciousness and I have brought my
judgment , my learning from my previous experiences to this
perception. Where as phenomenology does not allow this inference.
The meaning of the word phenomenon is to be further elaborated. For
this we have to understand a basic property of consciousness.
Consciousness is always intentional . This has a specialized meaning; by
saying that consciousness is always intentional , it means that
consciousness is always of something and never of nothing.
Thus, consciousness is always of something , it is always directed
towards something , it always has an object. So while one is conscious
of something one is aware of that thing, and that awareness can be
attained through various modes of consciousness.
You can be aware of a tree through perceiving the tree, through
remembering the tree, through imagining the tree, through performing
an act on the tree, through making a picture of the tree, through studying
about the tree, through talking about the tree. These are different modes
of awareness through which you become conscious of an object , the
tree.
However , in all modes of awareness, the object remains the same , the same
tree is the object of your consciousness in all these modes. That common
tree is called noema (perceived as perceived) in phenomenology and
different modes of getting awareness about this tree are called noesis. Thus ,
the object of consciousness that remains same in its different phenomenon is
called the noema and the modes to access this noema are called noesis.
One can access this content of noema and noesis through reflection. So, if I
am interested in knowing how people are aware of a ‘mobile phone ‘ I have
to consider certain examples of this experience. These experiences cannot be
called purely phenomenological, because a purely phenomenological
experience is purely mental. However , this purely phenomenological is
always embedded in the concrete space time time events , therefore search
for the purely phenomenological starts from these experiences.
Once we have studied some examples , we can imaginatively vary the
experiences in our minds , to achieve a full range of all the possible
experiences of the type under consideration. This step is called imaginative
variation. If I look at a computer from four sides, I can think about the
infinite possible perspectives from which I can possibly see a computer. But
I cannot actually perform these infinite number of perceiving experiences.
Thus , I have to rely on my imagination and perform such experiences
in my imagination . During these imaginative experiences I try to
change certain details and see what is that which remains self same in
all the variations. I have to look for invariant attributes , things that are
essential to my perceiving of a computer. This is called determination of
essences , or eidetic reduction.
Eidetic reduction means to reduce an experience to ideas or essences. So ,
Initially I look at a house from say five perspectives, and then I repeat the
experience of looking at the house from other possible perspectives in my
imagination. And in each of these experiences, carried out imaginatively I
will try to find out that which remained unchanged, or whose absence
from my awareness will not leave that particular house a house.
These essential features will constitute the object , the noema in its
fullest sense. This noema will be different from the actual objects
because it will include in its description all possibilities of that object.
Such an understanding of an object is also called horizonal
understanding.
Eidetic reduction means to reduce an experience to ideas or essences. So ,
Initially I look at a house from say five perspectives, and then I repeat the
experience of looking at the house from other possible perspectives in my
imagination. And in each of these experiences, carried out imaginatively I
will try to find out that which remained unchanged , or whose absence
from my awareness will not leave that particular house a house.
These essential features will constitute the object , the noema in its
fullest sense. This noema will be different from the actual objects
because it will include in its description all possibilities of that object.
Such an understanding of an object is also called horizonal
understanding…
…In practical applications of phenomenology (Husserl’s) , one first has to
identify a phenomenon to be investigated. Then one has to sample different
exemplary examples of that phenomenon. These examples are to be studied
in depth , and then one has to perform imaginative variation on these
examples to find out the invariant element . During imaginative variation
one has to consider almost all possible ways of looking at the phenomenon.
Eidetic reduction , will then yield the essences.
In social research , one finds a phenomenon to study , say how children
of grade 10 experience the learning of a certain mathematics topic. One
then has to sample a certain number of exemplary examples.
This usually is done through purposive sampling. One selects four or
five respondents, or four or five carefully selected groups for group
discussion. Then one conduct in-depth interviews or focus group
discussions and try to access the firsthand experience of the
respondents through using un-structured questions. Interviews usually
are very lengthy, and last for an hour or two.
These interviews are recorded and transcribed , and then comes the
phenomenological analysis. In this analysis one finds certain themes or
underlying currents that are to be focused. The data in each interview seems
to cluster around these themes. This is called thematic analysis. Once
themes are determined , one has to put together or rearrange the data from
all interviews under the found themes , so that no bit of data is left out.
This organized data is then to be subjected to imaginative variation.
Each time a noema-noetic structure is analyzed to find out
its invariant elements, and thus essences are found. This reduces the
actual to the possible and ideal and a phenomenon is constructed
through exposing the full horizon of its possibilities.
When and When not to Use Phenomenology

According to Goes, J. (2013), In our work of mentoring students at several

different online universities, we see many dissertation proposals that use
phenomenology as a research design.  Yet the reasons for choosing
phenomenology are often unclear, and sometimes do not fit the nature of the
problem and purpose.  Research designs come in and out of fashion, and at
this point in time phenomenology seems to be all the rage.  But is it really
the right design for your problem and your study?
Phenomenology is a design that best fits research problems that are
unstructured, and for which there is little or no research or evidence in
the literature.  Given the explosive growth in doctoral level scholarship
in the last decade, encountering problems like this is less common than
one might think. 
Most major social or organizational problems have already attracted
considerable empirical investigation, and even minor problems have
probably been investigated at some level.  Yet we still see proposals for
phenomenology even for well-studied problems or issues that have been
investigated in both quantitative and qualitative research.  This is an
indicator that doctoral learners are focusing erroneously on methodology,
and not on the problem.
Phenomenology involves gathering the lived experiences of individuals,
and if these experiences are unique and largely unstudied, then a
phenomenological study can generate thick descriptions of great value
for understanding a problem that has not been well studied. 
However, the results of phenomenological studies are, largely not
generalizable beyond the sample.  These results can be very useful for
scoping the dimensions of an unstructured problem, and gaining
sufficient knowledge to then structure theory and an understanding of
variables pertaining to the problem. 
This knowledge can develop subsequent surveys or quantitative studies,
which may then generalize to broader populations.  But if an issue has
already been well studied, then yet another phenomenological study of
the same problem will generate little additional insight.
Unfortunately, there is a mistaken belief among some doctoral learners
that a phenomenological study is easier than other qualitative or
quantitative designs, and therefore a faster path to degree completion. 
Think again. In reality, well-executed phenomenological studies can be
very challenging, may involve use of more difficult analytical tools, and
require considerable effort.  Learners who are avoiding other designs
such as quantitative surveys, perhaps because they are afraid of statistics
or out of a mistaken belief that quantitative studies are much more
difficult, should reconsider their assumptions.
Finally, it is important to keep in mind that the nature of the problem
that should lead to selection of method and design, and not the reverse.
When should you use phenomenology?  Use it when it makes sense, and
not just because it’s popular.
Qualitative Research Questions

According to Cresswell, JW (2014). In a qualitative study, inquirers state research

questions, not objectives (i.e., specific goals for the research) or hypotheses (i.e.,
predictions that involve variables and statistical tests). These research questions
assume two forms: a central question and associated subquestions. The central
question is a broad question that asks for an exploration of the central phenomenon
or concept in a study. The inquirer poses this question, consistent with the emerging
methodology of qualitative research, as a general issue so as to not limit the inquiry.
To arrive at this question, ask, “What is the broadest question that I can ask in the
study?” Beginning researchers trained in quantitative research might struggle with
this approach because they are accustomed to the reverse approach: identifying
specific, narrow questions or hypotheses based on a few variables. In qualitative
research, the intent is to explore the complex set of factors surrounding the central
phenomenon and present the varied perspectives or meanings that participants hold.
The following are guidelines for writing broad, qualitative research questions:
Ask one or two central questions followed by no more than five to seven
subquestions. Several subquestions follow each general central question;
the subquestions narrow the focus of the study but leave open the
questioning. This approach is well within the limits set by Miles and
Huberman (1994), who recommended that researchers write no more than
a dozen qualitative research questions in all (central and subquestions).
The subquestions, in turn, can become specific questions used during
interviews (or in observing or when looking at documents). In developing an
interview protocol or guide, the researcher might ask an ice breaker question
at the beginning, for example, followed by five or so subquestions in the
study. The interview would then end with an additional wrap-up or summary
question or ask, as I did in one of my qualitative case studies, “Who should I
turn to, to learn more about this topic?” (Asmussen & Creswell, 1995)…
…Alternatively, in phenomenology, the questions might be broadly stated
without specific reference to the existing literature or a typology of
questions. Moustakas (1994) talks about asking what the participants
experienced and the contexts or situations in which they experienced it. A
phenomenological example is, “What is it like for a mother to live with a
teenage child who is dying of cancer?” (Nieswiadomy, 1993, p. 151)…
8 Advantages and Disadvantages of
Phenomenological Research (Regoli, N. 2017)
The Pros of Phenomenological Research

When it comes to phenomenological research pros and cons, here are

some of the pros that are important to understand:

1. Unique Perspectives. To be sure, there is some value to be found in

focusing research on how people perceive an event or phenomena,
rather than simply how the phenomena exists in a vacuum.
2. Understanding. Perhaps the biggest benefit of phenomenological
research is the fact that it can provide us with a profound, detailed
understanding of a single phenomena.
3. Rich Data. Culled from enough individuals, the data one can receive
through phenomenological research is rich and impressive. This is a form of
research that allows for a truly unique approach to understanding a
phenomena.
The Cons of Phenomenological Research

While there are a number of uses with phenomenological research, you

can’t say there aren’t some notable downsides:

1. Subjectivity. Establishing the reliability and validity of the approaches

can be challenging, which makes subjective research difficult.

2. Bias. Researcher-induced bias can influence studies, and this is

particularly true with phenomenological research.

3. Pure Bracketing. Interference with the interpretation of the data can lead to a

number of headaches in trying to establish and maintain pure bracketing.

4. Presentation. Presenting the findings of this research is more often than not

difficult, if not impossible. The results of such research can prove to be highly

qualitative, which makes it hard to present the findings in a fashion

practitioners would consider to be useful.

 References

Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Retrieved from: https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm- binaries/22782_Chapter_7.pdf

Goes, J. (2012), Phenomenology As A Research Design. Dissertation Recipe. Retrieved from:

http://www.dissertationrecipes.com/phenomenology-as-a- research-design/

Goes, J. (2013), When And When Not to Use Phenomenology. Dissertation Recipe. Retrieved from:

http://www.dissertationrecipes.com/when-and-when-not-to-use- phenomenology/

Rawat, KJ (2010), Phenomenological Research Method. METHODSPACE. Retrieved from:

https://www.methodspace.com/phenomenological-research-method/

Regoli, N. (2017), 8 Advantages and Disadvantages of Phenomenological Research. ConnectUS. Retrieved from: https://connectusfund.org/8-

advantages-and-disadvantages-of-phenomenological-research
Thank you.