What is the study of human consciousness and individual experience of some phenomena?

The choice of a qualitative methodological approach, just like in quantitative research, depends on the research question. The research question is developed from exploring the literature and reflecting upon the research problem or concern, the nature of the study, and the type of knowledge the researcher wishes to uncover.
There are a wide range of qualitative methodologies which includes phenomenology, grounded theory, case study, narrative inquiry and naturalistic inquiry, historical research, discourse analysis and feminist research. Each of these approaches holds a set of methodological beliefs, principles or theories. It is these beliefs that shape the methods used for data collection and analysis; and the product or outcomes of the research

This qualitative research approach uncovers thoughts, perspectives, understandings, feelings and behaviours from the perspective of the person. It is not interested in cause and effect relationships but rather about providing an account of the experience of 'being in the world' of everyday life, of living in and through the world. In the context of healthcare, phenomenology seeks to explore and understand the meanings of health, illness, disability and disease.
German philosopher, Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), is the founder of the twentieth-century phenomenological movement. Husserl's desire was to seek an alternative to positivism that would integrate the world of science alongside the real 'life-world' of people. For Husserl, human beings were subjects in a world of objects and it was the study of the consciousness of those objects and what we know about them that he called phenomenology. He was concerned with asking questions of knowledge about objects gained through conscious awareness

Also known as Heideggerian phenomenology. It was developed by Heidegger (1889-1976), a pupil and colleague of Husserl but developed his
own beliefs about what phenomenology should be about. In this type of phenomenology Heidegger believed that was a relationship between consciousness and objects. It aims to understand a person's 'position' related to their human experience and the necessary conditions for people being or existing in their world. In this way, the notion of being or 'being- in-this-world' is fundamental as it hopes to understand the nature and the meaning of 'being'
Central aspects to Heideggerian phenomenology are the relationships between self, being, meaning, existence and temporality. Within this, it is believed that people are aware of their own existence and question what it means to be themself in or outside their own world. This is connected to the concept of 'self' which is, in turn, linked to the wider position of the person's place in their community, world and the cosmos. Therefore, people are capable of questioning the meaning of their experiences of being. They can interpret their different worlds by comparing with others around them. People can reflect on the meaning of their experience and can look forward to other possibilities of 'being'
This world has horizons that contain pre-understandings used to assist us to make sense of our situations. This notion lends itself to the commonly used term 'hermeneutics'. Hermeneutic phenomenology provides a framework that defines a view of persons and their being-in-the- world. It also defines how meaning and language are understood and, therefore, how knowledge about humans and their world is subjective, temporal (of time and worldly) and historical. This 'hermeneutic circle' describes the historical, cultural and personal interpretations through which human understanding is developed.
The hermeneutic circle is not a static concept; it is a process that is dynamic and fluid. Therefore, the assumptions contained in understanding are challenged by new understandings. Through making background assumptions visible, in language, the testing of assumptions is possible. The process is 'kaleidoscopic', as different patterns emerge from taken-for-granted understandings. People come to phenomenological research with a history of culture and experience that is bound in language. This process of understanding brings together perspectives influenced by past and current events and presented in a shared language.
Also important to Heidegger (1962 p 386) was the notion that 'being in the world' is always understood in terms of temporality. Temporality refers to the fact that life, as it is lived now, cannot be separated from the historical experience of living a life and the potential for that life in the future. Temporality is therefore directly related to 'the meaning of life' experience. In summary, Heideggerian philosophy has at its core the relationships between self, being, meaning, existence and temporality. For those who require a deeper understanding of Heidegger's interpretive phenomenology, Mackey (2005) provides a comprehensive description and analysis. Table 6.1 compares the two main philosophical schools of Husserl and Heidegger.

Is concerned with describing a custom, group or culture. It is an approach to research that aims to understand the activities and meanings of a social group with an emphasis on understanding its culture. Fetterman (1989, in Welch 2014) describes ethnography as:
"the art and science of describing a group or culture with particular attention on understanding the patterns and meanings of human behaviour such as belief systems, myths, rituals, symbols, customs, roles, events, social interactions and group interrelationships that form the basis of everyday life of a cultural group"
When ethnography first emerged as a research approach it explored traditional cultures phenomena of which little was known such as tribal rituals and patterns of communication in different cultural groups. Today, the focus of ethnography is on contemporary social issues such as homelessness, poverty, and organisational systems like healthcare. Ethnography is considered holistic as it aims to understand the behaviour of a group of people within the context of their own culture as we know that different cultural groups (human societies) view relationships and meanings differently but within a cultural interactions and behaviours are interpreted and understood by its members. The concept of culture is fundamental to ethnography.
A main feature of ethnography is that it considers both the emic (insider reality/perspective) and etic (outsider reality/perspective) interpretations of the phenomena of interest. How much access the researcher will have to both levels will depend on their level of involvement within the culture
As you have probably determined, the concept of culture is fundamental to ethnography. Ethnographers believe that individuals' experiences are socially organised. It is these experiences that are examined and then explored to determine how broader social relationships have shaped them. To be able to do this, the ethnographer must enter the research site to undertake the study - this is known as 'fieldwork'

Sampling is the way in which a researcher identifies and selects individuals, groups, communities, or other data sources that will be used in their study. The sampling method will be determined by the purpose of the study, the research question, the study design and types of data collection and analysis used. In qualitative research we use non-probability sampling where the researcher selects participants from a population that they are interested in studying
There are many qualitative sampling methods that can be applied to qualitative research designs. Non-probability sampling represents a group of sampling techniques that help researchers to select participants from a population that they are interested in studying. In non-probability sampling, not all individuals in the population have equal chance of being selected. Therefore, researchers cannot claim representativeness of this sample to a wider population. However, as generalisability is not a goal for qualitative research, samples do not need to represent a wider population, but rather, are selected based on the subjective judgement of the researcher for best fit with their research question and methods. Non- probability sampling, however, represents a valuable group of sampling techniques that are used mainly in qualitative research, but is sometimes used in quantitative research designs.
Unlike quantitative research where a predetermined number of subjects or elements are sampled, qualitative researchers do not always begin a study with a predetermined sample size. There are no formal criteria for determining sample size. Rather, the 'richness' of data collected is far more important than the number of participants

The methods by which data is collected for a research project are fundamental to the credibility of the research. Data collection methods must be consistent with the research question and design and will happen after the sample population is identified and recruited
Data collection can be either as 'direct data' or 'indirect data'. Direct data includes recordable spoken or written words and observable body-language, actions and interactions and sets the 'context' of qualitative research. Direct data is needed when you are interested in the thoughts, feelings, experiences, meaning of experience, responses, actions, interactions, language and processes of individuals and groups within their social and/or cultural setting.Direct data includes interview, observation, open-ended questionnaire, or journalling (diary accounts)
Indirect data are generated by someone or something else, such as documents or photographs reporting an event or an artistic delivery of an event or experience (e.g. novels, songs, paintings, poems, photographs).
Prior to any data collection, the researcher will provide the participant with a study information sheet that outlines the commitment required form them as well as how issues of confidentiality and anonymity will be assured, including the storage of the data collected. Contact details of the researcher should be provided in the event the participant would like to ask questions prior to the interview commencing. Contact details of the institution who has provided the ethical conduct clearance should be included in the study information sheet.

Includes recordable spoken or written words and observable body-language, actions and interactions and sets the 'context' of qualitative research. Direct data is needed when you are interested in the thoughts, feelings, experiences, meaning of experience, responses, actions, interactions, language and processes of individuals and groups within their social and/or cultural setting. Direct data includes interview, observation, open-ended questionnaire, or journalling (diary accounts)

This is the most commonly used data collection method for qualitative research is interviews. Interviews collect spoken narrative usually through direct encounters between the researcher and participant; however, interviews can also be conducted by telephone, email and, more recently, through social media conversations and micro-blogging (e.g. Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr)
During a qualitative interview it is important that the participant feels as comfortable as possible. The interview should take place at a time and location convenient to both the participant and researcher. Safety for both parties should be assured when selecting the location as well as privacy and comfort. The researcher should ensure that disruptions are avoided or kept to a minimum - it is good to post a 'do not disturb' sign on the door and turn off or disable phones. The researcher must be organised and make sure they have any required equipment and that it is on good working order prior to the interview, such as recording equipment, tapes, consent forms, participant information sheets, drinks and tissues (sometimes interviews can be an emotional experience for the participant)
It is important to allow appropriate time for each interview. They should not be hurried but generally, an interview will not last more than 1-2 hours as 'interview fatigue' can occur. Interviews should allow for natural completion. During the interview if the participant wishes to stop the interview or the researcher senses that the participant is becoming too tired or distressed, then the interview can be stopped or paused at any time. It may require rescheduling to a different time depending on the participants wishes. If the interview is rescheduled, it is recommended to arrange for this for as soon as possible so that flow and recall of previous discussion is not lost

This is a common method of analysing qualitative data and involves a number of steps. The 1st step is where the researcher interrogates the data closely and divides the data into small sections called codes. For written data this means reading and re-reading the data and identifying recurrent words, themes and concepts and labelling these . This involves one of two basic methods of coding
"1. Line-by-line code—carefully examining words, phrases or sentences for data relevant to the overall research question.
2. Scanning paragraphs for units of meaning relevant to answering the research question, which are then denoted (or abstracted) into descriptive codes. There may be several such denotations per paragraph or perhaps none."
The 2nd step is to group the codes logically together, like with like and giving this a label. This is known as categorisation. This may commence quite early or might only be done after all data are coded. Categories may be temporary if there is further analysis and the labelling of the category could change, sub-categories may be developed, and some categories may be
collapsed together. Each category will most likely have a number of sub-categories.
The last step is to establish a hierarchy of categories and sub-categories. During the final stage, the researcher may move back and forth between categories and sub-categories as they continue to explore and reduce the data to the least number of categories possible. Once the researcher believes that the data has been coded, categorised and conceptually ordered satisfactorily, data analysis will stop
In some instances, the researcher may use a specific type of coding.Coding and categorising
This is a common method of analysing qualitative data and involves a number of steps. The 1st step is where the researcher interrogates the data closely and divides the data into small sections called codes. For written data this means reading and re-reading the data and identifying recurrent words, themes and concepts and labelling these.This involves one of two basic methods of coding
"1. Line-by-line code—carefully examining words, phrases or sentences for data relevant to the overall research question.
2. Scanning paragraphs for units of meaning relevant to answering the research question, which are then denoted (or abstracted) into descriptive codes. There may be several such denotations per paragraph or perhaps none."
The 2nd step is to group the codes logically together, like with like and giving this a label. This is known as categorisation. This may commence quite early or might only be done after all data are coded. Categories may be temporary if there is further analysis and the labelling of the category could change, sub-categories may be developed, and some categories may be
collapsed together. Each category will most likely have a number of sub-categories
The last step is to establish a hierarchy of categories and sub-categories. During the final stage, the researcher may move back and forth between categories and sub-categories as they continue to explore and reduce the data to the least number of categories possible. Once the researcher believes that the data has been coded, categorised and conceptually ordered satisfactorily, data analysis will stop.
In some instances, the researcher may use a specific type of coding.

What is the study of human consciousness and individuals experience of some phenomena?

What is lived experience in phenomenology?

What defines a case study?

What is meant by the term grounded theory?