Understanding the marriage of technology and phenomenological research: From design to analysis

Abstract

Phenomenologists seek to discover the universal essence of their participants’ lived experiences through a reiterative analysis process. While phenomenologists (in transcendental and empirical approaches) often follow very traditional practices in conducting research, there are a number of alternatives available that can aid in the overall research process. From virtual interviews to transcription software, many of these tools provide varying benefits and they are especially useful for smaller scale phenomenological research studies (from 1 to 20 participants). In this article, the authors discuss a number of technology choices including virtual interview practices, transcription procedures, researcher reflective portfolios and qualitative analysis techniques using spreadsheet programs.