Phenomenological Research Design: Limitations and Amelioration

Introduction

The current study utilized a phenomenological study design. This type of qualitative research methodology has been reported to have several limitations. One of the key weaknesses of phenomenology is that the respondents must be in a position to articulate their feelings and thoughts related to the experience that is being investigated. In some cases, this cannot be achieved because the respondents might not be in a position to appropriately express themselves due to language barriers, personality factors (such as embarrassment), cognition, and age (Centre for Innovation in Research and Teaching, n.d.). Also, Shi (2011) noted that it might prove difficult for researchers to carry out an in-depth interview in a particular language, say English if the participants have limited language proficiency. Additionally, in situations where there are age and language barriers, the researchers may find difficulty achieving internal validity. This is because even if the transcripts and analysis are sent back to the participants for verification, they may find it difficult understanding the transcript due to language barriers (Shi, 2011).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The second limitation linked to phenomenological studies is the emphasis on 'life-world' subjectivity and the resulting difficulty of claiming to have generalizable research findings (Ziakas & Boukas, 2014). Consequently, the findings of phenomenological studies have limited external validity. That is, the results of the study cannot be generalized to populations, settings, and contexts other than the sample being studied. Similarly, Atieno (2009) stated the major limitation associated with the use of qualitative research techniques, such as phenomenology, is that the results of the studies are not transferable to the larger populations like in quantitative approaches. This is because the results of qualitative research cannot be tested to determine whether or not they have statistical significance or due to chance (Atieno, 2009).

Also related to subjectivity and generalizability, phenomenological methods have been reported to have bias. One of the key biases that are recognizable in a phenomenological research study is the use of purposive sampling to recruit the participants for the study. It is important to mention that being a non-probability sampling technique, purposive sampling does not yield generalizable findings. That is, findings derived from qualitative studies, such as phenomenology, have limited external validity. According to Gerrish and Lacey (2010), purposive sampling involves the selection of participants for a study on the basis of a particular purpose. Gerrish and Lacey (2010) argue that purposive sampling is appropriate for phenomenological study because it provides a good personal account of the experience being explored.

Lastly, phenomenological research method and other qualitative research designs use small sample sizes to address the purpose(s) of the studies (Rahman, 2016). According to Harry and Lipsky (2014), small sample sizes used in qualitative methods raise the issue of the external validity of the research findings. The findings derived from studies with small sample sizes have been reported to have limited generalizability (Lam, 2015).

The limitations of phenomenological designs need to be addressed. For instance, in situations where the respondents are not in a position to articulate their feelings and thoughts regarding the experience that is being investigated due to language barriers, researchers are needed to ask the participants to mention the language they feel comfortable working with. For instance, if they feel comfortable being interviewed in their first language rather than in a second or foreign language, it is vital that the researchers need to consider hiring research assistants to carry out interview using the language(s) the respondents are comfortable using (Shi, 2011).

Even though purposive sampling, a non-probability sampling method, has been reported to affect the generalizability of findings obtained from phenomenological studies, no alternative sampling technique has been proposed in the literature. Purposive sampling is utilized because it offers a valuable perspective on the phenomenon being examined (Larkin & Thompson, 2012).

Despite the concerns related to the generalizability of the findings obtained through phenomenological studies, Gerrish and Lacey (2010) explained that the transferability of the findings could be enhanced through in-depth analysis of more than one case study. Even though the increased number of respondents can improve the generalizability of the findings, Gerrish and Lacey (2010) explained that the most critical insights could be generated by the authors through the in-depth reflection of about 6 to 12 cases. Based on the sample of 17 participants chosen used in McPhail, Dwyer, Hanemaayer, and Preyde's (2017), it can be argued that the sample was too larger to allow for in-depth analysis of the phenomenon being examined. Consequently, the authors should have used a smaller sample to help in ameliorating generalizability concerns.

Conclusion

The use of a small sample size gives a researcher the chance to vividly examine the similarity and the differences existing in participants' response to the interview questions are. Also, Pietkiewicz and Smith (2014) have argued that small sample size allows for in-depth examination of the phenomenon of interest. In support of a small number of participants, Lannan (2015) used four respondents in his study while Hayton (2009) and Jeong and Othman (2016) chose five and eight respondents respectively.

References

Atieno, O. P. (2009). An analysis of the strengths and limitation of qualitative and quantitative research paradigms. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 13(1), 13-38.

Centre for Innovation in Research and Teaching (n.d.). Phenomenology research overview. Retrieved from https://cirt.gcu.edu/research/developmentresources/research_ready/phenomenology/phen_overview

Gerrish, K., & Lacey, A. (2010). The Research Process in Nursing. John Wiley & Sons.

Harry, B., & Lipsky, M. (2014). Qualitative Research on Special Education Teacher Preparation. In M. McCray, Brownell, & B. Lignugaris/Kraft (Eds.), Handbook of research on special education teacher preparation (pp. 445-460).

Hayton, R. A. (2009). Using interpretative phenomenological analysis to investigate the experiences of young men growing up in a rural community. Reflections on identity and aspirations. Retrieved from https://theses.ncl.ac.uk/dspace/bitstream/10443/1559/1/

Hayton09.pdfJeong, H., & Othman, J. (2016). Using interpretative phenomenological analysis from a realist perspective. The Qualitative Report, 21(3), 558-570.

Lam, R. (2015). Language assessment training in Hong Kong: Implications for language assessment literacy. Language Testing, 32(2), 169-197.

Lannan, K. (2015). Interpretative phenomenological analysis: exploring the formative experiences of community college students enrolled in remedial courses (PhD Thesis). Colorado State University. Libraries.

Larkin, M., & Thompson, A. (2012). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Research Methods in Mental Health and Psychotherapy: A Guide for Students and Practitioners, 99-116.

McPhail, C., Dwyer, J. J., Hanemaayer, R., & Preyde, M. (2017). The experience of parental cancer among emerging adult university students. Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 35(2), 202-219.

Pietkiewicz, I., & Smith, J. A. (2014). A practical guide to using interpretative phenomenological analysis in qualitative research psychology. Psychological Journal, 20(1), 7-14.

Rahman, M. S. (2016). The advantages and disadvantages of using qualitative and quantitative approaches and methods in language "Testing and Assessment" research: A literature review. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(1), 102.

Shi, Z. (2011). Dilemmas in using phenomenology to investigate elementary school children learning English as a second language. Retrieved from https://ineducation.ca/ineducation/article/view/88

Ziakas, V., & Boukas, N. (2014). Contextualizing phenomenology in event management research: Deciphering the meaning of event experiences. International Journal of Event and Festival Management, 5(1), 56-73.