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Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research

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This book presents a comprehensive guide to interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) which is an increasingly popular approach to qualitative inquiry taught to undergraduate and postgraduate students today. The first chapter outlines the theoretical foundations for IPA. It discusses phenomenology, hermeneutics, and idiography and how they have been taken up by IPA. The next four chapters provide detailed, step by step guidelines to conducting IPA research: study design, data collection and interviewing, data analysis, and writing up. In the next section, the authors give extended worked examples from their own studies in health, sexuality, psychological distress, and identity to illustrate the breadth and depth of IPA research. The final section of the book considers how IPA connects with other contemporary qualitative approaches like discourse and narrative analysis and how it addresses issues to do with validity.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2009

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About the author

Jonathan A. Smith

9 books3 followers
Jonathan Alan Smith is a psychologist currently based at Birkbeck, University of London. He has been very prominent in promoting qualitative research within social psychology and health psychology. In particular, he has developed and promoted a particular approach known as interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Smith achieved a DPhil in Psychology from the University of Oxford and then held lectureships at Keele and Sheffield Universities. He has at least 160 publications to his name.

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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
Profile Image for Amber.
213 reviews
May 4, 2016
This was exactly what I needed for my research project. I had heard of IPA, but never personally used it and I really found this resource useful.
Profile Image for K. R..
Author 2 books11 followers
February 21, 2016
buku berat yang mudah dicerna dan jelas banget tahapannya, etapi akhirnya ga pake IPA di bab 3. hahaha. ya ga ada yang sia-sia lah ya kalo buat nambah pengetahuan mah...
13 reviews
July 23, 2015
Read this in my research classes for my undergrad
Profile Image for JCJBergman.
347 reviews129 followers
February 10, 2023
An excellent companion piece to guide my psychology project based on Near Death Experiences.
Highly recommend.
42 reviews
May 21, 2024
Fantastic methods book. Straightforward and concise. Loved it
131 reviews18 followers
July 3, 2025
Thorough, very clear, and really helpful.
Profile Image for Candace.
88 reviews
May 23, 2020
Read for graduate program Counseling and Art Therapy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews

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