Using The Method Ipa Is It Favors Open Ended Questions With The Individual 's Experiences

The three years saw me utilising qualitative methods such as IPA and quantitative methods. Understanding the pros and cons of various methods made me competent in my ability to conduct literature reviews; assignments which demanded refining large bodies of research and drawing conclusions from findings. Mastering these skills gave me the enthusiasm to continue with my studies.

There are two types of collecting data for research, which are qualitative and quantitative research. Qualitative research is used to gain a thorough explanation about a phenomena, and ‘is normally recognisable via the use of methods that include, at least, in-depth interview and group-moderation techniques’ (Bailey 2013)

“’Identity has been increasingly used to refer to the social and historical make-up of a person, personality as a construct. Sometimes such identities are conceived narrowly psychological, individualist terms, as the cumulative result of personal experience and family history”

Researchers often times are faced with the decision of choosing a methodology of research; either Quantitative or Qualitative that they think best fits their study and objectives. This choice is guarded by the topic of study, the advantages and disadvantages, and the strengths and weaknesses of using either one or the other type of the methodologies.

Phenomenological interview limitations may appear due to the researcher’s lack of experience in conducting interviews (Downey, 2015); which may interfere with the researcher’s focus and intentionality (Ashworth, 2017). Limitations may occur with the relationship between the researcher and the interviewee, including power struggles which might affect trust and honest participant reflections (Boucher, 2017). Further, time limitations could impede upon a participants deliberation process during the interview process (Downey, 2015). If a researcher is to understand the essence of a phenomenon; a suspension of judgment is required during participant interviews (Ashworth, 2017). Additionally, the researcher will need to be extremely attentive to experience the study through the participants’ eyes (Kelley, 2016). Individuals may choose not to answer every question, which is acceptable; yet, missing data can also become a limitation to the study. However, if enough participants do not answer the same question, the question might need to be reframed or removed; additionally, secondary data, such as technical reports, white papers or additional publications might be necessary to validate the research question (Johnston, 2014).

The method I chose for this analysis is in-depth interview. This ethnographic method will be best because it allows me to understand an

Each individual possesses an identity that makes him or her unique in their own special way. This identity is considered a marker that helps define and shape the person, even as they develop by means of age or wisdom. In addition to that, various factors, such as ethnicity, gender, religion, language, or culture, contribute to establishing one’s identity. Although each identity is different, Andrew Solomon acknowledges another difference amongst one’s identity. This difference depends on whether someone encompasses a horizontal identity or a vertical identity.

Understanding one's own personal identity can help to shape a stronger sense of self and develop empathy for

I have employed the following methodologies; questionnaire, content analysis and interview including both primary and secondary research. The questionnaire is used as a short representative of individual’s opinions or evidence to prove statistics throughout my PIP. Content

The units used for quantifying variable data should be consistent throughout the study. Data collected through survey instruments should be treated in a manner that accurately reflects the intended goals of the study. For example, answers to survey questions, such as ethnic identity, may retrieve more than one answer. How the researchers handle this situation may have an impact on the relevance of the findings.

Arroll and Howard (2012) and Ashbring (2000) both utilize qualitative methods. According to Breakwell, Smith and Wright (2012) researchers using semi-structures interviews using their questions as a guide for the interview process. Arroll and Howards (2012) use of semi-structured interview fits well with Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) due to its flexible method of collecting data as suggested by Breakwell et al (2012). Dickson, Knussen and Flowers (2007) sum up IPA as having a focus on the links

“How I know” represents the epistemological dimension, the evolution of assumptions about the nature, limits and certainty of knowledge. “Who am I” represents the intrapersonal dimension, the evolution of how one thinks about ones self identity. And the final question “what kind of relationship do I want to construct” represents the interpersonal dimension, the evolution of how one perceives and constructs ones relationship with others. The epistemological dimension is grounded in the constructive-developmental framework of the Piagetian tradition, which suggests that people construct sets of assumption to account for their experience and that those evolve over time according to regular principles of stability and change. The interpersonal and intrapersonal dimension often referred to as identity or self evolution, described by Ruthellen Josselson as “identity is what we make of ourselves within a society that is making something of us”. This description illustrates the difficulty of separating these two dimensions. Formation of identity is closely tied to the relationships one has with external others in the same way that the relationships one has with external others are mediated by ones identity development. This specific longitudinal study focused on the epistemological dimension during the college years, during the post-college

Some say that the IPA technique has become very popular amongst students as it focuses on personal lived experience, which fits well with the quantitative method. Within the field of research, there is constant debate on how to determine validity. Elliott, Fischer and Rennie (1999) suggested a quality criterion for qualitative research.

Social Identity Theory has a considerable impact on social psychology. It is tested in a wide range of

As mentioned, the research method used for this study was participant observation. This was further divided into three different segments. Each of these segments featured its own distinct observation site and involved one hour of observation per site.