Jonathan A. Smith – författare

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a qualitative research approach committed to the examination of how people make sense of their major life experiences. This text provides a detailed guide to conducting IPA research, presenting the theoretical underpinnings of the approach, a comprehensive overview of the stages of an IPA research project, and examples of high-quality IPA studies.

Extended worked examples from the authors' own studies in health, psychological distress, and identity illustrate the breadth and depth of IPA research, making this book the definitive guide to IPA for students and researchers alike.

New to this edition:

-          A thoroughly updated chapter dedicated to analysis

-          An exemplary mini-study

-          Improved and updated terminology

-          A chapter discussing innovations in design, data collection, and collaboration

'It is not often I can use "accessible" and "phenomenology" in the same sentence, but reading the new book, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis…certainly provides me the occasion to do so. I can say this because these authors provide an engaging and clear introduction to a relatively new analytical approach' - The Weekly Qualitative Report

Undertaking qualitative research in psychology can seem like a daunting and complex process, especially when it comes to selecting the most appropriate approach for your project. This book provides a comprehensive and practical introduction to the key approaches in qualitative psychology research from a world-leading group of academics and researchers.

This Fourth Edition features timely updates that reflect the most current practice in the field.

Jonathan A. Smith is Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck University of London.

The recent widespread rejection of conventional theory and method has led to the evolution of different ways of gathering and analyzing data. This accessible textbook introduces key research methods that challenge psychology's traditional preoccupation with `scientific' experiments.

The book provides a well-structured guide to methods, containing a range of qualitative approaches (for example, semi-structured interviews, grounded theory, discourse analysis) alongside a reworking of quantitative methods to suit contemporary psychological research. A number of chapters are also explicitly concerned with research as a dynamic interactive process. The internationally respected contributors steer the reader through the main stages of conducting a study using these methods.

The brief, practical texts in the Essentials of Qualitative Methods series introduce social science and psychology researchers to key approaches to to qualitative methods, offering exciting opportunities to gather in-depth qualitative data and to develop rich and useful findings. Essentials of Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis is a step-by-step guide to a research method that investigates how people make sense of their lived experience in the context of their personal and social worlds. It is especially well-suited to exploring experiences perceived as highly significant, such as major life and relationship changes, health challenges, and other emotion-laden events. IPA studies highlight convergence and divergence across participants, showing both the experiential themes that the participants share and the unique way each theme is manifested for the individual.About the Essentials of Qualitative Methods book series: Even for experienced researchers, selecting and correctly applying the right method can be challenging. In this groundbreaking series, leading experts in qualitative methods provide clear, crisp, and comprehensive descriptions of their approach, including its methodological integrity, and its benefits and limitations. Each book includes numerous examples to enable readers to quickly and thoroughly grasp how to leverage these valuable methods.

Undertaking qualitative research in psychology can seem like a daunting and complex process, especially when it comes to selecting the most appropriate approach for your project. This book provides a comprehensive and practical introduction to the key approaches in qualitative psychology research from a world-leading group of academics and researchers.

This Fourth Edition features timely updates that reflect the most current practice in the field.

Jonathan A. Smith is Professor of Psychology at Birkbeck University of London.