Exploring lived experience: principles and practice of phenomenological research

Background Phenomenology has been increasingly used in therapy and rehabilitation research. While some confusion exists about the nature of the phenomenological project, the desire to understand the lived experience of illness and/or wellbeing is evident. Content This article outlines current theory and practice of phenomenological research applied to health care. I explain the basic ideas underpinning phenomenological research such as the lifeworld and the use of bracketing. With its diverse philosophical heritage, phenomenological research has evolved into a range of approaches including first person accounts, descriptive phenomenology and hermeneutic phenomenology. These are discussed using a range of examples. Conclusions Studies which focus on subjective experience without attending to the ‘phenomenological attitude’ and/or underpinning philosophical theory are probably best considered phenomenologically-inspired rather than phenomenology per se. The special contribution and strength of phenomenology is the way it can capture the richness, poignancy, resonance and ambiguity of lived experience, allowing readers to see the worlds of others in new and deeper ways.