Module 03 - Case Assignment

Phenomenological Research methods in the Health Sciences

Note to student before responding to this Case Assignment.  As stated in Module Two CA, You should approach this case assignment as if you are the Principal Investigator/Researcher.  Frame any aspect of this case in a context or setting for which you are comfortable.  Make appropriate assumptions and clearly state what your assumptions are for the case. Do not try to write something just to please the Professor!

This Case Assignment is based on your general field of research interests for your dissertation which was identified in Module One. Try to remain with the same overall area of research for this CA.  

This case requires that the  Phenomenological Research method be utilized to research a health science related problem.    Phenomenological Research  design is as intense as many of the other qualitative research designs; however, the researcher involves their personality and uses intuiting -- The process of looking at a phenomenon. 

Phenomenological usually follow one of three strategies based on the work of wither Colaizzi, Giorgi, or Van Kaam.  Read Carl Holroyd,  Phenomenological Research Method, Design and Procedure:  A phenomenological investigation of the phenomenon of
being-in-community as experienced by two individuals who have participated in a Community Building Workshop  http://www.ipjp.org/april2001/holroyd.pdf   Keep in mind that the major difference between an ethnographic study and a phenomenological study is the philosophical differences.  Ethnographic research observes the subjects from within the group where the researcher is immersed; phenomenological research studies an phenomenon through the detailed rich descriptions of the experiences of the study subjects that experienced it.

 After you have reviewed the references and researched the Phenomenological Research design/method  please complete the following tasks:

1.  Identify and define a topic in the health sciences that you consider to be suitable for using the Phenomenological Research design/methodology.

2.  Clearly state (define) your phenomenon to be studies and its boundaries to be studied.

3.   State your research question for the study;

4.  Carefully, describe your constructs and define the boundaries of your case. 

5.  Describe the elements of the study.

6.  Present a conceptual framework for study.

7.  Describe how you will generally approach the study. 

8. Briefly, discuss any problem you believe will be a barrier to complete the study and if you believe that another qualitative methodology may be more suited to the subject you identified for this study.

Please upload your completed case assignment to CourseNet by the end of this module.