A reflective journal as learning process and contribution to quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis

TL;DR: This paper examined the relationship between journaling as a learning process when undertaking computer-assisted qualitative data analysis and establishing quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis, and argued that these constructs are intimately linked to the researcher-learning-process.

Abstract: Using selected, contemporaneous illustrations from the reflective journal of a doctoral student undertaking data analysis for the first time, this article examines the relationship between journaling as a learning process when undertaking computer-assisted qualitative data analysis and establishing quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis. The writing of the journal is shown both to enact some potential validity criteria (e.g. in producing an audit trail) whilst also recording and reflectively prompting the process of learning, interpretation and bracketing, thus evidencing transparency. By using a journal inside the software package and alongside the stages of the interpretative phenomenological analysis, analysis within the software package, it is argued that quality and validity become dynamic, not static constructs. These constructs are intimately linked to the researcher-learning-process and permit a critical stance to be taken.

Summary

Introduction

• It examines the activity of journaling, (i.e. the use of a reflective researcher-created regular written log) as a learning process when undertaking data analysis.
• The use of a software package instead can enable and in turn, be judged against, as being of quality and valid.

The learning process

• The doctoral study from which the data are being analysed concerns the exploration of the role and experience of Approved Mental Health Professionals , a statutory role in which various approved non-medical professionals assess people for admission to mental health hospital in England and Wales.
• At this stage in the process the student was beginning to use the journal to reflect upon the reading she was doing in relation to the use of the software package to manage the analysis.
• In IPA the analyst is offering an interpretative account of what it means for the participant to have such concerns in a particular context 18/11/2014 10:06 what it means for the person in this particular situation (Larkin et al.
• This, as it turns out, did not matter as she was becoming more aware that her use of the journal was allowing her to reflect upon the learning and in turn she could use journals linked to each source as a way of not just analysing each source but of adding layers.

Conclusion

• This article discusses the relationship between such use and the process of data analysis when they are both housed inside a software package.
• The journal that began about the process became within the process.
• Using a journal inside the same software package housing the data is dynamic, simultaneously enabling the process of moving from description to interpretation and the development of the hermeneutic and later double hermeneutic, essential to IPA, and the assurance of its quality and validity.
• The testimony upon which their argument is based relies on the experience of one student.
• The student has also realised that analysis is an ongoing process.

Figures

Figure 3. Excerpt from data showing ‘role over’ phrase highlighted

Figure 2. Excerpt from Nvivo transcript depicting annotation

Figure 4. Rich picture illustrating ‘role over’

Figure 1. Screenshot of highlighted text denoting links between journal thoughts and data

Full text

Open Research Online
The Open University’s repository of research publications
and other research outputs
A reflective journal as learning process and
contribution to quality and validity in interpretative
phenomenological analysis
Journal Item
How to cite:
Vicary, Sarah; Young, Alys and Hicks, Stephen (2017). A reflective journal as learning process and contribution to
quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Social Work, 16(4) pp. 550–565.
For guidance on citations see FAQs.
c
 2016 The Authors
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Version: Accepted Manuscript
Link(s) to article on publisher’s website:
http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1177/1473325016635244
Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright
owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies
page.
oro.open.ac.uk

Open Research Online
The Open University’s repository of research publications
and other research outputs
A reflective journal as learning process and
contribution to quality and validity in interpretative
phenomenological analysis
Journal Article
How to cite:
Vicary, Sarah; Young, Alys and Hicks, Stephen (2016). A reflective journal as learning process and
contribution to quality and validity in interpretative phenomenological analysis. Qualitative Social Work
(early access).
For guidance on citations see FAQs.
c
 2016 The Authors
Version: Accepted Manuscript
Link(s) to article on publisher’s website:
http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1177/1473325016635244
Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other
copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online’s data policy on reuse of materials please
consult the policies page.
oro.open.ac.uk

!
!
!
"!
A"reflective"journal"as"learning"process"and"contribution"to"quality"and"
validity"in"Interpretative"Phenomenological"A na lysis""
#$%$&!'()$%*+!,-*.!/0123!$24!#567&62!8()9.!
Abstract"
:.(23!.6-6)564+!)0256;70%$2601.!(--1.5%$5(02.!<%0;!5&6!%6<-6)5(=6!>01%2$-!0<!$!40)50%$-!
.514625!1246%5$9(23!4$5$!$2$-*.(.!<0%!5&6!<(%.5!5(;6+!5&(.!$%5()-6!6?$;(26.!5&6!
%6-$5(02.&(7!@65A662!>01%2$-(23!$.!$!-6$%2(23!7%0)6..!A&62!1246%5$9(23!)0;7156%!
$..(.564!B1$-(5$5(=6!4$5$!$2$-*.(.!$24!6.5$@-(.&(23!B1$-(5*!$24!=$-(4(5*!(2!C256%7%65$5(=6!
D&620;620-03()$-!,2$-*.(.!ECD,FG!H&6!A%(5(23!0<!5&6!>01%2$-!(.!.&0A2!@05&!50!62$)5!
.0;6!705625($-!=$-(4(5*!)%(56%($!E6G3G!(2!7%041)(23!$2!$14(5!5%$(-F!A&(-.5!$-.0!%6)0%4(23!
$24!%6<-6)5(=6-*!7%0;75(23!5&6!7%0)6..!0<!-6$%2(23+!(256%7%65$5(02!$24!@%$)965(23+!5&1.!
6=(462)(23!5%$2.7$%62)*G!I*!1.(23!$!>01%2$-!inside&5&6!.0<5A$%6!7$)9$36!$24!$-023.(46!
5&6!.5$36.!0<!5&6!CD,+!$2$-*.(.!A(5&(2!5&6!.0<5A$%6!7$)9$36+!(5!(.!$%3164!5&$5!B1$-(5*!$24!
=$-(4(5*!@6)0;6!4*2$;()+!205!.5$5()!)02.5%1)5.G!H&6.6!)02.5%1)5.!$%6!(25(;$56-*!-(2964!
50!5&6!%6.6$%)&6%J-6$%2(23J7%0)6..!$24!76%;(5!$!)%(5()$-!.5$2)6!50!@6!5$962G!
This"is"an"Author"Accepted"Version"of"a"manuscript"published"in"Qualitative)Social)
Work"(2016)."Copyright"Sage."

!
!
!
K!
Keywords"
L6$%2(23!7%0)6..+!%6<-6)5(=6!>01%2$-+!B1$-(5*!$24!=$-(4(5*+!)0;7156%!$..(.564!B1$-(5$5(=6!
4$5$!$2$-*.(.+!(256%7%65$5(=6!7&620;620-03()$-!$2$-*.(.!ECD,F!
!
Introduction"
C256%7%65$5(=6!D&620;620-03()$-!,2$-*.(.!ECD,F+!$.!$!B1$-(5$5(=6!%6.6$%)&!$77%0$)&!
(2(5($564!$24!46=6-0764!7%(;$%(-*!(2!5&6!<(6-4!0<!&6$-5&!7.*)&0-03*!E#;(5&+!"MMNO!#;(5&!
65!$-G+!KPPMF+!&$.!$55%$)564!.(32(<()$25!46@$56!$@015!A&$5!;(3&5!)02.5(5156!B1$-(5*!$24!
=$-(4(5*!A(5&(2!(5.!;65&040-03()$-!<%$;6A0%9!EQ&$;@6%-$(2+!KP""O!#&$A+!KP""O!#;(5&!
KP""$O!#;(5&!KP""@O!H040%0=$+!KP""FG!C256%6.5!(2!B1$-(5*!$24!=$-(4(5*!&$.!)625%64!02!$--!
.5$36.!(2!5&6!%6.6$%)&!7%0)6..O!.$;7-6!(4625(<()$5(02+!4$5$!)0--6)5(02+!4$5$!$2$-*.(.!
E(256%7%65$5(02F!$24!%67%6.625$5(02!(2!7%(25!EI%0)9(!65!$-G+!KPPNO!R66!KP""O!L$%9(2!65!$-G!
KPPNFG!,5!(..16!(.!A&65&6%!$24!&0A!)%(56%($!;(3&5!@6!46=6-0764!7$%5()1-$%!50!CD,!0%!
A&65&6%!5&6!46@$56.!5&$5!4(.)1..!B1$-(5*!$24!=$-(4(5*!%6;$(2!5&6!.$;6!$.!<0%!$--!
B1$-(5$5(=6!%6.6$%)&!;65&040-03(6.!ER1@$!$24!L(2)0-2+!KPPSO!L(2)0-2!$24!R1@$!"MTSO!
#6$-6!$24!#(-=6%;$2!"MMUO!V0@.02+!KPPKO!V0-<6!KPPNFG!H&(.!$%5()-6!<0)1..6.!02!&0A!$!
.514625!5$)9-64!5&6!(..16!0<!B1$-(5*!$24!=$-(4(5*!(2!CD,!4$5$!$2$-*.(.!A&(-6!)$%%*(23!015!
$2!CD,!7%0>6)5!<0%!5&6!<(%.5!5(;6!$.!7$%5!0<!$!D&WG!C5!6?$;(26.!5&6!$)5(=(5*!0<!>01%2$-(23+!

!
!
!
X!
E(G6G!5&6!1.6!0<!$!%6<-6)5(=6!%6.6$%)&6%J)%6$564!%631-$%!A%(5562!-03F!$.!$!-6$%2(23!7%0)6..!
A&62!1246%5$9(23!4$5$!$2$-*.(.G!!#76)(<()$--*!@*!1.(23!$!>01%2$-!inside&$!4$5$!
;$2$36;625!)0;7156%!.0<5A$%6!7$)9$36!E(2!5&(.!)$.6!Y#V!Z=(=0!"PF!$24!$-023.(46!5&6!
.5$36.!0<!5&6!CD,!$2$-*.(.+!$-.0!A(5&(2!5&6!.0<5A$%6!7$)9$36+!A6!$%316!5&$5!B1$-(5*!$24!
=$-(4(5*!@6)0;6!4*2$;()+!205!.5$5()+!)02.5%1)5.!(25(;$56-*!-(2964!50!5&6!%6.6$%)&6%J
-6$%2(23J7%0)6..G!![6!6?$;(26!5&6!6?5625!50!A&()&!>01%2$-(23!62$)5.!)%(56%($!@*!A&()&!
\B1$-(5*]!;(3&5!@6!46<(264!$24!%6)032(.64G![6!.&0A!&0A!(5.!7%0)6..!$.!.514625!
-6$%2(23!500-!;6.&6.!A(5&!5&6!401@-6!&6%;62615()+!6..625($-!50!5&6!CD,!$77%0$)&+!
A&(-.5!&0-4(23!(5!17!50!)%(5()$-!6?$;(2$5(02G!^?)6%75.!<%0;!5&6!%6.6$%)&6%].!>01%2$-!
7%6.62564!(2!(5$-().!$%6!1.64!5&%013&015!50!(--1.5%$56G!
!
Quality"and"validity"in"data"analysis"
Z1;6%01.!$15&0%.!$556;75!50!7%041)6!)%(56%($!<0%!$..6..(23!5&6!B1$-(5*!$24!=$-(4(5*!0<!
B1$-(5$5(=6!%6.6$%)&!@05&!3626%()$--*!E8$;;6%.-6*+!KPPTF!$24!$)%0..!$!%$236!0<!
4(.)(7-(26.!.1)&!$.!.0)($-!A0%9!EI$%1.)&!65!$-G!KPP"F+!21%.(23!EV0-<6+!KPPNF!$24!
7.*)&0-03*!E/$%4-6*+!KPPPFG!8$;;6%.-6*].!7%_)(.!46<(26.!$!)025%$.5(23!.76)5%1;O!$5!
5&6!026!624!$!<(2(56!.65!0<!0@.6%=$@-6!$24!12(=6%.$-!(24()$50%.!$24!$5!5&6!05&6%!$!-(.5!0<!
)02.(46%$5(02.!$3%664!(2!-0)$-!)(%)1;.5$2)6.G!8$;;6%.-6*].!0A2!7%6<6%62)6!<0%!