Written exclusively from the phenomenological perspective, this book offers a unique approach to finding meaning in human experiences through a post-modern interpretation of the study of being.

Revisioning Psychiatry brings together new perspectives on the causes and treatment of mental health problems. The contributors emphasize the importance of understanding experience and explore how the brain, the person, and the social world interact to give rise to mental health problems as well as resilience and recovery.

Introduction to Phenomenology: Focus on Methodology breaks down the history, methodology, and application so students can more easily write proposals and conduct phenomenological research. This book provides a clear picture of phenomenology’s applications to social, behavioral, and health sciences, covering both interpretive and descriptive phenomenology from research design through analysis.

The purpose of this work is to critically assess Errol E. Harris’s process philosophy in the face of contemporary research in the special sciences. Harris devoted his life to grappling with the big questions concerning the relationships between nature, mind, and knowledge. His 70-plus year career was distinguished, his texts on the history of philosophy, philosophy of science, political philosophy, philosophy of religion, and consciousness were widely published, and yet his metaphysics has until now remained excluded from mainstream discussions. This book’s contention is that Harris’s work reveals as yet unnoticed connections between theories in numerous scientific disciplines ranging from psychology to cosmology and that an examination of certain theories within these disciplines may serve to strengthen his original arguments. This work maintains that the resulting metaphysics frames a transdisciplinary paradigm shift and provides a viable solution to the hard problem of consciousness.

Phenomenology originated as a novel way of doing philosophy early in the twentieth century. In the writings of Husserl and Heidegger, regarded as its founders, it was a non-empirical kind of philosophical enquiry. Although this tradition has continued in a variety of forms, ‘phenomenology’ is now also used to denote an empirical form of qualitative research (PQR), especially in health, psychology and education. However, the methods adopted by researchers in these disciplines have never been subject to detailed critical analysis; nor have the methods advocated by methodological writers who are regularly cited in the research literature. This book examines these methods closely, offering a detailed analysis of worked-through examples in three influential textbooks by Giorgi, van Manen, and Smith, Flowers and Larkin. Paley argues that the methods described in these texts are radically under-specified, and suggests alternatives to PQR as an approach to qualitative research, particularly the use of interview data in the construction of models designed to explain phenomena rather than merely describe or interpret them. This book also analyses, and aims to develop, the implicit theory of ‘meaning’ found in PQR writings. The author establishes an account of ‘meaning’ as an inference marker, and explores the methodological implications of this view. This book evaluates the methods used in phenomenology-as-qualitative-research, and formulates a more fully theorised alternative. It will appeal to researchers and students in the areas of health, nursing, psychology, education, public health, sociology, anthropology, political science, philosophy and logic.

Fundamentals of Qualitative Phenomenological Nursing Research is the first book of its kind to specifically link the findings of qualitative research to evidence-based practice, policy, theory, and theory development. Designed for novice researchers, graduate students, and experienced practitioners alike, this comprehensive resource provides up-to-date coverage of research methods and techniques, the use of data analysis software, phenomenological writing and publishing, and more. The text opens with a general introduction to qualitative research and its components, followed by detailed description of the philosophical, paradigmatic, and conceptual aspects of phenomenological inquiry. Subsequent sections address topics including the practical aspects of phenomenological investigations, the concepts of rigor and validity in qualitative studies, and the methods of phenomenological data, collection, reduction, analysis, interpretation, and presentation. Throughout the book, author Brigitte S. Cypress offers expert guidance and real-world tips regarding the challenges researchers encounter when conducting a qualitative study. Provides simple, straightforward descriptions of qualitative research methods with actual phenomenological examples Features numerous in-depth exemplars of the philosophical and paradigmatic aspects of qualitative research from the author’s own studies Includes practical advice on teamwork, mentoring relationships, data organization, and reporting phenomenological studies Presents approaches for dealing with ethical issues, methods for collecting, recording, and storing data, and techniques for analyzing and interpreting findings Examines the role of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software Fundamentals of Qualitative Phenomenological Nursing Research is a must-have guide for qualitative researchers from any discipline, academics and faculty members, and undergraduate and graduate nursing students wanting to learn more about phenomenology as a research approach.

The Fifth Edition has been thoroughly updated with 10 brand new chapters. Within the text, new exemplar research chapters include the various qualitative methods, phenomenology, ethnography, grounded theory, case study, historical, narrative inquiry, and action research. This text continues to retain the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in the same study while relying on the best qualitative researchers in the field to form an inclusive representation of qualitative research, including philosophical underpinnings, methods, exemplars, ethics, evaluation, and combining mixed methods. : Important Notice: The digital edition of this book is missing some of the images or content found in the physical edition.

Qualitative research, once on the fringes, now plays a central part in advancing nursing and midwifery knowledge, contributing to the development of the evidence base for healthcare practice. Divided into four parts, this authoritative handbook contains over forty chapters on the state of the art and science of qualitative research in nursing. The first part begins by addressing the significance of qualitative inquiry to the development of nursing knowledge, and then goes on to explore in depth programs of qualitative nursing research. The second section focuses on a wide range of core qualitative methods, from descriptive phenomenology, through to formal grounded theory and to ethnography, and narrative research. The third section highlights key issues and controversies in contemporary qualitative nursing research, including discussion of ethical and political issues, evidence-based practice and Internet research. The final section takes a unique look at qualitative nursing research as it is practiced throughout the world with chapters on countries and regions from the UK and Europe, North America, Australasia, Latin America, to Japan, China, and Korea. With an international selection of established scholars contributing, this is an essential overview and will help to propel qualitative research in nursing well into the twenty-first century. It is an invaluable reference for all nursing researchers.

This handbook brings together authoritative contributions from leading mental health researchers, educators and practitioners to provide a comprehensive text for community mental health nurses in training and practice. In thirty-three chapters it covers a wide range of topics, from the history of the profession to current approaches to specific client groups, organised around three linked themes: professional context practice issues education and research. Each chapter includes a summary of key points and suggestions for further reading, and also includes useful appendices listing key professional and voluntary organisations, journals, Internet and mailing lists. The handbook reflects the diversity and scope of the role of the CMHN and recognizes the multidisciplinary and service user context in which nurses work. It is an essential text for CMHNs and mental health nurse educators, and offers a useful source of reference for allied professionals.

The Third Edition of this popular text offers those new to qualitative inquiry a clear and practical guide to the reasons for doing qualitative research, matching questions to appropriate methods, and the tasks necessary for getting started. In their direct and friendly style, Lyn Richards and Janice M. Morse help researchers reflect on why they are working qualitatively and how to choose an appropriate method, and then approach confidently the tasks of research design, data making, coding, analyzing, and, finally, writing up results. "This text offers current thinking in the field. The authors are well-established qualitative researchers and have pulled off a great text for the beginning researcher." - Matthew A. Eichler, Texas State University–San Marcos "The key strength of this text is the discussion and presentation of how to think about qualitative research. This is the only text that discusses the process of thinking before doing at any stage of the research project, from the general idea to the writing up and submitting for publication." - Ruth Segal, Seton Hall University "The text is very clear and well organized, and accessible for new students. In comparison to many other introductory texts, it really brings to the fore the need for theoretical and methodological coherence." - Irina L. G. Todorova, Northeastern University