Phenomenology is an established qualitative research strategy dedicated to exploring and interpreting lived experiences to uncover the inherent meanings individuals ascribe to phenomena. This study examines the theoretical and methodological dimensions of phenomenology, focusing explicitly on its two predominant forms: descriptive (Husserlian) and interpretive (Heideggerian) phenomenology. While descriptive phenomenology emphasises bracketing preconceptions to reveal essential structures of experience, interpretive phenomenology acknowledges the researcher’s role in co-constructing meaning through hermeneutic interpretation and reflexivity. This paper critically analyses core phenomenological concepts, including epoché, bracketing, double hermeneutics, researcher positionality, and purposive participant selection. The study offers researchers a comprehensive understanding of phenomenology’s philosophical underpinnings, methodological rigour, and practical applications in qualitative research by systematically synthesising classical and contemporary sources.
Alexander Oluka (Thu,) studied this question.