IPA resources starter pack

By Qual Academy partner Elly Phillips

If you’re planning to conduct a study using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) or want a place to start learning more about this methodology, here’s a starter set of references and resources for you. I aimed to cover the arc of the research process with a range of recent work from different sources. If you go ahead with an IPA study, particularly at the doctoral level, this is a starting point, and you should certainly be building on this.

My experience is that for most IPA novices (although the same applies to other types of qualitative research), the most difficult part at the beginning is taking the jump from WHAT to do to HOW to do it. I’ve picked out sources that provide support to you as you make that leap, by selecting resources with examples and containing a more experiential perspective on these topics.

Getting the basics

Smith, J. A., & Nizza, I. E. (2022). Essentials of interpretative phenomenological analysis. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000259-000

This book contains a concise, readable overview of IPA. The style is more conversational than the definitive IPA book (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2022), although if you decide to conduct an IPA study, you should certainly read that. At under 80 pages, this slim volume is a quick yet thorough introduction. It is also a good way to ‘ground’ yourself back into the concepts during the research process if you feel yourself losing touch with the basics.

On Reflexivity

Shaw, R. (2010). Embedding reflexivity within experiential qualitative psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 7(3), 233-243. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780880802699092

You must consider your own position and relationship with the research to conducting meaningful IPA. Engaging in reflexivity must be a regular exercise throughout the whole research process. This paper focuses on IPA and has specific commentary about reflexivity in IPA. Dr Shaw also presents an example from her own research, with honest evaluation of how the reflexive process helped her develop her skills and informed her analytic insights.

Image Noah Buscher via Unsplash

Image Christina @ wocintechchat.com via Unsplash

Daring data collection

Farr, J., & Nizza, I. E. (2019). Longitudinal Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (LIPA): A review of studies and methodological considerations. Qualitative Research in Psychology. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14780887.2018.1540677

Phillips, E., Montague, J., & Archer, S. (2016). Worlds within worlds: A strategy for using interpretative phenomenological analysis with focus groups. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 13(4), 289–302. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2016.1205692

I recall a time when the main question about data collection was ‘how many interviews should I have?'. For many IPA projects now, particularly at the doctoral level, you’ll need to move beyond into something more creative. There is a growing literature of novel data collection approaches, but for a couple of first steps, you might consider longitudinal IPA or using a focus group.

Watch Dr Michael Larkin's overview of the analytic process

Conducting good-quality data analysis

Nizza, I. E., Farr, J., & Smith, J. A. (2021). Achieving excellence in interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): Four markers of high quality. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 18(3), 369–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2020.1854404

Michael Larkin videos on IPA: https://www.youtube.com/@michaelarkin/videos

There are now several useful references about good quality IPA, but this fairly recent paper is a great starting point. The authors give you four 'quality indicators' with brief descriptions that concisely explain what each point means. The paper is illustrated with explanations using examples from published research, so you can see both what is done AND why it's done well. This should help you think about your own developing analysis, the kinds of things to look for and do, and what you should aim to incorporate in your write-up.

For something slightly different, you might check out Dr Michael Larkin's videos. Dr Larkin is an important name in IPA and co-authored ‘the’ IPA book with Prof Jonathan Smith and Paul Flowers. I particularly recommend his ‘overall process of analysis’, which describes the terminology used in the new formulation of IPA (2022) and the examples of coding. The videos add commentary to the descriptions you can read elsewhere, and worked examples are always a good way to see what you should be aiming to produce.

Naming your themes

Nigbur, D., & Chatfield, S. L. (2025). Naming themes in interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): Recommendations and examples. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 24, 16094069241312792. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069241312792

It sounds easy to name themes; after all, you've spent days or weeks on the details, identifying the best data to include and highlighting the various aspects of language and experience. Thoughtfully developed theme names provide a concise overview of your whole analysis, capturing the key nuances and providing an avenue for creativity, if you're so inspired. Thinking about how you name your themes can also be a good way to reconnect with the essence of your topic. This recent paper is a practical guide, again, illustrated with examples to inspire you.

I hope those are helpful! The reference lists also provide useful next steps for your reading if you want to take things further. And you might check out my older post on searching the IPA literature for more recommendations and strategies for expanding your reading.

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