Good morning Nisearch,

thank you so much for finding the time to reply back. I have printed your answer and I will read it more careful in conjuction with all the notes I have. I sometimes find it quite difficult to understand the differences etc just from reading from academic sources.

Once again, thank you! Especially after a long night of no sleep as my son was sick. I am so grateful for this PhD forum.. and the people who find time to help their colleagues :).

All the best,

Hi all,

is any of you using phenomenology of pedagogy of van Manen? I kind of find it very difficult to understand how it works. I am more familiar with IPA (Smith, 1996) but I am now debating which of the two approaches suits my research best.

Thank you!

Hi all,

is any of you out there a Speech and Language Therapist who conduct a research in schools?

Hi everyone,

I came accross with all these different terms and I kind of find it difficult understanding their differences and therefore meanings. I was wondering if any of you have a nice story to tell with examples that capture our interest and therefore conceptualising the meanings?

Thanks!

Hi Phdee!

I havent yet said anything to my supervisor that I have been reading about bracketing. I am not sure how he will react :). Probably in similar way as your supervisor. I will definitely read the book you recommend as I am totally freak out about what the examiners might ask :).

I have personally found useful the articles of Ahern (1999) - 10 tips for reflexive bracketing and Gearing's one (2004) Bracketing - a typology (sth like this). Have you chosen a specific form of bracketing? Gearing (2004) that there are different forms of bracketing that a researcher can choose from. The analytical bracketing usually applies for research is phenomoenlogy, ethnography and grounded one. Reflexive bracketing is applied in qualitative research and it usually related with reflexivity, ethics, validity etc.

Shall I also ask you how you treat the different theoretical frameoworks/theories from your previous studies while you analyse your data? Malterud (2001) writes that a 'positioned researcher' should be aware about the theoretical foundations of their education. I have to be honest that I find it very difficult to put aside my previous knowledge and just entitely focus on the utterances of my participants.

I am glad I have found another person in this earth who shares similar concerns! One of the many many concerns that PhD students have!

Thanks again!

Hi everyone,

I have been reading about reflexivity and bracketing and I have started getting a bit confused. Any of you having the same querries what do you think: In qualitative research is reflexivity and bracketing one and the same?

Furthermore, my biggest dilemma is how we treat our theoretical backgrounds as professionals (personally speech and language therapist doing PhD in education) to our research? How much do we hold back? I suppose it depends on the epistemology we choose (personally phenomenology) but still is there is a right or wrong answer?

Looking forward for your reply!
Butterfly