Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) is a qualitative psychology research method with an idiographic focus, aiming to provide in-depth insights into how individuals make sense of personally significant experiences or major life events within specific contexts, rather than seeking generalizations. Its theoretical roots lie in phenomenology and hermeneutics, drawing inspiration from thinkers like Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty, and it is uniquely distinguished by combining psychological, interpretative, and idiographic elements.
IPA studies typically involve a small number of carefully selected participants (often 3-15) who share common experiences, using purposive sampling to gather meaningful accounts. Data is collected through flexible, open-ended methods such as in-depth interviews or diaries, designed to elicit rich and detailed personal narratives. The analysis employs a "bottom-up" approach, generating codes directly from the data, and involves a "double hermeneutic" where researchers interpret participants' attempts to make sense of their own experiences. Ultimately, IPA seeks to understand the lived experience and how individuals give meaning to it, rather than testing pre-existing hypotheses.