A Hermeneutic Approach to Interpreting Experience: Applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) in Interview Method

This research employs a hermeneutic approach as the primary method of interpretation in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), focusing on the lived experiences of five participants involved in contemporary art practices in Malaysia and Indonesia. Based on Martin Heidegger’s hermeneutic phenomenology and the concept of the hermeneutic circle, the study emphasizes a reflective process between the parts and the whole in understanding the participants’ experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, supported by participants’ observations of the exhibited artworks used as the study’s subject matter. Five participants- four men and one woman were selected based on their active involvement and extensive experience in the field of contemporary art. The findings were drawn from interview transcripts analysed using the IPA approach. These findings were then supported by exploratory notes using NVivo software. The participants' experiential statements were organized into Personal Experiential Themes (PETS), which were later grouped into Group Experiential Themes (GETS), enabling the researcher to identify patterns of emotion and thought, interpreted through both the participants’ and the researcher’s lived experience. These themes were interpreted hermeneutically, with the researcher directly engaging in the phenomenological process. Furthermore, the study highlights the dialogical nature of hermeneutic IPA, where both the participant and the researcher are actively involved in co-constructing meaning from the analysis. Overall, the interview method proved effective in generating rich and in-depth narratives, reinforcing the value of IPA in qualitative research.