The Risks of Phenomenology in Qualitative Research: Methods and Concepts

This article accomplishes two goals. First, it diagnoses the risks of importing phenomenological methods and concepts into qualitative research. Phenomenological methods introduce inherent risks, because their aims are structurally misaligned with qualitative inquiry, while the risks of using phenomenological concepts are contingent, stemming from misinterpretation and the lack of a guiding framework. Second, it prescribes how phenomenology can be integrated more productively by retiring Husserl’s methods as study procedures and adopting a concept-led framework that aligns phenomenological insights with empirical aims. This framework offers a clearer and more coherent basis for phenomenological qualitative research.