Zooming in on Lived Experiences: Using Descriptive Phenomenology and Qualitative Methods to Examine Connection to Nature

During the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person research was prohibited in Canada, necessitating remote research collection and the use of virtual fieldwork, including conferencing platforms. In my qualitative descriptive phenomenological study, I aimed to understand the essence of the connection to nature and the role of awe within that connection; the detailed results are available elsewhere (McCLARTY, 2021). In this paper, I describe how I combined the methods of participant-driven photo-elicitation (PDPE), online video interviews (via Zoom), and descriptive phenomenological research. I provide an overview of participant recruitment, ethical considerations, and data collection, then present reflections on methodological innovations and offer practical insights for researchers considering PDPE and online interview methods for research using a descriptive phenomenological approach. I suggest that PDPE aligns with a descriptive phenomenological method, as it is possible for participants to portray a rich description of their lived experience of a phenomenon.