Exploring the Philosophical, Paradigmatic, Conceptual-Theoretical Underpinnings of Qualitative Research: A Focus on a Phenomenological Study in Intensive Care Unit.

Qualitative research has become more accepted as a legitimate mode of inquiry in the social and behavioral sciences for many years but not without controversy and confusion even now in the 21st century. The procedures for conducting a qualitative research study evolve from a philosophical, paradigmatic, and interpretive frameworks. These are the aspects of a naturalistic inquiry where inconsistency is evident related to its complexity. The purpose of this article is to describe qualitative methods focusing on these aspects that included phenomenology to set the stage for discussion and using a phenomenological study as an exemplar to further illustrate the process.