ABSTRACT
As we now move explicitly into the strategic and technical aspects of crafting phenomenological research, the following cannot be overstated: the phenomenon and the accompanying research question is the most important consideration, and then all other questions of method follow. Often, when I serve on doctoral committees for students who are using a phenomenological approach, other faculty and sometimes students will ask questions such as: Is it ok to use observations in phenomenological studies? Do phenomenological studies involve fieldwork like ethnographic studies? Is it not true that all phenomenological studies must utilize the unstructured interview?
