ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the use of biographical-narrative methods, interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) and thematic analysis to delve into the Northern Irish conflict. It discusses social science research into the Northern Irish conflict and engagement in political violence, before describing author's research. The chapter illustrates how the data was employed to build up an understanding of the phenomenon of participation with armed groups in Northern Ireland. It focuses on the Irish Republican Army (IRA), Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Red Hand Commando (RHC). Northern Ireland is probably the most researched conflict in the world. Since 1998 the level of violence has significantly reduced, and a power-sharing devolved Assembly has been established, with an executive drawn from the main political parties across Northern Ireland's political spectrum. Transcripts were analysed according to the IPA guidelines provided by Smith et al.
