# Phenomenon-oriented lifeworld-led data generation in qualitative research-challenging absent or inadequate choices of methods

## TL;DR

This paper argues for a flexible, phenomenon-focused approach to qualitative research that prioritizes ethical and meaningful data generation over rigid methods.

## Contribution

It introduces a lifeworld-led, phenomenon-oriented method that emphasizes ethical sensitivity and context-driven data collection in healthcare research.

## Key findings

- Standardized methods often fail to capture the existential nuances of qualitative phenomena.
- Methodological choices should emerge from the research context and the characteristics of the phenomenon.
- Ethical considerations, including human rights, must be central to qualitative health research.

## Abstract

This paper aims to articulate why and how the quality of data generation is important for developing valid qualitative research. The goal is to highlight how such an approach surpasses standardized or predetermined methods in generating high-quality data capable of illuminating existentially significant phenomena.

We provide epistemological justification and methodological reasoning drawn from philosophy of science, and our extensive experience conducting and teaching qualitative research within healthcare contexts.

Appropriate data generation methods are found to be those inherently aligned with the nature and nuances of the phenomenon under study. We identify the importance of an initial thorough exploration of the phenomenon’s characteristics, ensuring methodological choices emerge organically from the research context itself. There is no method that answers all methodological questions. Instead, we emphasise that all methods have pros and cons.

Methodological decisions should not be dictated merely by convenience or convention within research groups. These decisions must embody sensitivity toward participants, particularly considering the vulnerable status of healthcare recipients. We advocate explicitly integrating human rights considerations into research practice, reinforcing ethical responsibilities inherent in qualitative health research. Adopting a lifeworld-led, phenomenon-oriented approach, represents a vital and ethically sound pathway to achieving insightful and meaningful qualitative research outcomes.