Klinik Psikoloji Nitel Araştırmalarında Refleksif Tematik Analiz ve Yorumlayıcı Fenomenolojik Analiz Arasında Yöntem Seçimi

Öz

Bu makale, nitel araştırmalarda sık kullanılan iki yöntem olan Refleksif Tematik Analiz (RTA) ve Yorumlayıcı Fenomenolojik Analiz’i (YFA) ruh sağlığı çalışmaları bağlamında karşılaştırmalı bir biçimde ele almaktadır. Alan yazında her iki yöntemin güçlü yönleri sıklıkla tartışılsa da araştırmacıların hangi koşullarda hangi yöntemi tercih etmesi gerektiğine ilişkin kavramsal ve yöntemsel kriterleri bütüncül bir şekilde sunan çalışmalar sınırlıdır. Bu çalışma, araştırma sorusunun yönelimi, epistemolojik ve ontolojik konumlanış, örneklem yapısı, veri türü ve derinliği, araştırmacının yorumlayıcı rolü, yöntemsel tutarlılık ilkesi, analiz düzeyi (semantik–latent) ve klinik bağlam gibi ölçütleri bir arada inceleyerek RTA ve YFA arasındaki ayrışma noktalarını sistematik biçimde ortaya koymayı hedeflemektedir. RTA’nın geniş veri setlerinde anlam örüntülerini ortaya çıkarmaya, söylemsel ve kültürel düzeydeki yapıları çözümlemeye uygun bir yaklaşım sunduğu; YFA’nın ise öznel yaşantının fenomenolojik derinliğini ve bireysel anlamlandırma süreçlerini analiz etmek için daha elverişli olduğu tartışılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada klinik örnekler ve güncel çalışmalar üzerinden yöntemlerin güçlü ve sınırlı yönleri somutlaştırılmış; yöntem seçiminin teknik bir işlem değil; araştırma tasarımı, sorunun yönelimi ve epistemolojik duruşla uyumlu şekilde gerekçelendirilmesi gereken bir süreç olduğu vurgulanmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Refleksif Tematik Analiz
• Yorumlayıcı Fenomenolojik Analiz
• Nitel Araştırma

Method Selection Between Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in Qualitative Clinical Psychology Research

Öz

This article provides a comparative examination of two widely used qualitative methods—Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA)—within the context of clinical psychology. Although both methods are well-established in the literature, there remains a lack of comprehensive guidance on how researchers should determine which approach best aligns with their research aims and epistemological assumptions. This study brings together a set of conceptual and methodological criteria, including the orientation of the research question, epistemological and ontological stance, sample structure, type and depth of data, the interpretative role of the researcher, principles of methodological coherence, the level of analysis (semantic versus latent), and the demands of the clinical context. RTA is discussed as a flexible method suitable for identifying patterns of meaning across diverse datasets and for engaging with cultural or discursive layers of experience, whereas IPA is presented as a method designed to capture the phenomenological depth of subjective experience and individual meaning-making processes. Drawing on clinical examples and recent empirical studies, the article highlights the strengths and limitations of each method and argues that methodological choice is not a technical decision but a theoretically grounded process shaped by the alignment between research aims, design, and epistemological positioning.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Reflexive Thematic Analysis
• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
• Qualitative Research

Kaynakça

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