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Selection of the participants
According to Burns and Grove (2007:76; 227 & 348), phenomenological research involves a small number of participants who often might be ten or fewer. For the purpose of this research, ten displaced women were interviewed. Participants were selected on the basis of their first-hand experience with the phenomenon under study and their ability to articulate what it is like to have lived that experience (Streubert-Speziale and Carpenter, 2007:29). Purposive and snowball sampling methods were used. Purposive sampling refers to a non-probability sampling method whereby participants are selected to participate based on their first-hand knowledge and experience of the phenomenon (Groenewald, 2004:9). Purposive sampling was used to ensure that rich data were obtained and the sample size was determined by the quality of information that the participants provided (Burns and Grove, 2007:348). According to the Centre for Research on Violence against Women and Children, “the life experiences of women cannot be universalised, as the meaning of being a woman differs, depending on the particular place, situation, and time”; therefore, the researcher had purposefully selected women who were displaced, were living in Osire refugee camp and who were willing to describe and capable of describing their needs regarding health care. The researcher investigated the phenomenon with the belief that its critical truth and reality were grounded in the participants’ lived experiences (Streubert-Speziale and Carpenter, 2007:95). The sampling method was deemed to be appropriate, as the researcher sought descriptions of lived experiences of displaced women who lived in Osire refugee camp only. The participants provided first-hand information, which benefited the study (Polit and Beck, 2008:355). Snowball sampling is a non-probability sampling method where participants are selected by asking early participants to nominate other participants who meet the inclusion criteria for the study (Frank and Snijders 1994:53; Browne, 2005:47-48; Charles, Dirk, Claire 1987:1). The researcher used this technique, as she was not acquainted with the displaced women in the camp. The initial recruitment of participants was made through the leader of the women’s organisation. The researcher held the first meeting with possible participants who were recruited by the leader of the women’s organisation. The only reservation that the women had about the research was aimed at the planned individual interviews. They preferred to have group interviews, as they were concerned about the possibility that individuals could be identified in the report. The researcher explained the purpose of the research to them, as well as their rights not to take part and to withdraw during the research. They were assured that all identifying information would be kept confidential and that no individual would be identifiable from the research report. Some of the potential participants withdrew from the research. The remaining potential participants were then asked to nominate other potential participants who met the inclusion criteria (Groenewald, 2004:9). A chain of referrals and networking between the researcher and potential participants was then created. The advantage of this method is that it is cost effective although some researchers have the fear that it might carry biases with it (Polit and Beck, 2008:354). The researcher was obliged to re-introduce herself and the whole research process with every potential participant. Inclusion criteria are the criteria that are used to ensure that participants meet the requirements to take part in the research (Streubert-Speziale and Carpenter, 2007:29). For the purpose of this research the inclusion criteria were: displaced women, aged 18 years and above, who were able to understand the content of the consent form and able to consent to the research to participate in the study; were from diverse socio-cultural backgrounds; were working or not working in the camp; and who had been in Osire camp for more than six months.
Collection of data
Data collection is the formal procedure by which needed information is gathered (Polit and Beck, 2008:75). In this study the researcher was the tool for data collection. Streubert-Speziale and Carpenter (2007:85 & 94) state that the researcher as a tool of data collection in qualitative research usually collects the data herself through face-to-face interviews with research participants. The researcher listened to the participants as they describe their lived experiences, took notes and observed each participant throughout the interview process (Groenewald, 2004:13). Before the interviews, the researcher met with the potential participants and explained the research process and answered their questions. Informed consent was obtained from the participants before the interviews were conducted (Addendum 1). Unstructured, in-depth face-to-face interviews were done to collect data from ten participants. Their ages ranged between 18 and 53 years old. They were from different countries and had different socio-cultural backgrounds. Their reasons to fleeing to Namibia were mainly civil war and political instability in their countries. Unstructured interviews are referred to as “open-ended interviews” whereby the participant could provide a wide range of information (Denzin and Lincoln, 2000:652). The interviews were audio recorded with the permission of the research participants and field notes were written during and immediately after the interviews and observations of the participants were made. The field notes and the observation were used during data analysis. Audio recording enabled the researcher to give the participant full attention during the interview (Reinecke, 2008:40-1). Each interview was assigned a number in the audio recorder, which matched with the number on the researcher’s field notes for identification purposes. The researcher was assigned a private room within the women’s centre where the first interviews were conducted. Not all interviews were, however, conducted in the centre. Some were conducted at participants’ homes. During the last day of the interviews the researcher went to houses in the camp with the community woman’s leader and interviewed the last four participants in their own homes. These participants were also recruited by the leader of the women’s organisation. The interviews had to be done at the homes of the participants because of the unresolved food crisis in the camp and the displaced people’s refusal to leave their homes while they had been waiting for feedback from the camp authorities. The home visits gave the researcher the opportunity to observe the living conditions of the participants. A female youth interpreter was purposefully recruited to translate the interview of one of the participants who was not able to communicate in English. The interpreter was of the same age as the participant and both the participant and the researcher felt comfortable to discuss women’s healthcare issues in the presence of the interpreter. The interpreter was briefed of her role as an interpreter and the necessity of keeping all information confidential. The research participants were asked to describe what health care needs they experienced during their stay in the camp and also to describe what health care services according to their experience are required which would address their health care needs. The question: “What are the health care needs of women living in Osire refugee camp and how can these health care needs be addressed?” were asked to all the research participants. Probing questions were used to encourage the participants to elaborate on their experiences in detail (Streubert-Speziale and Carpenter, 2007:95). The researcher encouraged a reflective dialogue with each participant to address the phenomenon as thoroughly as possible. The researcher made a concerted effort to direct the participant’s awareness towards the phenomenon of interest. According to Dahlberg et al. (2008:187) “questions and comments should be a matter of the researcher’s spontaneity and commitment during the interview, but all the time lead to the phenomenon.”
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTION
1.5 AIM OF THE STUDY
1.6 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
1.7 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
1.8 CLARIFICATION OF THE KEY CONCEPTS
1.9 FRAME OF REFERENCE
1.10 OUTLINE OF CHAPTERS
1.11 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 2
RESEARCH METHOD
2.1 INTRODUCTION
2.2 PHENOMENOLOGY AS A RESEARCH PARADIGM
2.3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2.4 ETHICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE RESEARCH
2.5 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 3
PHASE ONE: DESCRIPTION OF THE FINDINGS OF PHASE ONE
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 PHENOMENOLOGICAL ANALYSIS
3.3 RESEARCH FINDINGS 64 3.3.1 Need for restoration of hope and human dignity
3.4 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 4
PHASE TWO: DISCUSSIONS OF THE FINDINGS AND LITERATURE REVIEW FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES ON THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF DISPLACED WOMAN
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 RESTORATION OF HOPE AND HUMAN DIGNITY
4.3 THE DESCRIPTION OF CONSTITUENTS
4.4 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 5
PHASE TWO: DEVELOPMENT AND REFINEMENT OF GUIDELINES ON THE HEALTH CARE NEEDS OF DISPLACED WOMEN
5.1 INTRODUCTION
5.2 DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES
5.3 DRAFT GUIDELINES
5.4 REFINEMENT OF GUIDELINES
5.5 THE REVISED SET OF GUIDELINES
5.6 SUMMARY
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND LIMITATIONS
6.1 INTRODUCTION
6.2 SUMMARY OF THE STUDY
6.3 FINAL SET OF GUIDELINES
6.4 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PRACTICE, EDUCATION AND RESEARCH
6.5 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
6.6 CONCLUSION
