A phenomenological approach is an attempt to understand the subjective experience of the world by studying how individuals describe, interpret and evaluate their own experiences in situ. Phenomenology is a qualitative mode of inquiry that relies on the gathering and articulation of data through the exploration of people's lived experience. This approach seeks to uncover the core elements of individual experience in order to gain insight into the life-world of the participants. It has been used for decades as a way to capture and make sense of the meaning of lived experience, to understand the nature of being, and to uncover and describe meaningful patterns of existence within the socio-cultural context.

See also: dependent origination, conceptual framework, western philosophy, mutual dependency, provisional truth