Analysing qualitative interviews using I-poems

Aim: To describe and explain the use of I-Poems in the interpretation ofinterviews with people with intellectual disability (ID) attending higher leveleducation. Method: This hermeneutic phenomenological study involvedspeaking to 27 people. The average time of each interview was 15 mins andparticipants required multiple prompts. Data analysis involved adapting the fivestep interpretation and analysis method recommended by Crist and Tanner withan additional step applied for interpretation of each interview. The guidance forthis additional step was taken from a method described by Gilligan et al. andincluded the use of I -Poems. The I-Poem is constructed by underlining eachtime the participant uses the first person “I” during the interview and byincluding the verb and any seemingly important words a phrase is created.Placing each phrase on a new line in the sequence in which they appear duringthe interview the poem develops. Results: I-Poems created by tracing how eachparticipant refers to themselves throughout the interview contribute significantlyto the analysis. Conclusion: Using examples of I-Poems this paper draws theconclusion that this step in the analysis draws attention to the participants withID’s own voices and offers a unique basis for interpretation