For a comprehensive guide to IPA, see Smith et al’s (2009) book, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research. This book provides extensive coverage of the theoretical underpinnings of IPA, step-by-step guidance to carrying out an IPA study and detailed illustrations of completed studies. Other useful guides to the theoretical aspects of IPA are offered by Smith (1996) and Eatough and Smith (2017). For more on the practicalities of doing IPA, see Smith and Osborn (2015).

Good examples of IPA studies are Turner et al’s (2002) paper exploring the experience of ex-professional footballers who have subsequently suffered osteoarthritis; Visser and Smith’s (2006) detailed case study of a young man’s ambivalent attitudes towards alcohol; Fox et al’s (2011) research exploring the personal meanings ascribed to eating disorder symptoms by a group of women with various eating issues; and Krzeczkowska et al’s (2018) study of journeys through hepatitis C virus treatment among post-transplant patients with recurrent hepatitis C virus. Like many IPA studies, these address important issues in health-related practice. For other examples of IPA studies, see the studies cited in Box 9.1 in Chapter 9 in the book.

• de Visser, R. and Smith, J.A. (2006) ‘Mister in-between: A case study of masculine identity and health-related behaviour’[A1] , Journal of Health Psychology, 11(5): 685–95.
• Eatough, V. and Smith, J.A. (2017) ‘Interpretative phenomenological analysis’, in C. Willig and W. Stainton Rogers (eds), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research in Psychology. 2nd edn.[A2]  London: SAGE. pp. 193–211.
• Fox, A.P., Larkin, M. and Leung, N. (2011) ‘The personal meaning of eating disorder symptoms: An interpretative phenomenological analysis’, Journal of Health Psychology, 16(1): 116–25.
• Krzeczkowska, A., Flowers, P., Chouliara, Z., Hayes, P. and Dickson, A. (2018) ‘“It’s been a long haul, a big haul, but we’ve made it”: Hepatitis C virus treatment in post-transplant patients with virus recurrence: An interpretative phenomenological analysis’, Health Psychology Open, 5(2), 
• Smith, J.A. (1996) ‘Beyond the divide between cognition and discourse: Using interpretative phenomenological analysis in health psychology’, Psychology & Health, 11(2): 261–71.
• Smith, J.A., Flowers, P. and Larkin, M. (2009) Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Theory, Method and Research. London: SAGE.
• Smith, J.A. and Osborn, M. (2015) ‘Interpretative phenomenological analysis’, in J.A. Smith (ed.), Qualitative Psychology: A Practical Guide to Research Methods. 3rd edn . London: SAGE. pp. 25–52.
• Turner, A., Barlow, J. and Ilbery, B. (2002) ‘Play hurt, live hurt: Living with and managing osteoarthritis from the perspective of ex-professional footballers’, Journal of Health Psychology, 7(3): 285–301.