What is an interpretative phenomenological analysis case study?

Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is a widely recognised and well-established method of qualitative inquiry designed to explore personal experience in detail, focusing on participants’ understandings and sense-making.1 In this article, we explain what distinguishes an IPA case study from a typical IPA study and highlight the strengths and limitations of this approach. While IPA is frequently used with small samples, single-participant IPA case studies can offer unique insights into deeply personal or rare experiences.