Methodology

This chapter discusses the research methods that is applicable and will be
used in response of the problem statement, which is about the lived in experience
of individuals living with vitiligo.It presents the various procedures and strategies
in identifying sources of needed information on the analysis and evaluation of the
data the researchers have gathered. It contains the design, research local, research
sample/participant, research instruments, data collection procedure, and data
analysis.

Research Design

In this study, the researchers will be using a qualititative approach, which

means the data acquired will be from experiences and stories rather than statistics
and numbers. According to Tenny et al. (2022) Data analysis encompasses the
procedures involved in deriving insight and significance from the diverse arrays
of gathered data, which could potentially function as a foundation for additional
interventions and theoretical development. Qualitative studies provide a
comprehensive understanding of social processes in their natural environments.

The researchers will use the phenomonological approach for conducting

this study. Phenomenological research design is a qualitative research approach
that seeks to understand and describe the universal essence of a phenomenon. The
approach investigates the everyday experiences of human beings while
suspending the researchers’ preconceived assumptions about the phenomenon. In
other words, phenomenological research studies lived experiences to gain deeper
insights into how people understand those experiences. (Delve et al., 2022).

The researchers will use the qualitative approach for this study because it
felt the most appropriate to use, because the researchers knew that they were
going to deal more on experiences and emotions of the people living with vitiligo
rather than statistical data. Since the researchers had more than one participant
they chose the phenomonological approach to identify any patterns or phenomena
that may appear when collecting data. This qualitative allow the researchers to
understand the feelings of those people living with vitiligo and the challenges they
faced and overcome.

Research Locale

The research locale will mostly be talking about where the study is
conducted and population of the place the study will be conducted in. It is highly
important to plan when and where the researchers are going to do the portion of
this study. Since most of the participants are from Liloan, Cebu. this study will be
conducted via Online video call and Messenger Text.
 Liloan is a coastal municipality in the island province of Cebu, according
to the PhilAtlas (2020). The municipality makes up 0.93% of Cebu's total area
with a land area of 45.92 square kilometers, or 17.73 square miles. 153,197
people were living there as of the 2020 Census. This was equivalent to 1.90% of
the population of the Central Visayas region or 4.61% of the entire Cebu
province. These numbers are used to calculate the population density, which
comes out to 3,336 people per square kilometer or 8,641 people per square mile.

This study has many participants because it is using a phenomonological

approach. This means that the researchers would be focusing on many participants
to gather data regarding the topic. The participants the researchers choose is
people who have vitiligo or have experienced vitiligo in their lives. These
participants all have vitiligo that span from early childhood to adulthood. With
these facts the respondents fit the criteria of this study.

Research Paticipants:

Purposive sampling is one of a set of non-probability sampling procedures

in which units are chosen because they possess qualities you need in your sample,
according to Nikolopoulou (2023), which is how this study will use it. Put
differently, purposive sampling involves the "on purpose" selection of units.
When determining and choosing the people, situations, or events that can offer the
most information to meet the study's goals, this sampling technique depends on
the researcher's judgment. In mixed methods and qualitative research, purposeful
sampling is frequently used. Finding the most qualified and prepared participant
to respond to our research questions is our goal as researchers.
This study has a five participants because this study is a phenomenological
study. This
means, the researchers can gather more data regarding the topic. We conducted in-
depth,
semi-structured interviews with five individuals who have been diagnosed with
vitiligo. These
participants were carefully selected based on specific criteria, including their age,
duration of the
disease, and proficiency in the language of the interview. We ensured that they
had been living
with vitiligo for at least one year, allowing them to provide rich data of the lived
experiences of the condition.
Research Instruments
 Measurement tools used to collect data from the research topic are called
research instruments. Kani (2022) states that in order to deliver accurate
information, the researchers will collect their data through interviews. One
technique in qualitative research for gathering primary data is the interview. By
doing this, the researchers could be able to get comprehensive data that they
might not have been able to use other study techniques. Furthermore, the
interviewers will craft the questions to extract data from the subjects on a certain
topic or range of topics.
The interview will be conducted by the researchers using a semi-structured
questionnaire. The questions pertaining to this type will be derived from a
questionnaire that the researchers will utilize. It is anticipated that other inquiries
not included in the questionnaire will be made. Before using the questionnaire, the
researcher's teacher reviewed each of the provided questions. By doing this, the
dependability and guarantee of obtaining the required data will be expected.
Video call interview is suitable for this phenomonological study. Since
this study aims to plot many life stories of a people living with vitiligo, as well as
the struggles and challenges the participant faced - gathering data through the
means of Online video call interview is an indispensable tool in achieving the
goal of the study. Further questions give more information.

Data Gathering Procedure

In order to respond to research questions, test hypotheses, and assess
results, data collecting is the act of obtaining and measuring information on
variables of interest in a predetermined, methodical manner. No matter the subject
of the study or the favored approach for describing data in a qualitative
investigation, Ari (2020) asserts that trustworthy data collection is essential to
maintaining the integrity of research. Using appropriate data collection
instruments and clearly established protocols for their appropriate utilization
reduces the likelihood of errors occurring. Following the researchers' prepared
questions during the data collection method, pertinent follow-up questions will be
asked during the data gathering process. This will make it possible for the
researchers to collect from the participants data that is sufficient or even more
accurate.
Gathering information is one of the most important aspects of conducting
research. Data collection takes a significant amount of time, which presents
significant challenges for both participants and researchers. The steps involved in
carrying out the investigation are shown below. The participant's spare time will
be the first question the researchers ask. This will prompt the researchers to
consider the best time to conduct the interview. To make sure all parties are
available, follow-up is required.
The location of the interview should be appropriate and welcoming. The
research instruments will be used during the interview procedure. The researchers
will use note-taking for later use, audio recording, and video recording to capture
the data. The pre-prepared questionnaires will be asked during the data collection
process, and then other study-related questions will be added. This presents an
additional obstacle for the researchers. It provides sufficient and accurate data to
the researchers with the aid of follow-up inquiries. For information to be accurate,
the researchers must obtain a large amount of data from many sources. The
gathered data will be examined through analysis. Data analysis is done to
comprehend the idea as a whole.
Analysis of Data
Data Analysis is the process of systematically applying statistical and
logical techniques to describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate
data. According to Dibekulu (2020), Data analysis encompasses the procedures
involved in deriving insight and significance from the diverse arrays of gathered
data, which could potentially function as a foundation for additional interventions
and theoretical development. Since we are going to deal with the emotions of our
participants, the data can’t be numerated, due to that, the researchers will use
thematic analysis to analyze their data.
According to Braun and Clarke (2018), a popular qualitative research
technique for finding patterns and themes in data is thematic analysis. The
procedure entails methodically classifying and evaluating qualitative data in order
to identify significant themes that encapsulate the essence of the phenomenon
being investigated. A six-phase approach to thematic analysis is put forth by
Braun and Clarke (2018). It entails getting acquainted with the data, creating
preliminary codes, looking for themes, evaluating themes, defining and labeling
themes, and creating the final report. By methodically analyzing patterns and
variances in participants' experiences or perspectives, this approach enables
researchers to obtain in-depth insights into complex phenomena (Braun & Clarke,
2018). Because theme analysis is flexible, it may be used to various research
problems and circumstances, which makes it a useful tool for scholars.
Encoding and transcribing the data collected is a necessary first step in the
theme unit analysis process for the researchers. All information provided by the
respondents must be written down and recorded by the researchers. The reading
and familiarization phase is the second. To develop appropriate themes for each
response from the respondents, the researchers must become familiar with the
data. The coding stage is the third. Creating preliminary codes from the data is the
focus of this step. The process of identifying and arranging your qualitative data
in order to discern various themes and the connections among them is known as
coding. When coding, terms or phrases that stand for significant (and recurrent)
themes in every response are given labels (Medelyan, 2023). Phase four is
creating themes for the data. After creating the themes, reviewing comes in. In
this phase, it involves the refinement of the themes by checking in the themes
work in relation to the coded and the entire data set. In phase six, the researchers
need to define and name the themes, they also need to determine what aspect of
data each theme captures. Finally, the last phase is the producing of the report.
Research Reflexivity
The Researchers used Triangulation Method, this will help the researchers
develop a comprehensive understanding of phenomena. According to Bhandari
(2022), In research, triangulation refers to addressing a research subject with
several datasets, techniques, hypotheses, and/or investigators. This research
technique can lessen the likelihood that any study biases will be present in your
work and help you increase the validity and reliability of your findings. In doing
the Triangulation Method, Researchers will gather such information from the
Participants. It will then be assessed, checked and thoroughly analyzed by the
Researchers to provide appropriate conclusion.

Ethical Consideration

The participants and researchers met in accordance with this study.

Researchers look at a variety of ethical issues. First, the participants' informed
consent must be obtained, with the researchers making sure they are aware of the
benefits and the aim of the study. This process should only be voluntary and
transparent. Second, it is essential that the Researcher must protect it's
Participant's confidentiality and anonimity. Researcher's must follow appropriate
protocols such as anonymizing data to maintain privacy and confidentiality.
Third, Researchers must respect the rights and dignity of participants, avoiding
any form of coercion or undue influence. Participants should be free to withdraw
from the study at any time without consequences. Finally, Researchers must
ensure to the participants that they had a big role to the study and they had
benefited from it as they are able to express their own experiences. By
considering these aspects and adhering to relevant guidelines and protocols,
researchers can conduct their work in an ethical and responsible manner.