Background Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) is an approach to qualitative analysis that has increasingly been used in health and psychology over the past 10-15 years.

Aim To address the practical impressions of applying IPA, from the perspective of novice researchers.

Discussion The authors have observed two areas to which they would like to draw novice researchers’ attention: interpretations of the six steps of IPA and what ‘interpretation’ means in IPA. They provide tentative suggestions in these areas for supporting researchers new to IPA.

Conclusion More transparency in analysis when publishing work, alongside the introduction of interpretation as the ‘seventh’ step of IPA, may increase the quality of IPA research and help new researchers to understand the approach better.