Over the past two decades during his time at Birkbeck, Jonathan A. Smith has developed and established Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), one of the leading experiential methodologies both in and beyond psychology. Originally introduced by Smith in the 1990s, IPA has become one of the most popular qualitative methods for basic and applied psychological research, influencing many associated disciplines across the social and health sciences. It is taught widely across the UK and is the methodology of choice for thousands of doctoral theses worldwide.

Smith was the lead author on the highly influential book about IPA, which remains a top-selling publication over a decade after it was first published. In July 2020, Smith was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the British Psychological Society (BPS) in recognition of his pioneering role in establishing and enhancing the place of qualitative research in psychology.