Hermeneutic research in nursing: developing a Gadamerian‐based research method

Abstract

This paper takes the stance that although there are many different approaches to phenomenological and hermeneutic research, some of these have become blurred due to multiple interpretations of translated materials. Working from original texts by the German philosophers, this paper reconsiders the relevance of phenomenology and hermeneutics to nursing research. We trace the development of Gadamer's philosophy in order to propose a research method based in this tradition. Five steps have been identified as a guide for nurse researchers. These are deciding upon a question, identification of preunderstandings, gaining understanding through dialogue with participants, gaining understanding through dialogue with text and establishing trustworthiness.

How Nurses Experience Their Work as a Learning Environment

“…The credibility of the research in this study depends on a clear explanation of the choices and decisions made so that reflections about the possibilities and limitations to interpretation and understanding can be easily engaged (Kvale and Brinkmann 2009;Fleming et al 2003;Lincoln and Guba 1985). The past experiences of the researcher both as a nurse and nursing teacher influenced the interviews and interpretations.…”

“…To interpret the transcribed text, it was assumed that one could gain an understanding through questions asked to the transcribed text and the answers that the text produces (Gadamer 1989). To gain an understanding through this dialogue with the text, four steps proposed by Fleming et al (2003), were followed.…”

The use of phenomenology in mental health nursing research

“…Husserl (2004) said that bracketing is a fundamental aspect of phenomenological enquiry that enables researchers to examine their own preconceptions; by setting their prejudices aside, they become more open to acquiring new knowledge and new conceptual possibilities. Heidegger developed interpretive phenomenology, believing that interpretation is an inevitable part of researcher involvement when making sense of the research participants' descriptions (Heidegger 1927;Fleming et al 2003). As a result, in interpretive phenomenology, researchers then interpret participants' descriptions contextually, particularly socially and linguistically (Heidegger 1927).…”

“…It used Fleming et al (2003)'s framework to analyse the participants' transcribed interviews, the researcher following the steps in the framework to identify several themes. This design is well suited for people who experience auditory hallucinations, as they are often marginalised and falsely represented through generalisations.…”

Understanding the "lived Experience" of Sport Event Volunteers: Using the Hermeneutic Circle as a Guiding Conceptual Framework

“…Like Heidegger, Gadamer links prejudices that are to be understood as preunderstanding (Fleming, 2003) to not only the past but also to the present as tradition in terms of the social and cultural environment that shapes the individual's world of understanding, and prejudices emerge in a person's understanding of new things. Therefore, "prejudices nail us to the past as well as to the future, as understanding includes memories and anticipations" (Dahlberg et al, 2001, p. 83).…”