Doing Hermeneutic Phenomenological Research
A Practical Guide
- Lesley Dibley - University of Greenwich, London, UK
- Suzanne Dickerson - School of Nursing, University of Buffalo
- Mel Duffy - Dublin City University, Ireland
- Roxanne Vandermause
This practical guide offers an approachable introduction to doing hermeneutic phenomenological research across the health and social sciences. Grounded in real world research, it integrates philosophy, methodology and method in accessible ways, helping you realize the potential of using phenomenology to guide research.
The book maps the complete research process and shows how to apply key philosophical tenets to your project, demonstrating the close relationship between philosophy and research practice. It:
- Shows step-by-step how to translate philosophy into research methodology and turn methodology into robust research design
- Focuses on applied practice, illustrating theoretical discussions with examples and case studies
- Promotes advanced thinking about hermeneutic phenomenology in an easy to understand way
- Highlights the need for researchers to engage reflexively with the whole research process.
A book qualitative researchers have long waited for! This text concisely explains how to do hermeneutic phenomenological research. Drawing on Heidegger, Gadamer and the phenomenological movement, and rooted in a distinctively interpretive paradigm, the authors' methodology is interested in understanding people’s perception of meanings, their views and lived experience. The book leads readers through the research process, from the refinement of the research question, literature review, data collection, interviewing and data analysis to reflexivity, research ethics and dissemination. It is a practical guide, immensely useful both for novice and experienced researchers in healthcare and beyond.
Phenomenological philosophy is often perceived as a lofty and verbally verbose form of learning, without practical value or merit. However, reading this book certainly puts paid to that illusion. The practical topics of research that these active researchers explore are so humanly psychological, dealing with socially pressing themes that require better understanding. These pragmatic writers give meaning to the idea that ‘faith without works is dead.’ They translate their philosophical vision for health and social science to deeds; there is a recognition of the unevenness of the world environs and the book is driven by a desire to improve things.
By sharing the how and the what of their collective research, they offer a very transparent kaleidoscope into how hermeneutic phenomenological methodology and method are realised as one. If you are a researcher with a passion for your subject matter, the authors of the book have done a magnificent job in demonstrating how we can translate research passion into realisable intentions for making it happen.
