Doing Hermeneutic Phenomenological Research

Lesley Dibley is Reader in Nursing Research and Education, who also leads the Centre for Chronic Illness and Ageing in the Institute for Lifecourse Development at the University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom. She  was awarded her PhD in 2014 for an interpretive phenomenology study of the experience of stigma in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), has recently completed another funded project on the experience of kinship (family) stigma in IBD and has other active projects including an exploration of the experiences of young adults living with long fusion for idiopathic scoliosis, the experience of adjustment to intestinal stoma in people with IBD, and complex care needs of older people with IBD. Lesley teaches qualitative methods to undergraduates, phenomenology theory to postgraduates, and supervises Masters and PhD students. She publishes regularly in high impact international journals and presents at national and international conferences.Suzanne Dickerson is a Professor and Department Chair of Bio-behavioural Health and Clinical Science at the University at Buffalo, School of Nursing.  Her current research focuses on sleep science with the goal of understanding patients’ contextual meaning of sleep-wake disturbances through hermeneutical phenomenology.  This insight forms the basis of new knowledge that can be instrumental in translating clinical research to practice that embeds meaningful approaches into care practices to improve sleep. She has developed an online course in the methodology and mentors PhD and visiting faculty in the approach.  She is a senior member of the hermeneutic phenomenology institute group and mentors other members as well.Mel Duffy is Assistant Professor in Sociology and Sexuality Studies in the School of Nursing Psychotherapy & Community Health, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland. She teaches courses in sociology and sexuality studies at both undergraduate and graduate level.  After completing her PhD in DCU in 2008, she has pursued an active research programme in qualitative research, with a particular focus on hermeneutic phenomenology.  Her work focusses on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex individuals’ experiences of living their lives in the world they find themselves in, writing and presenting on: lesbian health and health care; coming out; relationship and sexuality education; disability; identity; residential care and experiences of health outcomes.  She holds a BA and an MA by research from National University of Ireland, Maynooth and PhD from Dublin City University.Roxanne Vandermause is the Interim Dean, Professor and the Donald L. Ross Endowed Chair for Advancing Nursing Practice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing. Her research involves the use of hermeneutical phenomenology and mixed methods to study addictions and racial/ethnic and gender disparities in care for mental health and other chronic conditions. She has presented across the U.S. and internationally and published widely in various venues. She teaches all educational levels in nursing and across various graduate-level disciplines, including coursework in ethics, theory and qualitative methodologies. Many of her PhD students use hermeneutical phenomenological methods to study human phenomena in the context of health and well-being and she is sought after for her expertise in these methods.

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.

• Part I: Philosophy and thinkingChapter 1: Philosophical perspectivesChapter 2: Coming to thinkingPart II: Designing the hermeneutic phenomenology studyChapter 3: Literature review and refining the hermeneutic research questionChapter 4: Population and samplingChapter 5: Being ethicalPart III: Delivering the hermeneutic phenomenology studyChapter 6: Data collection and managementChapter 7: Data analysis and interpretationChapter 8: Reflexivity and rigourChapter 9: Writing and disseminationPart IV: Personal entrees into hermeneutic phenomenology