Applied Philosophical Hermeneutic Research: the unmethod

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to provide insight into the philosophy and practice of Applied Philosophical Hermeneutics as a unique approach for research in the health sciences. While there are other research approaches grounded in hermeneutics, this article focuses on Gadamer’s modern philosophical hermeneutics. During my 18 years as a hermeneutic researcher, graduate students and I have engaged with people with a wide variety of experiences such as preventable medical error, Indigenous health, adult and adolescent chronic pain, social responsibility in higher education, oral health care for autistic children, and the experiences of people living with Thalassemia. Applied Philosophical Hermeneutics offers an approach to help bring researchers, clinicians, and patients together within a community of active partnerships in research. All these projects employed Applied Philosophical Hermeneutics as an approach to gain a deeper and personal understanding of the unique experiences of these diverse groups of people. Hermeneutics remains somewhat confusing as the unmethod which may lead to a dismissive attitude toward this research approach. Therefore, the intention of this paper is to present a risk-free insight into hermeneutics, which hopefully will open-up conversations and new learning experiences among researchers, students, patients, and colleagues.