Hermeneutic interviewing: An example of its development and use as research method

Abstract

In a study exploring the practice knowledge of nursing on adolescent mental health units, I chose hermeneutic philosophy to guide the conduct of the research. Immediately, I encountered the problem that hermeneutics is essentially unconcerned with its use as research method. The need for congruence between the study’s hermeneutic foundations and the methodological processes of the research, led me to develop a style of hermeneutic interviewing for the purpose of information gathering. I did this using Gadamer’s (1979) fundamental principles of: (1) tradition, (2) dialectics of interpretation, and (3) dialectic of question and answer. These principles are examined and discussed.The actualisation of hermeneutic interviewing, as a means of information gathering, proved challenging. Using interview excerpts, I demonstrate my use of hermeneutic interviewing as research method, and critique my interviewing skills in relation to the fundamental principles from which this style of interviewing was developed.