Semantic analysis according to Peep Koort – a substance‐oriented research methodology

Abstract

The aim of this article is to describe the hermeneutic semantic analysis created by professor Peep Koort (1920-1977) and to discuss it as a methodology for research within caring science. The methodology is developed with a hermeneutic approach that differs from the traditions of semantic analysis in philosophy or linguistics. The research objects are core concepts and theoretical constructs (originally within the academic discipline of education science, later on within the academic discipline of caring science), focusing deeper understanding of essential meaning content when developing a discipline. The qualitative methodology of hermeneutic semantic analysis is described step by step as created by Koort, interpreted and developed by the authors. An etymological investigation and an analysis of synonymy between related concepts within a conceptual family guides the researcher to understand and discriminate conceptual dimensions of meaning content connected to the word studied, thus giving opportunities to summarise it in a theoretical definition, a discovery that can be tested in varying contexts. From a caring science perspective, we find the hermeneutic methodology of semantic analysis fruitful and suitable for researchers developing their understanding of core concepts and theoretical constructs connected to the development of the academic discipline.