Ho Ken Hok Man, Cheung Daphne Sze Ki, Bourke Sharon, Edvardsson David
School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia.
Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
J Adv Nurs. 2025 Apr 7. doi: 10.1111/jan.16950.
To discuss reflexivity for conducting hermeneutic phenomenology and to present the hermeneutic phenomenological circle.
Discussion paper.
We employed data on the lived experience of loneliness of older adults in residential care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic to demonstrate the reflexivity required for hermeneutic phenomenology. We showcased a reflective process grounded in Heidegger's notions of Being and temporality to uncover the context of meaningfulness and its temporal influence on being.
We proposed a hermeneutic phenomenological circle encompassing four relations passing between Being, the interpreter and being. The circle was successfully applied to demonstrate the reflexivity required to conduct hermeneutic phenomenology.
Engaging in reflexivity requires the researcher to develop knowledge about the philosophy of hermeneutic phenomenology. The hermeneutic phenomenological circle facilitates researchers in anchoring their reflections in Being and temporality.
The hermeneutic phenomenological circle serves as a useful tool for researchers/health professionals to learn hermeneutic phenomenology and to facilitate researchers/health professionals at all career stages to engage in reflexivity.
