Sunday, 27 April 2025

A study note on the hermeneutic circle for dissertation project works

A study note on the hermeneutic circle for dissertation project works (information from perplexity.ai)


My question 1: "What is the hermeneutic circle all about with reference to the social science dissertation tasks of (1) literature review and (2) analysis of semi-structured research interview transcript?"

The reply: "The hermeneutic circle is a fundamental concept in philosophical hermeneutics that describes the iterative and reciprocal process of understanding a text or phenomenon by moving back and forth between its parts and the whole. This process is relational and dynamic, emphasizing that one can only understand the whole by understanding its parts, and vice versa, the parts only make sense in the context of the whole56.

Application to Social Science Dissertation Tasks

1. Literature Review

In the literature review, the hermeneutic circle guides the researcher to engage in an ongoing dialogue with the texts. The researcher reads and interprets individual studies (parts) while continuously relating them to the broader theoretical framework or research question (whole). This iterative process helps deepen understanding by refining how individual pieces of literature fit into the overall scholarly conversation and research aims. The researcher’s pre-understandings or prior knowledge also evolve as they engage with the literature, allowing for a fusion of horizons where new insights emerge56.

2. Analysis of Semi-Structured Research Interview Transcripts

For analyzing semi-structured interview transcripts, the hermeneutic circle involves repeatedly reading (immersing in) the transcripts and moving between detailed parts of the text (phrases, sentences, meaningful units) and the overall context or narrative of the participant’s experience (whole). This cyclical movement allows the researcher to identify significant themes and meanings while continuously refining their interpretation in light of the broader context of the interview and the research question. The process is dialogical, meaning the researcher’s understanding is influenced by and interacts with the participant’s perspective, enabling co-construction of meaning and a fusion of horizons between researcher and participant789.

This approach ensures that interpretation is not linear or fixed but rather an evolving understanding shaped by continuous interaction between parts and whole, researcher and participant, text and context. It also helps manage preconceptions by allowing them to be challenged and expanded through engagement with the data910.

Summary:











The hermeneutic circle thus provides a methodological foundation for interpreting texts and data in social science dissertations, emphasizing iterative, contextual, and dialogical understanding579."


My question 2: "Could you provide 2 illustrative examples to clarify your discussion a bit more with reference to the fields of business management and housing studies?"

The reply: "Here are two illustrative examples applying the hermeneutic circle to social science dissertation tasks in the fields of business management and housing studies:

1. Business Management Example: Understanding Responsibility in Banking

In a dissertation exploring the concept of responsibility within banking, the hermeneutic circle is used to iteratively interpret both literature and empirical data. The researcher begins with pre-understanding by reviewing existing theories and literature on responsibility and banking, forming initial conceptual insights (the "whole"). Then, during the understanding phase, the researcher engages with empirical data such as interviews or case studies from banking professionals (the "parts"). By moving back and forth between the literature and empirical findings, the researcher refines and expands their understanding, incorporating new relevant literature as needed. Finally, the after-understanding phase synthesizes these insights to answer the research questions, producing a nuanced interpretation of responsibility that is contextually grounded and theoretically informed. This cyclical process enables a hybrid inductive-deductive approach, balancing prior knowledge with fresh empirical insights to develop new theory1.

2. Housing Studies Example: Analyzing Homeowners’ Experiences with Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs)

In a housing studies dissertation investigating homeowners’ lived experiences with ADUs, the hermeneutic circle guides the analysis of semi-structured interview transcripts. The researcher repeatedly reads detailed parts of the transcripts (individual statements about pride, family impact, policy encounters) and relates them to the overall context of housing affordability and policy challenges (the whole). This cyclical movement allows the researcher to interpret meanings in light of both the participants’ perspectives and the broader social and policy environment. The researcher’s own preconceptions about housing policy and lived experience are continuously challenged and refined through this dialogical process, enabling a deeper understanding of how ADUs contribute to housing solutions and social change. The hermeneutic circle thus helps integrate textual data with social context, producing rich, context-sensitive interpretations6.

These examples show how the hermeneutic circle facilitates an iterative, interpretive process in both literature review and transcript analysis, enabling researchers to move between parts and whole, theory and data, to develop comprehensive and contextually grounded understandings in their respective fields."


My question 3: "Please advise how the tasks and findings of the application of the hermeneutic circle are presented in a dissertation report chapters of (1) literature review, (2) research methodology and (2) researching findings and analysis with reference to business management and housing studies."

The reply: "In a social science dissertation applying the hermeneutic circle-such as in business management or housing studies-the tasks and findings are typically presented across key chapters as follows:

1. Literature Review Chapter

  • Presentation of Pre-understanding and Dialogical Engagement:
    The literature review reflects the pre-understanding phase of the hermeneutic circle, where the researcher engages with existing theories, concepts, and prior studies relevant to the research topic (e.g., responsibility in banking or homeowners’ experiences with ADUs). This chapter is not just a summary but a critical, iterative dialogue with the literature, showing how the researcher’s initial conceptual framework is shaped and reshaped through reading.

  • Iterative Refinement of Concepts:
    As new empirical insights emerge later, the literature review may be revisited and expanded to include newly relevant theories or perspectives, demonstrating the circular movement between parts (individual studies) and whole (theoretical framework). This reflexive process is often explicitly discussed to show how understanding deepens over time16.

2. Research Methodology Chapter

  • Explanation of Hermeneutic Approach and Circle:
    This chapter details the epistemological and methodological justification for using hermeneutics, emphasizing the hermeneutic circle as a core interpretive process. The researcher explains how data collection and analysis are not linear but cyclical, involving repeated movement between parts (e.g., interview excerpts) and the whole (e.g., broader context, research questions).

  • Description of Reflexivity and Preconceptions:
    The methodology highlights how the researcher’s preconceptions are acknowledged and managed, often through journaling or memoing, to allow evolving interpretations. This reflexivity is key to the hermeneutic process, enabling the researcher to refine understanding continuously and transparently11011.

  • Data Analysis Process:
    The chapter outlines how the hermeneutic circle guides the analysis of empirical data (such as semi-structured interview transcripts), involving iterative reading, coding, and interpretation cycles. The researcher may describe triangulation with literature and other sources to enrich understanding and validate interpretations157.

3. Findings and Analysis Chapter

  • Iterative Interpretation Demonstrated:
    Findings are presented as the product of the hermeneutic circle’s iterative process, showing how interpretation moves between detailed data units (e.g., interview statements) and the overall phenomenon or research question. For example, in business management, this might involve interpreting bankers’ narratives on responsibility in light of theoretical frameworks; in housing studies, interpreting homeowners’ stories about ADUs within the broader housing policy context.

  • Integration of Parts and Whole:
    The analysis explicitly reflects the dialectic between parts and whole, often illustrated by linking specific quotes or data fragments to overarching themes or concepts. This may include revisiting and reinterpreting data as new insights emerge, demonstrating the evolving nature of understanding157.

  • Dialogical and Reflexive Tone:
    The chapter often adopts a dialogical tone, acknowledging the co-construction of meaning between researcher and participant, and the influence of context and researcher’s perspective on findings. This transparency about the interpretive process strengthens the rigor and trustworthiness of the study1711.

This structured presentation clarifies how the hermeneutic circle shapes the entire research process-from framing the literature and methodology to analyzing and presenting findings-ensuring a coherent, rigorous, and contextually grounded dissertation in both business management and housing studies contexts."



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