Conducting Literature Reviews Hermeneutically

Authors

  • Katie M. Webber University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing
  • Sandip Dhaliwal
  • Katherine Wong

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.11575/jah.v2023i2023.77813

Abstract

It is well understood that conducting high quality literature reviews provides an important and solid foundation for research studies. While there is an abundance of resources available about how to conduct literature reviews for quantitative research, there are fewer publications available about how to conduct literature reviews for qualitative research, particularly research that is guided by hermeneutic philosophy. Rather than detailing how to conduct a hermeneutic literature review, in this paper we make the subtle, yet necessary, distinction that literature reviews included in research studies that are guided by hermeneutics should be conducted hermeneutically. We begin by reviewing the few resources that are currently available about conducting literature reviews for hermeneutic research and detail three different literature review processes for three hermeneutic studies. We then discuss how researchers, who are using hermeneutics to guide their research, might determine what literature should be included in their literature reviews. We close the paper by addressing the significance of rigour in literature reviews that are conducted hermeneutically.

Author Biographies

Katie M. Webber, University of Calgary Faculty of Nursing

Katie is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. With a background in pediatric hematology, oncology, and bone marrow transplant nursing, her thesis topic examines relational complexity in nurse-parent relationships within pediatric oncology contexts.

Sandip Dhaliwal

Sandip Dhaliwal is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary with a clinical background in oncology, hematology, and bone marrow transplant. Her thesis topic examines the familial relationships and dynamics of emerging adults (ages 18 to 29) in the face of blood cancer.

Katherine Wong

Katherine (Kate) Wong is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. A pediatric palliative care nurse in practice, her thesis topic is examining the art of children who are dying or experiencing life limiting illnesses.

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Published

2023-08-01

Issue

2023: 2023

Section

Articles

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