The research question in hermeneutic phenomenology and grounded theory research

Abstract

Formulating the research question is a key but complex task in qualitative studies. The question should be framed consistently with the approach chosen; in other words, question and approach are interdependent. This article aims to contribute to the understanding of the nature of the research question; to this end, we address its meaning by presenting two qualitative approaches: applied hermeneutic phenomenology and grounded theory. Although both approaches draw from the experience of the participants in research, they are vastly different and comparing them provides an exemplar of the important decision-making required for crafting research questions epistemologically aligned with their designs. From this starting point, in this paper we discuss the specific nature of the research question in two qualitative approaches: applied hermeneutic phenomenology and grounded theory. In hermeneutic phenomenology, the question is related to the phenomena of lived experience, with the goal to describe its disclosed/apprehended essence, in the meaning structures of the studied experience. In grounded theory, the question is driven by the purpose of developing theory in a specific field, either to grant exhaustive knowledge in the exploration of hitherto little-known situations or to further our understanding of human behavior. Taking the research question as our central theme, we divide this article into three parts. First, we specify the main characteristics of each of the two approaches. Second, we discuss the formulation of the research question in each. Third, we offer an example of a research question for each of the approaches.