Masters - Research Approach

Phenomenological research which is subjective and dynamic evolved as a protest towards positivism which traditionally is an ordered and logical approach to researching facts (Reiners 2012). Husserl who founded phenomenological research was concerned with the individual lived experience (Creswell 1994). Therefore phenomenological research is based on gaining knowledge through the interaction of the researcher and the participant (Beck 2005). This ‘knowing of the world’ has become known as Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology. However Husserl’s student Heidegger rejected this approach and developed interpretive phenomenology which is concerned with ‘being in the world’. This chapter will explain my reasons for using a Heideggerian phenomenological research approach, as opposed to employing a Husserlian phenomenological research approach.