A partir de Carboranilsilans

Finally, the third order of interpretation is called the “in-depth understanding.” This stage involves a more detailed reading of each research extract, sentences and paragraphs, themes and allowing further revelations to emerge (van Manen, 1997). This is presented in more detail in chapter 6.8, table 3 and figure 18. Therefore, it is not good enough to simply state analysis is deeper at this level, because, reading and the significance of words change in time, with immersion, more life experience and further reading around a subject. The third order interpretations are developed later in each thematic chapter.

Thematic analysis occurs through “playing” with the many possible inferences of a word, sign or phrase has and acknowledging its relevance (Ricoeur, 2003). This reference to a hermeneutic of language is by way of an example, what Heidegger refers to in the last line of Stefan George’s poem entitled The word and “...where the word breaks off no-thing can be...” (1982, p. 60). Heidegger took each word and analysed their inference and suggested a re-configuration of the line to be “...no-thing is where the word breaks off...” Therefore, the phrase “breaks off” is a

diminution, meaning to take away, to lessen, and “no-thing” is where the word is lacking because it names a given thing (Heidegger, 1982).

When “playing” with words or a phrase, I took the above quote from Heidegger literally to refer to “something beyond” what the word infers because where the word breaks off it is important to

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follow the direction of what it alludes to, what it signifies to me uniquely and what is given to me in the phenomenological context. Hence, understanding the meaning of words can “go beyond” the normal consensus of opinion to be individual and reveal to me in the phenomenological process, its significance for analysis. This revelatory experience can be called a concealment- until-it-is-experienced-in research and where naive interpretation become more developed through immersion (van Manen, 1997). van Manen (1997) suggests phenomenological research can develop insightful analysis through writing, reading and more writing, and at the third order of interpretation, some of the lesser sub themes became less important because Ricoeur’s textual hermeneutics opens up new directions in the textual themes.

The theory, therefore, gave me an entry point into the research data and to view the data through the phenomenological lens of Ricoeur’s work. I can write this in the past tense and I can relate it to the present because the process is never closed to interpretation especially when reading and writing further revisions (Ricoeur, 1991). This realisation became more resonant as I interpreted the research data informed by Ricoeur’s theory. This third order of interpretation (from a temporal perspective) is distinct from the previous stages of interpretation because understanding moves from naive knowledge of what is known in the present to deeper knowledge of the research data gaining resonance over time (Ricoeur, 1991).

The third order of interpreting the research data is in unison with understanding the meaning of Ricoeur’s work. In other words, I realised when I wrote about applying his theory to the research data that it was initially tentative and it could not have been anything else but at the time. The tentative application of theory to research data is naive at first and follows the temporal process

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of misunderstanding to understanding, which I write about in chapter eight in the research theme of rhetoric (see chapter 8.6 to 8.8). van Manen’s (1997) model literally was iterative and dynamic, yet de Witt & Ploeg (2006) suggest qualitative researchers use of hermeneutic phenomenology need to ensure analysis meets three characteristics. First, a description of the philosophical ideas; whether the theory resonates with the researcher and its relevance to the research studies aims. Second, an in-depth integration of philosophical concepts with the research methodology and findings throughout the research study are crucial as can be seen in chapters’ seven to ten. Third, a balance needs to be maintained between the study participants’ voice and the philosophical concepts used. In addition, my own thoughts and decisions should be comprehensively transparent as an interpreter of the research data and as an interpreter of the hermeneutic phenomenological theory. This last point means that my interpretation of Ricoeur’s thoughts should be representative of all of his work.

5.9 Conclusion

In this chapter I discuss the research design and methods which allow me to capture the research phenomenon of annotation. Hermeneutic phenomenology requires the researcher to adapt qualitative methods to collect phenomenon and analysis (van Manen, 1997). The research method for this thesis includes interviews with lecturers and students to enable data collection on the lived experience of giving and receiving of annotation. Essays were collected and annotation extracts from handwriting and digital sources help to identify the different kinds of annotation style, the use of language of essay and annotation text and its effect on the reader. I outline the research process, the split site study, the ethics application, consent, and storage and data collection. I also summarise the hermeneutic circle and three stages of interpretation using van

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Manen’s (1997) model. In particular, the chapter changes from past to present tense at times to ensure the temporal dynamism of the method, with interpretation changing with every revision (Ricoeur, 1991; 1998a). Finally, the importance of maintaining a degree of openness and transparency for me and the reader was also discussed and is a key to the process of interpretation and understanding because there is a need for researcher bias, pre-conceptions, and presuppositions to be negotiated openly (de Witt & Ploeg, 2006).

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Chapter Six

Initial findings and four identified themes

6.1 Introduction

In order to organise initial findings, this chapter presents the research data using van Manen’s (1997) three step model of first, second and third order interpretation (see chapters 5.7 to 5.8). As I discussed in chapter 5.7 van Manen’s (1997) model was developed because hermeneutic phenomenology has generally undefined steps for anaysis which the research process requires. van Manen’s (1997) model is popular amongst researcher’s using hermeneutic phenomenology because it facilitates the detailed presentation of data, enables analysis of emerging deep and rich information through the work of the chosen hermeneutic philosopher (van Manen, 1997; Smythe et al., 2008). Therefore, findings will be further explored using Ricoeur’s textual hermeneutics in chapters seven to ten. Table 2 presents an index of the chapter.

6.2 Emergent themes leading from first and second order interpretation

The chapter is organised by presenting research notes and research grids with coded key words followed by summaries of the findings in each section (see figures 14 to 18). Some of the research notes number one to three (see appendix 1 as an example of the same method I used to review the literature in chapter three) to indicate the temporal nature of the hermeneutic circle. The research notes were more significant to me than the research grids because they were a combination of the working out process and my temporal understanding (see appendix 3 to 6 for

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research notes on the four themes). Lastly, at the end of this chapter, I collate the key words and sub themes in table 3 and identify four themes: the hermeneutic self, rhetoric, individualism and the reflective consciousness and slippage (see figure 19), which I explore further in chapters seven to ten. The first order interpretations, according to van Manen (1997), are my initial interpretations, which are considered superficial and immediate in relation to the meaning a word or phrase has for me. These are based on my pre-conceived ideas which I present in the research notes (see appendix 3 to 6), grids and two columns to identify the key issues. In the first order interpretation column examples of verbatim interview quotes, which could be called initial interpretations because they are the interviewee’s own words, and the emphasis placed on the quotes by interviewees themselves make them significant enough to be a starting point of interpretation. The second order interpretations in the research grid column were naïve interpretations aimed at identifying key words and phrases (see table 3, section 6.8) to identify the third order interpretations and develop research themes.

Table 2: Index of figures and notes Sections and

figures

Interviews Research notes and grid Section 6.3,

figure 14

Focus group 4 pages of annotated research notes, numbers 1-3 indicating temporal process, grid, summary notes

Section 6.4, figure 15

Student 1 2 pages annotated research notes, numbers 1-3 indicating temporal process, grid, summary notes

Student 2 Full 10 page interview transcript with annotated research notes, numbers 1-3 indicating temporal process, no grid due to the amount of notes presented, grid, summary notes

Student 3 2 pages of research notes, grid, summary notes

Student 4 2 pages of research notes annotated research notes, numbers 1- 3 indicating temporal process, grid, summary notes

Student 5 1 page research notes, annotated research notes, numbers 1-3 indicating temporal process, grid, summary notes

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Section 6.5, figure 16

Lecturer 1 2 pages of research notes, grid, summary notes Lecturer 2 2 pages of research notes, grid, summary notes Lecturers 3

& 4

1½ pages of research notes, grid, summary notes Lecturer 5 3 pages of research notes, grid, summary notes Lecturer 6 3 pages of research notes, grid, summary notes Lecturer 7 2 pages of research notes, grid, summary notes

Lecturer 8 2 pages of research notes. Selection of the transcript in appendix 2 Section 6.6, figure 17 Digital annotation extracts

Grid, 3 extracts, summary notes

Section 6.7, figure 18

Handwritten annotation extracts

Grid, 3 extracts, summary notes

Section 6.8 Second order interpretation and sub-themes

Figure 19 Third order interpretation: Four identified research themes