Taking practitioners’ experiences seriously: Using phenomenological methodologies in construction research

Abstract

Phenomenological methodologies are fruitful to illuminate the meaning of human experiences but are rarely applied in construction research. These methodologies could reveal insights into the tacit and contextual dimensions of construction practice that are often overlooked by more traditional, quantitative approaches. Learning from practitioners’ experiences is particularly appropriate for construction, where much expertise is embedded in everyday practice rather than explicit documentation. It is therefore argued that construction research can benefit from methodologies that attempt to more fully appreciate practitioners’ experiences. As the lived experiences of construction professionals remain understudied, there is surprisingly little guidance for selecting any appropriate phenomenological methodology to tackle questions of concern. The objective of this paper is to offer such methodological guidance. Three phenomenological methodologies are discussed, and guidelines are provided for helping to select and apply one of them.

Keywords

human experience / qualitative methodology / phenomenology / construction research

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