heuristic thinking process

Heuristic Inquiry: The Internal Search to Know (1985), Douglass & Moustakas

• Heuristics as an approach to human science research that is private and imaginative in nature
• Pursuit of essential meanings connected with everyday human experiences
• Purpose is to cast light on a problem, question or theme
• ‘heuristic’ is derived from the Greek word ‘heuretikos’ meaning ‘I find’, related to ‘eureka’ (Craig, 1978)
• Data that emerges are autobiographical and original descriptions of lived experience in all of their visuals, textures and structures
• The power of heuristics is potential for disclosing truth by “…exhaustive self-search, dialogues with others, and creative depictions of experience, a comprehensive knowledge is generated, beginning as a series of subjective musing and developing into a systematic and definitive exposition.” (p.40)
• Passionate yet disciplined commitment is vital for scientific credibility

 
Step 1 - Process:

• Start with affirmation of subjectivity
• Self-directed, self-motivated, open to spontaneous shift in searching into a problem 

Step 2 - Immersion:

• Internal frame of reference deepens, captivated by a particular image, sensation, or realization to explore its meaning or significance