Pre-understanding – our presuppositions of reality – underlies all research. Many researchers probably also draw productively on their pre-understanding in their studies. However, very few rationales and methodological resources exist for how researchers can enrich their research by mobilising their pre-understanding more actively and systematically. We elaborate and propose a framework for how researchers more actively, systematically and visibly can bring forward their pre-understanding and use it as a positive input in research, alongside formal data and theory. In particular, we show how researchers, in dialogue with data and theory, can mobilize their pre-understanding as an interpretation-enhancer and horizon-expander throughout the research process, including stimulating imagination and idea generation, broadening the empirical base, and evaluating what empirical material and theoretical ideas are interesting and relevant to pursue.

前了解是我们对现实的前提，是所有研究的基础。许多研究人员也可能会在他们的研究中获得丰富的经验。但是，对于研究人员如何通过更积极，更系统地调动他们的前瞻性理解来丰富研究成果的理由和方法资源很少。我们详细阐述并提出了一个框架，以使研究人员可以更积极，系统和可见地提出自己的见解，并将其与正式数据和理论一起用作研究的积极投入。特别是，我们展示了研究人员如何在与数据和理论的对话中，能够在整个研究过程中调动他们对理解和视野拓展的理解，包括激发想象力和想法的产生，扩大经验基础，