ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the methodological design of the study, detailing how the theoretical framework of intercultural and empirical hermeneutics is operationalized in practice. It describes its multimethod research framework, which combines questionnaires, discussion groups, conversation analysis, and software-assisted qualitative coding within a Grounded Theory approach. The chapter outlines the generation of both particular and group data, including individual pre-exchange questionnaires that map participants’ interpretive styles, post-exchange personal evaluations of the intercultural dialogues, and verbatim transcripts of recorded discussions that document the dialogical construction of meaning in real time. It explains how discussion groups create a structured yet dynamic space for exploring interpretive negotiations across culturally different Student Christian Movements (SCMs) and reflects on the methodological benefits and limitations of using virtual platforms for intercultural encounters. The chapter also introduces the analytic strategies used to identify discursive patterns and interpretive processes through detailed conversation analysis supported by MAXQDA software. A sustained focus on ethical considerations underscores the sensitivity required when working with sacred texts, personal convictions, and cross-cultural asymmetries in digital environments. By integrating methodological rigour with hermeneutical sensitivity, the chapter demonstrates how empirical tools can illuminate the processes by which believers collectively engage Scripture across cultural boundaries.
