e

uid
yG
Techniques for Writing Memos in Grounded
Theory Research Methods
ud
St

Copyright © 2024 PHD Assistance. No part of this document may be published without permission of the author
Abstract
This study offers memo-writing approaches within the context of grounded theory methodology in
qualitative social science research. Memoring is one of the most significant activities in grounded
theory for developing and enriching theory. The memo is a written record of the researcher's
thoughts. It is an analytical method that enables the researcher to get a coherent notion and truth
from primary data. It is regarded as a tool for all types of notes collected by grounded theory
researchers during their research. However, memo writing is only used in a small number of other
qualitative studies. Memorization improves data investigation, inspection, and continuity throughout
research design analysis. This research attempted to explore the many features of memoing along
with its benefits.

e
Introduction
In 1967, two American sociologists, Barney Galland Glaser (1930-2022) and Anselm Leonard

uid
Strauss (1916-1996), released their important work, The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies
for Qualitative Research. Their creation set the groundwork for grounded theory (GT) methodology
in the social sciences, which is now regarded as the most renowned and influential qualitative
research technique (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Later, Glaser and Strauss students like Juliet Corbin,
Adele E. Clarke, and Kathy Charmaz further developed the second and third generations of GT, as
yg
well as alternative interpretations of the GT technique (Morse et al., 2009). Coding, continuous
comparison, memoing, and memo sorting are common data-analysis processes in grounded theory
(GT) research (Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Charmaz, 2006). Memos are the repository of ideas
developed and documented through data interaction in qualitative research (Corbin & Strauss,
2008). These are reflective interpretative pieces that provide a historical audit trail by documenting
ud

ideas, events, and thought processes inherent in the research process and the analyst's growing
thinking (Glaser, 1978). In social research, memos are written throughout the entire research
methodology process. These are at the heart of GT and help to improve the level of abstraction of
thoughts. To focus our study, we make memoranda more analytical and exact (Charmaz, 2011).
St

Memo writing in GT is an analytical and necessary activity "in ensuring quality in grounded theory"
(Birks & Mills, 2015). Memorization becomes an element of theory development when researchers
jot down ideas as evidence is acquired and examined (Creswell, 2013). It is the critical intermediary
phase between data collecting and theory development. It investigates and documents as much
analytic detail about the category as we are able to supply. It contains thorough records of the
researchers' thoughts, feelings, and intuitive notions (Charmaz, 2006). It is an important approach in
GT since it prompts the researcher.

Copyright © 2024 PHD Assistance. No part of this document may be published without permission of the author
Literature Review

Founders of grounded theory (GT), Glaser and Strauss, have not supported the existence of a
literature review prior to research analysis. They have stressed the new theory development from
the collected data (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Hilary Engward provides a practical overview of
grounded theory that will be beneficial for novice researchers (Engward, 2013). Laura M. Stough
and Sungyoon Lee have stated that, at present, GT has become one of the most commonly used
qualitative research approaches. Since it's starting, GT has taken on different iterations and evolved
a number of variants. They have noticed that, recently, educational researchers prefer to work on
the Straussian approach and Charmaz's constructivist approach (Stough & Lee, 2021).

Juliet Corbin and Anselm Strauss presented memos and diagrams. Memos are a subset of written
records that include the results of analyses. Diagrams are visual tools that emerge from

e
investigations to show potential links between concepts (Corbin & Strauss, 2008). Melanie Birks and
her colleagues investigate memoing in the context of qualitative research methods. They have

uid
examined the functions of memos in the research process as well as a variety of memo-writing
approaches (Birks et al., 2008). Anna Sandgren and her colleagues demonstrated the importance of
memoing for kids. They have seen in their training that PhD students do not recognize the relevance
of memoing at the start of their study. They believe that memoing is unnecessary.

Neringa Kalpokaite and Ivana Radivojevic have suggested three types of memos that can be applied
yg
to most qualitative research projects. They have established a foundational model that consists of
four iterative cycles, such as "The Inspection Cycle, Coding Cycle, Categorisation Cycle, Modelling
Cycle, and memo-writing, which is inherent to the entire analysis process". They have incorporated
memo writing to foster the development of reflexive and critical thinking skills. They have also
wanted to provide guidelines for memoing for novice qualitative researchers (Kalpokaite &
ud

Radivojevic, 2019).

Methodology of the Study

According to Rajasekar et al. (2013), research is a rational and methodical search for new, relevant
st

knowledge on a given issue that explores answers to scientific and societal problems via systematic
analysis. Methodology is the systematic and theoretical examination of the procedures used in a
particular field of study. As a result, research methodology is the discipline of investigating how
scientific research is conducted (Patel & Patel, 2019). In GT, data gathering and analysis, as well as
memo writing, are critical. Memorization is the most commonly used tool in grounded theory
research (Clarke, 2005).

We introduced the basic concepts of grounded theory (GT) at the outset of the research. Then, we
attempted to examine many elements of memoing and memo writing, such as types, phases, and
the value of memos and memo writing. Finally, we discussed the advantages and significance of
memo writing.

Copyright © 2024 PHD Assistance. No part of this document may be published without permission of the author
The article is structured on secondary data analysis. To compile this material, we consulted published
research publications, books, handbooks, conference papers, websites, and so on. We attempted to
preserve reliability and validity throughout the study methods. The references in the text and reference
list have been appropriately cited (Mohajan, 2017, 2018).

Objective of the Study

The leading objective of this article is to discuss the aspects of memo and memo writing in qualitative
research. Some other ordinary objectives are;

to enhance the research skills in the qualitative approach area,

to show the style and structure of the memo, and
to highlight the benefits and importance of memoing.

An Overview of GT

e
Grounded theory (GT) is a qualitative research approach distinguished by its iterative process and the
interdependence of planning, data collecting, data analysis, and subsequent theory construction
uid
(Glaser & Strauss, 1967; Charmaz, 2006). The term theoretical sampling refers to the continual
collection of fresh data and the inclusion of new examples in the analysis based on their potential
contribution to the continued development and refining of the emerging theory. Grounded theory is the
theory that results from this approach (Mey & Mruck, 2011; Vollstedt & Rezat, 2019). GT, according to
Glaser, is "an alternative to positivistic, social constructionist, and interpretive qualitative data
yg
methods" (Glaser, 2005). GT investigates the human experience within the context of social interaction
(Birks et al., 2008).

Types of Memos
Generally, there are three types of memos in qualitative research (Kalpokaite & Radivojevic, 2019): i)
ud

research diary, ii) methodological memo, and iii) analytical memo.

Memo Writing
Memo writing in GT begins at the beginning of a research endeavour. Memos are commonly used to
st

compare data such as statistics, codes, and classifications. Khanal (2018) Memo writing is a detailed
record of the researcher's data analysis discussion. When coding and continuous comparison are
used to find plausible patterns within the codes, memo writing occurs (Engward, 2013). It is the stage
of a document that happens between coding and writing the first draft (Charmaz, 2012). Memos are
formal papers that must adhere to a certain structure. It continually pauses the coding process in GT.
Memos, as a result, must be recorded (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Memo-writing is defined as "putting
things down on paper, which makes codes, categories, 11 thoughts, reflections, and ideas
manageable and stimulates further theorizing" (Flick, 2014, p. From the perspective of Lempert,
"memo writing" might be "a process of writing about initial code labels that is used to conceptualize the
properties and dimensions of codes and aid in theoretical development" (Lempert, 2007, p. 1).

Copyright © 2024 PHD Assistance. No part of this document may be published without permission of the author
Memo writing expedites analytic work and increases productivity (Charmaz, 2006). Memo writing is
vital in GT research because it allows researchers to examine and code data more quickly and
convert categories throughout the coding process (Lempert, 2007). Memo writing aids researchers in
the generation of concepts and categories (Bryman, 2012). Glaser considers memo writing to be
necessary "to record ideas, get them out, and the analyst should do so in any kind of language-good,
bad, or indifferent" (Glaser, 1978). It is an important approach in GT. It speeds up the study and
operates throughout the process (Charmaz, 2006).

Conclusion

In the social sciences, grounded theory is a well-established qualitative technique. Memo writing is an
essential foundation for preparing good research in GT study. We discovered in this study that
memoing is a method that may be utilized to perform qualitative research. Memos allow for the study

e
of many qualitative research routes. The qualitative research will suffer from a lack of power if memos
are not used. A researcher can construct a theory through the process of open, axial, and selective

uid
coding with the use of the memoing process.

✔ Check out our blog to learn more about the Innovations in Business Process Management By
Integrating Five Diamond Research Methodology
yg
References

Baker-Korotkov, K. (2020). A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study of Interconnected

Birks, M., Chapman, Y., & Francis, K. (2008). Memoing in Qualitative Research: Probing Data
and Processes. Journal of Research in Nursing, 13(1), 68-75.
Birks, M., & Mills, J. (2015). Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide. Sage Publications Ltd.,
ud

Washington DC.
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2013). Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for
Beginners. London, UK: Sage Publications.
st

Charmaz, K. (2011). A Constructivist Grounded Theory Analysis of Losing and Regaining a

Valued Self. In Wertz, F. J., Charmaz, K., McMullen, L. J., Josselson, R., Anderson, R., &
McSpadden, E. (Eds).
Dunne, C. (2011). The Place of the Literature Review in Grounded Theory Research.
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 14(2), 111-124.
Engward, H. (2013). Understanding Grounded Theory. Nursing Standard, 28(7), 37-41.
Friese, S. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis with ATLAS.ti. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage
Publications.
Glaser, B. G. (2001). The Grounded Theory Perspective Conceptualization Contrasted with
Description. Mill Valley, CA Sociology Press.
Groen, C., Simmons, D. R., & McNair, L. D. (2017). An Introduction to Grounded Theory:
Choosing and Implementing an Emergent Method. Paper Presented at 2017 ASEE Annual
Conference & Exposition, Columbus, Ohio.

Copyright © 2024 PHD Assistance. No part of this document may be published without permission of the author
Gynnild, A. (Ed.) (2013). Editorial. The Grounded Theory Review, 12(2), 1-2.
Herzog, C., Handke, C., & Hitters, E. (2019). Analyzing Talk and Text II: Thematic Analysis.
In Van den Bulck, H., Puppis, M., Donders, K. & Van Audenhove, L. (Eds.), The Palgrave
Handbook of Methods for Media Policy Research, pp. 385-401. Basingstoke: Palgrave
Macmillan.
Kalpokaite, N., & Radivojevic, I. (2019). Demystifying Qualitative Data Analysis for Novice
Qualitative Researchers. The Qualitative Report, 24(13), 44-57.
Khanal, K. P. (2018). Constructivist Grounded Theory Practice in Accountability Research.
Journal of Education and Research, 8(1), 61-88.
Lacey, A., & Luff, D. (2009). Qualitative Research Analysis. The NIHR RDS for the East
Midlands/Yorkshire & the Humber.

e
Lempert, L. B. (2007). Asking Questions of the Data: Memo Writing in the Grounded Theory
Tradition. In Antony Bryant and Kathy Charmaz (Eds.), The Sage Handbook of Grounded

uid
Theory, pp. 245-264. Los Angeles: Sage Publication.
Mey, G., & Mruck, K. (2011). Grounded Theory Methodologie: Entwicklung, Stand,
Perspektiven (Grounded Theory Methodology: Development, Status Quo, and Perspectives).
In G. Mey & K. Mruck (Eds.), Grounded Theory Reader, pp. 11-48. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für
Sozialwissenschaften.
yg
Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods
Sourcebook (3rd Ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Mohajan, H. K. (2017). Two Criteria for Good Measurements in Research: Validity and
Reliability. Annals of Spiru Haret University Economic Series, 17(3), 58-82.
ud

Mohajan, H. K. (2018). Qualitative Research Methodology in Social Sciences and Related

World Bank Group (2015). Multi-Regional Cost-Effectiveness and Qualitative Analysis Tools
for Results-Based Financing programmes (RBF) Impact Evaluation. World Bank Group,
Health, Nutrition & Population, Washington, DC, USA.
st

Yin, R. K. (2011). Qualitative Research from Start to Finish. New York, NY: The Guilford
Press.

Copyright © 2024 PHD Assistance. No part of this document may be published without permission of the author