Professional Documents
Culture Documents
August 2011
What is Grounded Theory?
Grounded theory is a research method that utilizes
collected data to develop a theory that explains a
process, action or interaction about a topic.
This occurs by following this general inductive process:
Gather data from various sources (documents, observation field
notes, interviews, focus groups).
Analyze data by coding information to find emerging patterns and
concepts. Core ideas or substantive codes will emerge.
Theory is developed as researchers examine interaction of the
substantive codes.
(Pomrenke, 2007,)
Methods of Grounded Theory
The Emerging Design (Glaser)
Identify your substantive area of study - your area of interest in
which to study the perspective of a group(s) of people.
Get out in the field and collect data using either qualitative or
quantitative data or both.
Open code your data. Opening coding and data collection are
integrated activities. Coding means to label all pieces of data with
their concept. Coding continues until categories are identified,
eventually the core category will emerge. This core category
explains behavior in the substantive area.
Write memos throughout the entire process. Your theory about
the substantive area will be captured in memos.
continued...
Methods of Grounded Theory
The Emerging Design (Glaser) continued
Conduct selective coding and theoretical sampling. Stop open
coding and code only for the core category and related
categories. Further data collection can occur to saturate the core
category and is directed by the developing theory.
Sort your memos and find the theoretical code(s) that best
organizes all your substantive codes and their relationships will
become clear.
Read the literature and integrate with your theory. This occurs at
the end of the process to avoid creating bias in the researcher.
Write up your theory.
(Charmaz, 2008)
Limitations of Grounded Theory
Similar to other research methods that involve qualitative
data, it can be difficult to ensure that researcher bias has been
removed.
Brown (1973) suggests that grounded research is an
inappropriate methodology for certain types of research
problems (e.g. long-term historical problems, unconscious
processes).
Denzin (1987) claims that it is old fashioned with a variety of
post-modernist approaches now being in.
Coffey, Holbrook and Atkinson (1996) object to the narrow
analytic strategy imposed by a heavy reliance on coding as a
first step.
(Creswell, 2008)
Limitations of Grounded Theory
According to Charmaz (1983), both the assumptions and analytical methods of
grounded theory have been criticized by some qualitative researchers on a number of
accounts. For example, their are some suggestions that grounded theorists fail to give
proper attention to both data collection techniques and to the quality of the gathered
material. Such criticisms, she maintains, misinterpret the aims and methods of
grounded theory. Katz (1983, p.133) argues that the case for analytical induction can
be made stronger with a number of revisions:
Where grounded theory is chosen, they may be uncertain regarding the differences
that now exist between the approaches of Glaser and Strauss, who together first
described the method.
(Charmaz, 1983)
Limitations of Grounded Theory
Validity Issues
The grounded approach advocates the use of multiple data sources
converging on the same phenomenon and terms these 'slices of data (Glaser
& Strauss, 1967, p. 65).
The data triangulation works as follows: quantitative data can indicate
directly observable relationships and corroborate the findings from
qualitative data. Qualitative data can help understand the rationale of the
theory and underlying relationships. The use of multiple data sources thus
enhances construct validity and reliability (Eisenhardt, 1989, p. 538).
Ethical Issues
Not advancing the purpose of the study
Creating power and authority imbalances in interviewing
Not building a useful chain of evidence from data to theory
Not engaging in a study that benefits participants
(Creswell, 2008)
Evaluation a Grounded Theory
Research Paper
Grounded Theory online suggests key questions for reviewers are:
What is the substantive area of interest?
What comprise the data sources?
Was data collected in a manner that was consistent with Grounded
Theory. If it wasnt, how was data collected what impact will that
have had?
Was constant comparison conducted?
Is there evidence of the inter-changeability of indicators?
Was theoretical sampling conducted?
Are the codes, concepts or descriptive codes?
What is the main concern?
What is the core category? And what are the related categories?
Is there theoretical completeness and conceptual integration, what
theoretical codes structure the theory?
Has the literature been sampled and integrated into the theory?
Which Grounded Theory books have been read?
(Grounded theory online, 2011)
Example 1 of Grounded Theory Article
ILLUMINATING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF WOMENS
HEALTH USING GROUNDED THEORY
By:
What is the main concern? The main concern of this article is the
effectiveness of public policy in
promoting family health among this
demographic.
Example 1 of Grounded Theory Article
Evaluation criteria Reviewers comments
What is the core category? And what The core category relates to the
are the related categories? effectiveness of public policy in
promoting family health among this
demographic.
Is there theoretical completeness and Yes, there is theoretical completeness
conceptual integration, what in this study. The theory used in this
theoretical codes structure the study adequately covers all the
theory? relevant truths.
Has the literature been sampled and Yes, the authors clearly reference
integrated into the theory? many sources, and provide a strong
justification for using Grounded
Theory method in this study.
Which Grounded Theory books have The authors of this research study
been read? reference many academic articles and
books related to Grounded Theory
including several from Glaser.
Example 2 of Grounded Theory Article
Using grounded theory to understand software process
improvement
By:
Gerry Coleman,
Department of Computing, Dundalk Institute of Technology,
Dundalk, Co. Louth, Ireland
Rory OConnor
School of Computing, Dublin City University, Glasnevin,
Dublin, Ireland
Example 2 of Grounded Theory Article
Evaluation criteria Reviewers comments
What is the substantive area of interest? Software process improvement (SPI) aims to
understand the software process as it is used
within an organization.
What comprise the data sources? Collecting data with interviewing a total of 21
companies with specific question.
Was data collected in a manner that was Yes. Atlas TI was selected as data management
consistent with Grounded Theory. If it tool designed specially for use with Grounded
wasnt, how was data collected what Theory.
impact will that have had?
Was constant comparison conducted? Yes. In conjunction with the theoretical sampling
process, the constant comparative method was
also used.
Example 2 of Grounded Theory Article
Evaluation criteria Reviewers comments
Is there evidence of the inter- This research provides a new contribution in this
changeability of indicators? area, using evidence from practice, a theory has
been generated which explains the factors which
influence the first software process a company will
use.
Was theoretical sampling conducted? Yes, they used the combination of theoretical
sampling and constant comparison.
Are the codes, concepts or The interview was then coded, by hand, in
descriptive codes? accordance with the open coding procedure of
Grounded Theory.
Which Grounded Theory books have been The authors of this research study reference
read? many academic articles and books related to
Grounded Theory including:
R. Goede, & C. De Villiers, The applicability of
Grounded Theory as research methodology in
studies on the use of methodologies in IS
practices, in: Proceedings of SAICSIT, 2003, pp.
208217
Reasons to like Grounded Theory
Antoinette McCallin
It allows participants to identify what they see as a problem in
an area and tell the researcher how they manage that. The
methodology is open yet it is systematic and structured in a way
that allows the researcher room to move. Being a grounded
theory researcher can be likened to solving a puzzle. If you enjoy
doing puzzles you might well be a good Grounded Theory
researcher. Being a Grounded Theory researcher can also be
likened to being a detective, to finding out what is really going on
in the background not what is obvious, but understanding what
is not obvious.
More quotes can be found in the notes section of this slide.