Grounded Theory

Grounded Theory

1. INTRO

   • Philosophical Assumption (Theory)
     • Research Method
       • Data Collection Technique
         • Data Analysis Approach
           • Written Record
   • Develop a theory that is grounded in data systematically gathered and analysed
   • continuous interplay between data collection and analysis

2. PURPOSE OF GROUNDED THEORY

   • develop new concepts and theories of phenomena
   • emerge original and rich findings
   • inductive

3. DEFINITION

   • The discovery of theory from data - Glaser & Strauss

4. GT and LITERATURE REVIEW

   • No pre-conceived theoretical ideas before starting the research
   • it is not ignoring the literature
   • make sure that researchers are not constrained by lit. when coding
   • researcher: should not impose concepts on the data - concepts should emerge from the data

5. ORIGINS

   • Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss
   • wanted a method that allows them to move from data to theory so that new theories chould emerge

6. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GT

   • identify categories of meaning
     • both the process and the actual theory
       • categories grouped together
         • Categories are analytic rather than descriptive
           • Categories emerge from data and evolve throughout the research process
             • Coding is the process by which categories are identified
               • Categories should be 'in vivo' (actual words/phrases

7. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GT

   • Constant Comparative Analysis
     • moving back and forth bet. identification of similarities and differences bet. emerging categories.
   • Negative Case Analysis
     • instances that do not fit - allows researcher to qualify and elaborate the emerging theory
   • Theoretical Sensitivity
     • moves the researcher from a descriptive to an analytic level
   • Theoretical Sampling
     • Collecting further data that have already emerged from earlier stages of data analysis
   • Theoretical Saturation
     • Written record of theory development
   • memo writing
     • written record of theory develop. Writing definitions of categories and justifying labels chosen, tracing emergent relationships with one another and keeping a record of the progressive integration of higher and lower order categories

8. CRITIQUE

   • Disadvantages
     • First time users can get overwhelmed at the coding level
     • open coding takes long
     • diff. to 'scale up' to larger concepts
     • lower level theories only
   • Advantages
     • intuitive appeal for novice researchers
     • Analysing the data early
     • ample evidence to back up claims
     • Systematic, detailed analysis
     • Useful for describing repeated processes e.g: communication processes bet. doctors and patients