Reading Grounded Theory

Reading Grounded Theory

This chapter introduces you to two articles using grounded theory. In contrast to writers using an ethnographic approach who tend to be less structured, especially those writing from a post-structural stance, many writers using a grounded theory approach tend to be very systematic and traditional.

You will recall that grounded theory is an approach that involves the generation of theory based on the data. In other words, the theory is grounded in the data. It is the qualitative research approach most closely associated with quantitative research. Researchers who conduct this type of research tend to write in a more remote style.

The grounded theory approach is also one of the few research approaches that rely on more or less prescribed methods of data analysis. Although originally developed in 1967 by Glaser and Strauss, by the 1980s these two authors had broken away from each other. Strauss published two works explaining his interpretations of the theory; in 1992 Glaser published his amplifications. Many students report that it is difficult to learn how to conduct the analysis. Most researchers do not provide detailed descriptions of how they analyzed the data. In fact, many researchers using a variety of research approaches do not explain their analysis procedures. Some might consider it more important that a grounded theory study explain the steps in data analysis. Some writers refer to the data analysis process as the constant comparative method. At times, I find that articles use the right words but do not necessarily follow the tenets of a particular approach. That is especially true when I read grounded theory.

There are several key elements that you expect to find in a grounded theory study. One, of course, is the use of a specific method of data analysis. In addition, many use the idea of theoretical saturation and theoretical sampling. Theoretical saturation is the idea that additional data continue to be gathered until the researcher believes no new ideas or information can be gained from additional information gathering. Theoretical sampling is a closely associated idea. Remember that in traditional sampling researchers plan in advance both the sample size and the sample source. In quantitative approaches to conducting research, a researcher strives to gather some type of a random sample. In most qualitative approaches to research, a researcher does not aim to draw a sample at random, although he or she usually has a predetermined idea of how many participants will be studied. Grounded theory is different from these approaches, however. The grounded theory researcher conducts an analysis as part of the overall research design, rather than waiting until all data have been gathered. Additional data are collected when the data analysis is informed by new ideas.

In my experience, many who actually conduct grounded theory only pay lip service to the concept of theoretical saturation. I suspect that the data analysis does not usually occur until most or all of the data are collected. As you read these articles, you will see if any clues are offered with regard to such sampling techniques.