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Grounded Theory

Grounded Theory. Strauss and Corbin. Basics . Grounded theory is not a descriptive method - The goal is to conceptualize contextual reality using empirical data What are the major issues/problems for the participants, and how do they solve/address them?

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Grounded Theory

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  1. Grounded Theory Strauss and Corbin

  2. Basics • Grounded theory is not a descriptive method - The goal is to conceptualize contextual reality using empirical data • What are the major issues/problems for the participants, and how do they solve/address them? • The theory: Conceptual representation that explains people’s actions regardless of time and place **(note the ontological implications of this)

  3. The Conditional Matrix • In each context there are conditions that involve processes that result in consequences • The grounded theorist thinks in terms of incidents and actions (hence the focus on processes) – coding is done in terms of conditions, processes, and consequences **What are the major issues/problems for the participants, and how do they solve/address them? • Unit of analysis is the incident (not the participants)

  4. Procedure • General research question • Site selection and access • Role of the literature in developing questions and fieldwork strategies – Glaser and Strauss conflict • Glaser does not refer to GT as qualitative – uses inductive AND deductive reasoning to discover and verify hypotheses generated from the data • Initial data collection (everything you encounter is data)

  5. Procedure • Codes: Identifying anchors that allow the key points of the data to be gathered • Concepts: Collections of codes of similar content that allow the data to be grouped • Categories: Broad groups of similar concepts that are used to generate a theory • Theory: A conceptually-based explanation of how the participants approach, address, and resolve major incidents and issues in context

  6. Procedure • Open Coding: • Purpose: The first level of abstraction – get above the data; abstracting from actual words (in-vivo coding) • Examination of data (written notes, transcripts, etc.) to find codes and define concepts – grouping of common themes, ideas, etc. • Tedious: Examination of data line by line to conceptualize each incident • Codes are gradually combined into concepts

  7. Procedure • Open Coding (cont.) • As concepts emerge, more data collection and analysis are done (constant comparative)

  8. Procedure • Open Coding (cont.) • Concepts are combined into categories • Categories have properties, which have dimensions • The ultimate goal is the development of a core category

  9. Procedure • More data collection based on open coding • Axial coding (S & C) - Narrowing focus to a limited number of categories (no longer brainstorming) – path to formation of core category • Begin the theory – linkage of one category to another

  10. Procedure • Selective coding using the core category – how are your categories related/connected to your core category? • Sort and integrate your analytic memos (written throughout) – what are the connections between concepts? Between categories? • Write your theory • Theoretical sampling – further data collection (can be at other sites) to refine your theorybased on your understanding of the core category

  11. Validity • Goal of GT: To conceptualize contextual reality using empirical data • Does the theory fit the data? (retrospective hypothesis fitting) How does the theory hold up in that context? • Internal validity

  12. Validity • Goal of GT: To conceptualize contextual reality using empirical data • Fit (the context you studied) • Relevance (to participants – not just academic) • Workability (theory works with solution variation) • Modifiability (can successfully change to account for new data)

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