Challenges When Using Grounded Theory A Pragmatic Introduction to Doing GT Research

The grounded theory (GT) method is widely applied, yet frequently misunderstood. We outline the main variants of GT and dispel the most common myths associated with GT. We argue that the different variants of GT incorporate a core set of shared procedures that can be put to work by any researcher or...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of qualitative methods Vol. 17; no. 1
Main Authors: Timonen, Virpi, Foley, Geraldine, Conlon, Catherine
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.12.2018
Subjects:
constructivist grounded theory
theoretical sampling
grounded theory method
constant comparison
classical grounded theory
ISSN:1609-4069, 1609-4069
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:The grounded theory (GT) method is widely applied, yet frequently misunderstood. We outline the main variants of GT and dispel the most common myths associated with GT. We argue that the different variants of GT incorporate a core set of shared procedures that can be put to work by any researcher or team from their chosen ontological and epistemological perspective. This “shared core” of the GT method is articulated as the principles of (1) taking the word “grounded” seriously, (2) capturing and explaining context-related social processes, (3) pursuing theory through engagement with data, and (4) pursuing theory through theoretical sampling. In this article, we have put forward, in a nutshell, a distillation of core principles underpinning existing GT approaches that can aid further engagement with the different variants of GT. We are motivated by the wish to make GT more comprehensible and accessible, especially for researchers who are new to the method.
ISSN:1609-4069
1609-4069
DOI:10.1177/1609406918758086