Grounded Theory
Grounded theory is a qualitative approach which aims to “‘generate,’ ‘discover,’ or ‘construct’ a theory that is ‘an abstract analytical schema of a process,” (Liamputtong 206) which is poorly understood or for which there is no available or appropriate theory that exists. The purpose of grounded theory is to use emerging data to generate a theory. The new theory provides increased understanding of a particular phenomenon and of the relationships between concepts that arose from the data.
Grounded theory research as developed by Strauss and Corbin (1990) requires use of systematic procedures for data collection and analysis, sampling and coding. In grounded theory, data collection and analysis must occur simultaneously; commonly this is referred to as a zig-zag process where the researcher collects data, analyzes data and repeats the cycle – instead of waiting until data collection is finished to begin analysis. In addition, the researcher must constantly compare the major categories emerging from the data; then he or she will reflect on those concepts and look for relationships based on “groundedness” and “density.” The researcher will also engage in “memoing,” the process of writing reflections on the connections seen in the data and tracking his or her thoughts. For example:
Interviewer: Tell me about teens and drug use.
Respondent: I think teens use drugs as a release from their parents.
Memo: The first thing that strikes me in this sentence is the work “use”. This is a strange term because, when taken out of the context of drug takin, the work means that an object or a person is being employed for some purpose. It implies a willful and directed act. In making a comparison, when I think about a computer, I think about employing it to accomplish a task. I think of it as being at my disposal.
Source: Basic of Qualitative Research, Second Edition by Anselm Strauss & Juliet Corbin [6]
Grounded theory relies on the use of theoretical sampling where participants are carefully selected by the researcher. Theoretical sampling is critical to the zig-zag process; the data collected and analyzed from one participant will inform the selection and data collected from the next participant. Sampling will end when the researcher believes he or she has reached saturation, which is when new data fails to elucidate original or unknown information.
Grounded theory also has a distinct analysis procedure, consisting of a three-phase coding process. Open coding is the first step of the coding process where the researcher will assign codes to “events, actions, and interactions” in the data and then group codes into major categories (Liamputtong 216). Axial coding is in-depth coding of a particular category as identified by open-coding to ensure that each “code is fully elaborated,” (Liamputtong 217). Through axial coding the researcher will make connections between each category and its sub-codes/sub-categories. Selective coding is the process of developing linkages and relationships between the categories around a core category for the purpose of “integrating and refining the theory”.
Example:
Howard, et al. (2011) conducted a grounded theory study that described how women who carry BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutations (genes that increase risk for breast and/or ovarian cancer) make decisions regarding risk-reduction strategies, including cancer screening and preventive surgery. The aim of the study was to better understand women’s decision-making processes and influencing social context in order to guide development of decision support interventions. The authors asked on central question to guide inquiry: How do women’s decision-making process and social context that influence these processes impact risk-reducing strategies among women who carry BRCA1 or BRCA 2 gene mutations?
Howard AF, Balneaves LG, Bottorff JL, Rodney P. Preserving the self: the process of decision making about hereditary breast cancer and ovarian cancer risk reduction. Qual Health Res. 2011 Apr;21(4):502-19.
Challenges to consider when using grounded theory:
- Researcher must set aside previous ideas or notions about the theory or concepts that emerge.
- It can be difficult to determine when saturation of data has been reached.