CLASSIC GROUNDED THEORY RESEARCHERS

Here is an excellent outline of the GT process by Odis Simmons:

Proprietary – not for use or distribution without permission of author Composed by: Odis E. Simmons, Ph.D. Stages of a Classic (Glaserian) Grounded Theory Study:Stages are generally sequential, but once research process begins they are often conducted simultaneously, as the particular research requires.

1. Preparation: Minimizing preconceptions. No preliminary literature review. General research topic, but no predetermined research “problem.”

2. Data Collection: Most common form: intensive interviews, often combined with participant observation. But, any type of data can be used, including quantitative. Theoretical Sampling

Initial analysis determines where to go and what to look for next in data collection. Analysis and data collection continually inform one another.

3. Analysis: Constant Comparative Analysis Relating data to ideas, then ideas to other ideas.

Substantive Coding

Substantive codes summarize empirical substance. Have grab, relevance, and fit.

Sensitizing concepts: Are “accessible” through imagery, humor, irony.

In vivo concepts: concepts inherent to action scene (e.g. milkman’s “coffee stop”).

Open Coding

Coding for anything and everything. The analyst asks three general questions of the data:

A. "What is this data a study of?" Leads to discovery of the “core variable.” The core variable becomes the focus of the research and theory. The core variable is the variable which accounts for the most variation (e.g. Milkman’s “cultivating relationships”)

B. "What category does this incident indicate?"

C. "What is actually happening in the data?"

Selective Coding

Usually occurs when core variable and major dimensions and properties have been discovered. Closed coding involves limiting the coding to things related to the core variable.

Theoretical Coding

Theoretical codes conceptualize how the substantive codes may relate to each other as hypotheses to be integrated into the theory (see Glaser’s “theoretical coding families”).

4. Memoing: Memos are the theorizing write-up of ideas about codes and their relationships.

Data collection, analysis and memoing are ongoing, and overlap.

Memoing should take precedence, because it is the actual write-up of what is emerging from the data and the analysis. Data is always available, and can be analyzed at any time. Ideas are fragile. They should be written down at the earliest possible time.

While writing memos, think and write theoretically, in a "stream of consciousness" fashion, with no concerns about grammar, spelling, and such.

This minimizes writers block.

Memos are always modifiable as you discover more about your topic.

Integrating the Literature

Once you are confident in your theory, you can begin to analyze and integrate relevant existing literature into it. Theoretical material from the literature must earn its way into your theory, just like any other theoretical construct.

5. Sorting & Theoretical Outline:Sorting refers not to data sorting, but to conceptual sorting of memos into an outline of the emergent theory, showing relationships between concepts. This process often stimulates more memos, and sometimes even more data collection. 6. Writing:

The completed sort constitutes the first draft of your write-up. From here it is merely a matter of refining and polishing your product into a final draft.