Grounded Theory

Grounded Theory ( to the problem of translation see below ) is a social science approach to systematic evaluation especially qualitative data ( interview transcripts, observation protocols) with the aim of theory generation. It represents no single method is but a series of interlocking processes. Often, the grounded theory is referred to as a method of qualitative social research. It is a style of research that combines a pragmatic theory of action with specific method requirements. This method is based on the theory of symbolic interactionism. The aim is to develop a realistic theory in order to make them applicable to the practice and thus to reduce the theory-practice scissors. Understanding cognitive interest is not the reconstruction of subjective perceptions, but rather to underlying ( social) phenomena are visualized them.

Other objectives are:

• Development of theory from data collected
• Creation of explanatory theories of human behavior, behavior and social processes
• Modify ( modification / restriction) or expansion of existing theories
• Investigation of the interaction of social behavior and the experiences of people.

Grounded Theory or data-driven theorizing?

In German the term is often used as a " Grounded Theory" or translated as " object-related theory building " or " data-driven theory ". "Grounded " in the name of " Grounded Theory" is intended to indicate the anchoring of the theory in the empirical, in the data. The English name is disadvantageous in that this is the theory, but not to the theory itself, as the English name suggests. A perhaps more appropriate, however, to elaborate formulation is " style of research for the development of companies incorporated in empirical data theories ".

Development and basic concepts

Created grounded theory in the early 1960s in Chicago, as Anselm Strauss, a student of Herbert Blumer, in collaboration with Barney Glaser led by medical sociological studies and case tool developed systematized.

For the legislative history of the grounded theory, Strauss and Glaser expressed as follows:

Glaser and Strauss explain the procedure in summary:

The procedure thus described corresponds to the logic of abduction ( see pragmatism, Charles S. Peirce ).

Comparative analysis

The comparative analysis is used for theory building. Glaser and Strauss recommend the strategy of theoretical sampling. The focus is on the selection of cases for a study not representative in the foreground, but the cases to be examined are selected according to the criterion of whether they suggest new insights, for example, to the theoretical saturation is reached. In grounded theory, the survey is closely linked to the analysis of data. This contrasts with the statistical sampling.

Analysis method

Method of constant comparison

A grounded theory specifying data analysis technique is the "method of constant comparison ". In this method, data collection and coding and analyzing the data will take place in parallel.

For encoding and substantial theoretical codes are used: The substantial codes are divided into open and selective code. At the beginning of the analysis open codes are used (open coding). Open codes are, for example, certain words that occur repeatedly in the data. The inquiring person examined on the basis of the open code differences, similarities, patterns of action, etc. with the aim of being able to form categories. The categories can be formed as soon as those behavior patterns were identified that are important or problematic for the study participants. These patterns are also known as core variables. In the second part of the analysis, the research- person encodes only selectively (selective coding), ie on the basis of the developed categories.

The other type of code used, the theoretical codes that have been developed by Glaser. Theoretical codes are " interest groups ", such as on "Strategies " by which the individual data segments can be grouped. The aim is thus to be able to work out relationships and contexts ( Polit, Beck & Hungler Tatano, 2004).

Memos

The inquiring person documented throughout the analysis their hypotheses and thoughts that she has regarding the data, the possible contexts, etc., in so called Memos. By writing down reflecting on relationships, patterns, hypotheses, etc. promoted. This also supports the analysis of the data ( Polit, Beck & Hungler Tatano, 2004).

Since the 1970s, the propagated by Strauss and Glaser methods have diverged. Both are further referred to as grounded theory approach. Glaser ( and the Grounded Theory Institute) stands for a more focused approach to induction, for a "just do it " and a confidence in the emergence of theories from data when they are analyzed only long enough. The approach of Strauss is more closely aligned with scientific verifiability criteria. Jörg Strübing sees these differences already in the seminal book The Discovery of Grounded Theory applied; its ambivalences are partly due to the different epistemological backgrounds of the two authors explain: "While Strauss comes from the pragmatic precreased interactionist social theory, and this has developed significantly, Glaser is a student of the positivist- functionalist embossed Columbia School. " ( Strübing 2002: 320).

In an experiment conducted shortly before his death interview Strauss identifies three basic elements which should contain a procedure that wants to call itself grounded theory: