Grounded Theory
Grounded Theory is a systematic methodology in qualitative-research involving the construction of theories through the collection and analysis of data. It is grounded in the data themselves rather than beginning with hypotheses.
Core Principles
- Inductive Reasoning: Theory emerges from data, not from pre-existing frameworks.
- Theoretical Sampling: Data collection is driven by emerging concepts to saturate categories.
- Constant Comparative Method: Continuous comparison of incidents with other incidents, categories with categories, and data with emerging theory.
- Coding Process:
- Open Coding: Fracturing data into discrete parts to examine and compare.
- Axial Coding: Reassembling data through connecting categories and subcategories.
- Selective Coding: Integrating and refining the theory to produce a cohesive whole.
- Theoretical Sensitivity: The researcher’s ability to recognize what is important in data, to be sensitive to it, and to know what relationships exist among data.
Application in Health Data
Recent literature emphasizes the utility of Grounded Theory in deriving theory specifically from health data, allowing for the identification of patterns in patient experiences, healthcare delivery, and clinical outcomes that may not be captured by quantitative metrics alone.
- See specific principles and applications in: Grounded Theory: Principles and Application for Developing Theory from Health Data
Key Figures
- Barney Glaser
- Anselm Strauss
- Juliet Corbin
Related Concepts
- Phenomenology
- Ethnography
- Saturation
- Memoing