Post on 21-Feb-2017
Grounded(Theory(In(20(minutes*(For(my(fellow(PhD(students.(
www.researchgames.org.uk.
@Be1yAdamou.@RTG_Ltd.
Be1y.Adamou,..PhD.Student,.University.of.LIFE.yo..
*Depends.on.how.fast.you.read.*Depends.on.if.you.feel.the.need.to.stop.and.laugh,.or.check.your.Facebook...By.Be1y.Adamou.Someone.who.had.to.read.a.lot.and.cry.over.papers.about.Grounded.Theory..before.being.able.to.make.this.simplified.guide.!
Includes(real(talk!(
Right now, when someone says “Grounded Theory”, you feel like this.
It’s ok. We know. We’re here to help.
• It.is.the.skeleton.–.the.process.and.infrastructure.by.which.data.can.be.gathered.and.analyzed..
• Because.of.this,.the.Grounded.Theory.method.offers.a.number.of.techniques.to.operaPonalize.exploraPon.to.reach.an.internally.valid.conceptualizaPon..
What.is.Grounded.Theory?.
Basically,.Grounded.Theory..(or.GT).is.a.really.flexible.and.
exploratory.method.of.gathering.data.to.build.theory..
Ok, repeat that, in English pls.
Actually,.it.was.2.people...Glaser.and.Strauss...
(we.don’t.know.who.the.woman.with.the.pearls.is)...
The.method.was.created.40.years.ago.and.gained.
popularity.in.recent.years.due.to.it’s.flexibility,.and.in.part.due.to.the.widening.variePes.of.ways.in.which.people.can.
collect.data.(i.e..through.social.media.)..
What.crazy.person.created.GT?.
Guess(whi
ch(
one(is(whi
ch!(
Sooo…why.would.anyone.use.Grounded.Theory?.
To build theory where none exists already, Daniel-san...
People.also.use.GT.because.of.the.opportuniPes.it.offers:.
.1. Flexibility.–.it.is.not.a.single.method..2. UPlize.&.integrate.GT.with.other.
research.methods..3. GT.allows.for.quant.&.qual.data.(we.said.
that.already)..4. CreaPve.opportuniPes.in.your.research.–.
consider.that.‘all.data.is.data’..Like.forms.of.expression,.painPngs,.photographs.and.drawings.(virtual.or.real)..
FYI.Grounded.Theory.is.NOT.for..
tesPng.exisPng.theorePcal.frameworks...
It’s$all$about$the$$GENERATION$of$theory.$
Not$the.verificaPon.of.exis)ng.theory..So(repeat(aAer(me(3(Cmes:(GeneraCon(not(verificaCon.((GeneraCon(not(verificaCon.((GeneraCon(not(verificaCon.(
(Ok.(I(think(you(got(it.(
Neither...And.DON’T.listen.to.the.crazy.people.that.tell.you.it’s.Qual...
IT.IS.NOT..Ok?.It.is.a.general.method.that.can.
INCLUDE.qualitaPve.&.quanPtaPve.methods.of.research.and.data.gathering..
So like, what methodology is Grounded Theory? Qual or Quant, yo?
So what data CAN I use in GT dawg?
Secondary data
Primary data
Interviews(Focus(groups(
Web(surveys(
Journals(
Archival((data(
Reports(
Etc.((you(get(the(gist)(
Etc.((you(get(the(gist)(
THEORY.
So.in.essence:.
GROUNDED.THEORY.HELPS.BUILD.THEORY.GT.is.the.foundaPon.that.you.can.use.to.help.build.a.theorePcal.framework..
Ok,.so.in.order.to.build.theory..about.anything,.you.have.to.understand.it.first,.right?.
Yeah(but,(HOoooW%does%it%help%build%theory%bro??%
(this.is.where.you.say.“right”).
Right..So.in.order.to.deepen.your.understanding,.you.can,.and.
absolutely.should….
LISTEN.TO.AND.READ..AS$MUCH$AS$POSSIBLE$$
of.literature.that.relates.to.your.field..Listen.to.the.experts..
Read.the.relevant.books,.arPcles,.journals.etc..
You.can.also…..
j Interview.peeps..Like,.experts.in.your.field..Or.people.who.have.had.relevant.experiences.relaPng.to.your.field..
j Absorb.juicy.and.useful.secondary.data.
j Carry.out.your.own.primary.research,..qualitaPve.or.quanPtaPve,.or.both..
You$can’t$be$all$like$on$Facebook$all$day,$wai4ng$for$someone$to$update$their$status$with$something$of$relevance$to$your$research,$and$then$call$that$‘Grounded$Theory’$explora4on.$
That shit is not gonna fly.
And$you$can’t$research$something$completely$irrelevant$and$try$and$shoeChorning$it$into$your$research.$$
If it’s a square hole, you will need a
square peg. !
YOU CAN do some pretty cool things in your Grounded Theory method. You can use: $• Ethnography$• Netnography$• Social$media$research$(structured!)$$• Observa4ons$through$video$• Conduct$‘mini’$experiments$• Research$through$using$EEG$headsets$and$measuring$brain$
waves.$
“You.must.be.prepared.to.embrace.a..rich.and.diverse.sources.of.data..
to.build.your.theory”.
Holy shit. That’s a lot of options. .Yeah,.it.is...But.you.go1a.figure.out.what’s.going.to.work.for.YOU.and.for.the.OUTCOME.you.want...For.instance,.conducPng.interviews.might.not.be.relevant.to.you.if.you’re.developing.theory.about.how.winning.racejhorses.respond.to.fame..Unless.you.can.speak.horse.#Horsewhisperer.......
And.like,.while.sPcking.nodes.on.people’s.heads..to.measure.brain.waves..
IS.pre1y.cool.and.awesome,..it’s.also.pre1y.expensive,.and.Pme.consuming...
So.you.go1a.think.about.those.logisPcal.things.too...
OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE BROKE AND NEVER FINISH YOUR PHD.
EVER.
Even$if$the$research$methods$$you$use$are$$
ALL$DIFFERENT$in$order$to$build$your$theory,$$
try$to$make$them$$complimentary$and$$
of$relevance$to$your$field,$to$$deepen$your$understanding...
..so when the data is combined, and through your development, it can all produce
CONCEPTS for AWESOME THEORETICAL FLAVOUR. Like how Peanut Butter and Jam works.
RESEARCH METHODS = DIFFERENT BUT COMPLIMENTARY
Let me break GT down for you one time:
1. You(gather(data(through(research(2. You(analyse(that(data(throughout(
your(research(process(through(constant(comparisons(and((develop(concepts.(
3. The(you(go(BUILD(THAT(THEORY(gurl.(
So…$How$do$I$analyze$my$data$and$make$those$
constant$comparisons?$Well,$you$can$use$‘internal$senseCmaking$techniques’$such$as$memo’s$of$things$you’ve$developed$in$YOUR$OWN$MIND$from$conversa4ons$you’ve$had,$or$things$you’ve$read$
$(again,$of$relevance$to$your$field$of$research).$$They$can$be$notes,$diagrams,$mind$maps$etc.$
You$need$to$constantly$link$your$research,$try$and$find$connec4ons.$
=SHIT TON OF DATA
Interviewing experts in your field (qual)
Online surveys for participants (quant)
Focus groups with participants
(qual)
OK.(So(let’s(say(you(decide(to(use(a(TRIANGULATED(APPROACH(to((your(research,(ok?((
Let’s(say(you(go(for:(
But$remember:$While(you’re(doing(all(that(awesome(experimentaCon(and(research,(you(should(be(READING(all(the(appropriate(literature(in(your(field(to(compare(what(you’re(learning(through(your(research,((to(what’s(already(out(there.(((You(should(also(be(WRITING(a(lot(about(what(you’re(learning.(Like(we(said(before,(mind^maps,(diagrams(etc.(You(should(KEEP(A(DIARY.(It(will(come(in(handy.(Trust(me.(
So(anyway,(like(we(said,(you’ll(end(up(with(a(SHIT(TON(OF(DATA.(With(all(the(data(you(collect,(you(need(to(do(something(really(complex^sounding(
called(AXIAL$CODING$to$make$sense$of$all$the$data.$
=SHIT TON OF DATA
Interviewing experts in your field (qual)
Online surveys for participants (quant)
Focus groups with participants
(qual)
IN GEEK SPEAK, AXIAL CODING IS:
“The!disaggrega,on!of!core!themes!during!qualita,ve!data!analysis.!!
Axial!coding!in!Grounded!Theory!is!the!process!of!rela,ng!codes!(categories!and!concepts)!to!each!other,!via!a!combina,on!
of!induc,ve!and!deduc,ve!thinking.”!
IN NORMAL SPEAK, THIS MEANS:
=SHIT TON OF DATA
Interviewing experts in your field (qual)
Online surveys for participants (quant)
Focus groups with participants
(qual)
FINDING(
THEMES(&
(
PATTERNS
(IN(
YOUR(DA
TA!(
So let’s say in your data, you have been able to identify several themes which
allow you to develop categories of data. Like!let’s!say!your!par,cipants!completed!your!survey,!and!responded!to!you!about!a!piece!of!music!you!were!tes,ng,!for!whatever!crazy!reason!that!related!to!your!research.!And!let’s!say!that!some!people…!!1. Hated!the!music!(it!made!them!feel!upset)!2. Loved!the!music!(it!made!them!feel!calm)!3. Got!up!and!danced!to!the!music!(it!made!them!feel!happy)!4. LeM!the!room.!!
These!are!FOUR!CATEGORIES!of!responses;!four!categories!of!data.!
From(the(categories(you(idenCfy(in(your(data,(you(can(build((
CONCEPTS(
“But how do I go from categories in my data, to developing concepts?”
Good question. We’re so
glad you asked.
YOU HAVE TO KEEP ASKING HOW & WHY.
Did they hate the piece of music? How? Why?
Did the race horse enjoy fame? How? Why?
Did my game engage people? How? Why?
Knowing the answers to these questions will deepen your
understanding And(the(more(you(dig(deep(and(explore,(the(concepts(will(emerge(in(your(mind.((
And(the(more(you’ll((break(through(the(glass(ceiling(of(your(
pre^exisCng(knowledge.(
BUT BE WARNED: A$lot$of$peeps$think$they’re$using$$
Grounded$Theory,$$when$they$actually$AREN’T.$
So$here’s$how$you$know$when$you$HAVEN’T$used$GT:$
$
1. If$you$haven’t$developed$theory$from$data$through$constant$comparisons$
2. If$you$haven’t$followed$a$theore4cal$sampling$strategy$
3. If$you$haven’t$used$some$form$of$data$coding.$4. You$can$feel$it$in$your$heart.$$$
That(was(Grounded(Theory(In(20(minutes*(For(my(fellow(PhD(students.(
www.researchgames.org.uk.
@Be1yAdamou.@RTG_Ltd.
PhD.Student,.University.of.LIFE.yo..
*If.it.wasn’t.20.minutes.then.that’s.ok,.you.learned.something,..By.Be1y.Adamou.Any.copyright.infringement.was.totally.NOT.intended..All.images.used.are.used.for..humorous.purposes,.for.educaPon..
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