Grounded Theory in 20 Minutes: An Introduction by Betty Adamou

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...

And$your$theory$should$explain$something.$

Some$universal$truth$no7one$$knew$before.$

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..

OMG, so I can like

Can I basically do anything and carry out my research exactly the way i want to?

Not exactly.

You must FOCUS

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.

USED LOTS OF IRRELEVANT RESEARCH

NEVER GOT TO BUILD MY THEORY.

Do(not(be(like(this(guy(

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.$

Example. Talk to me

=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(

CONCEPTS are like juicy apples you can collect to keep your

Theory-building healthy.

“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.$$$

THEORY Once.you’ve.gone.through.these.processes.

you.shall.have.your.

AND you will have

expanded your mind.

Ok now we know you’re so happy you wanna cry. Hold the tears. Go forth and research. Good luck.

But don’t be smug about it.

Spread the knowledge!

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..

Find(me(on((Twiaer!(