Unlike other methods of qualitative research, the grounded theorists do not believe in collecting data through taping and transcribing interviews as it is believed to be a waste of time in grounded theories. The process of grounded theories is far quick and faster as the researcher delimits the data by field-noting interviews and soon after generates concepts that fit with data, are relevant and work in explaining what participants are doing to resolve their main concern.
Discussing about the theory before it is written up drains the researcher of motivational energy. Discussions and talks can either render praise or criticism, and both diminish the motivational drive to write memos that develop and refine the concepts and the theory (Glaser, 1998). Data is a fundamental property of the grounded theory which means that everything that gets in the researcher’s way when studying a certain area is data. Not only interviews or observations but anything is data that helps the researcher generating concepts for the emerging theory. Field notes can come from informal interviews, lectures, seminars, expert group meetings, newspaper articles, Internet mail lists, even television shows, conversations with friends etc. It is even possible, and sometimes a good idea, for a researcher with much knowledge in the studied area to interview own self, treating that interview like any other data, coding and comparing it to other data and generating concepts from it. Interviewing one’s own self helps in gaining an insight from the knowledge that the researcher has at the conceptual level and grounded theory deals with nothing but the conceptual level data.
STEPS OF GROUNDED THEORY
Grounded theory approach helps in generating theories on the basis of the following systematic steps –
1. Memoing
The first objective of the researcher is to collect data in form of memos. Memos are a form of short notes that the researcher writes and prepares. These memos act as a source of data which is further put in other processes of analysis and interpretation. These short notes or memos can be prepared in three ways:
a) Theoretical note : This form of note contains the details regarding how a textual data bas is related to the existing literature of the concerned study. The note consists of about one to five pages, Any how, the final theory and report consists of an integration of several such theoretical notes.
b) Field note Field note : consists of the notes prepared when the researcher actively participates with the population/ culture or the community under study. It can be the observations of behaviours, interactions, events or situations that occurs on the spot and it also contains the causal notes behind such actions.
c) Code notes: The researcher or the ground theorist may also prepare notes by naming, labeling or categorising things, properties and events. The code notes are those notes which discuss the codes of such labeling. These code notes further acts as a source of formation of final reports. Further, these code notes also acts as a guide to the ground theorists while analysing a text or a case.
2. Sorting in Grounded Theory
Once the short notes or the memos are prepared, the collected information (or
the data) is sorted in order to organise them in proper order. Sorting helps in
putting all the data in proper order which leads to proper linkage of information
and ideas. The researcher may also get an insight of some more relevant
information and ideas which were not revealed during the preparation of memos.
3. Writing in Grounded Theory
After the memos are sorted, the next stage towards preparation of theory is “writing”. The ground theorist arranges, relates and puts the collected information in to words. Therefore, in this step the researcher tries to give a shape as well as meaning to the relevant data. This may be said to be a crucial stage, as it is this stage in which the researcher interprets the information on the basis of his own perspectives. The collected information is also linked with the existing relevant literature in order to put the theory in a scholarly context.
Unlike other methods of qualitative research, the grounded theorists do not believe in collecting data through taping and transcribing interviews as it is believed to be a waste of time in grounded theories. The process of grounded theories is far quick and faster as the researcher delimits the data by field-noting interviews and soon after generates concepts that fit with data, are relevant and work in explaining what participants are doing to resolve their main concern.
Discussing about the theory before it is written up drains the researcher of motivational energy. Discussions and talks can either render praise or criticism, and both diminish the motivational drive to write memos that develop and refine the concepts and the theory (Glaser, 1998). Data is a fundamental property of the grounded theory which means that everything that gets in the researcher’s way when studying a certain area is data. Not only interviews or observations but anything is data that helps the researcher generating concepts for the emerging theory. Field notes can come from informal interviews, lectures, seminars, expert group meetings, newspaper articles, Internet mail lists, even television shows, conversations with friends etc. It is even possible, and sometimes a good idea, for a researcher with much knowledge in the studied area to interview own self, treating that interview like any other data, coding and comparing it to other data and generating concepts from it. Interviewing one’s own self helps in gaining an insight from the knowledge that the researcher has at the conceptual level and grounded theory deals with nothing but the conceptual level data.
STEPS OF GROUNDED THEORY
Grounded theory approach helps in generating theories on the basis of the following systematic steps –
1. Memoing
The first objective of the researcher is to collect data in form of memos. Memos are a form of short notes that the researcher writes and prepares. These memos act as a source of data which is further put in other processes of analysis and interpretation. These short notes or memos can be prepared in three ways:
2. Sorting in Grounded Theory
Once the short notes or the memos are prepared, the collected information (or
the data) is sorted in order to organise them in proper order. Sorting helps in
putting all the data in proper order which leads to proper linkage of information
and ideas. The researcher may also get an insight of some more relevant
information and ideas which were not revealed during the preparation of memos.
3. Writing in Grounded Theory
After the memos are sorted, the next stage towards preparation of theory is “writing”. The ground theorist arranges, relates and puts the collected information in to words. Therefore, in this step the researcher tries to give a shape as well as meaning to the relevant data. This may be said to be a crucial stage, as it is this stage in which the researcher interprets the information on the basis of his own perspectives. The collected information is also linked with the existing relevant literature in order to put the theory in a scholarly context.