What is it about?
To "ground" one's theory requires looking at phenomena empirically. In qualitative research methods one approach has been labelled "grounded theory". There is a large literature on the original idea and on variations. This paper tries to put the broader implications into perspective. A clear distinction is made between techniques (small m methods) and Methodology (capital M Logic of Methods). When we fully grasp the underlying epistemological viewpoint it is easier to then learn the specific techniques because they make more sense when explained in context.
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Why is it important?
The way we do research is important. Good research Methodologies lead to good research results. If we only focus on techniques we apply them mechanically, like a robot. We do not want to be merely AI researchers. We want to be fully informed human researchers. The idea of grounded theory is sometimes thought of simply as a technique. This paper looks at the Logic of the Method from a more abstract, philosophical perspective in line with Methodology writ large, as is appropriate for sociological theory.
Perspectives
I myself wanted to learn more about the epistemological basis of the techniques. The more I looked into it the more I realized that only a very few authors focused on the underlying rationale. That led many students to simply apply the techniques mechanically. That led to significant errors in interpretation of results.
Johannes Bakker
University of Guelph
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Grounded Theory Methodology and Grounded Theory Method: Introduction to the Special Issue, Sociological Focus, January 2019, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/00380237.2019.1550592.
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