![]() Rather, we are part of the world we study, the data we collect and the analyses we produce. Unlike position, I assume that neither data nor theories are discovered either as given in the data or the analysis. ![]() More recently, however, constructivist grounded theory is being based on the assumption that “knowledge rests on social constructions” (Charmaz, 2009: 130) and, thus, the studied reality is not an objective, but a social construct, and the very notion of a neutral observer is inherently invalid. This strictly inductive approach was aimed at developing a theory based on a systematic enquiry into various individuals. This, in turn, resulted in grounded theory being a strict and narrow set of specific scientific guidelines for conducting rigorous research. Thus, as the early 20th century grounded theory was deeply rooted in positivism, it subscribed to the idea of objective reality, which may be assessed by a neutral observer who would approach it without pre-existing knowledge of the topic and through rigorous and systematic application of a set of procedures. However, despite some understandable similarities between the various versions of grounded theory, they are distinguished by contrasting epistemological views, which results in significant differences in how the studied reality is perceived and approached (Oliver, 2012). In contrast to these approaches, and despite certain differences between various versions of the methodology stemming from differing epistemological views, grounded theory, in general, is an inductive approach aimed at developing a theory, or an explanation, through a thorough investigation of a range of individual cases through a process known as constant comparison (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). The research would normally start with a ‘general’ concept or theory and progress towards studying specific instances, or cases, in order to investigate its validity. ![]() These predominantly deductive methodologies were mainly oriented towards testing pre-formulated hypotheses. Grounded theory was developed as a response to the research methodologies of the early 20th century. Stated simply, grounded theory methods consist of systematic, yet flexible, guidelines for collecting and analysing qualitative data to construct theories from the data themselves (…) Grounded theory begins with inductive data, invokes iterative strategies of going back and forth between data and analysis, uses comparative methods and keeps you interacting and involved with your data and emerging analysis. Charmaz (2014) summarised the logic of grounded theory as follows: Constructivist grounded theory is Charmaz’s (2014) take on a methodology developed by Glaser and Strauss (1967) and characterised particularly by its inductive approach to research (with an ongoing process of simultaneous data collection and analysis), aimed at developing a theory, or explanation, ‘grounded in’, and emerging from, the data, rather than pre-existing categories and theoretical frameworks.
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