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How do we build theory from data? Explore the secrets of fundamental theory!
The process of building theory based on data is gaining increasing attention in qualitative research in the social sciences. Among them, Grounded Theory, as a systematic research methodology, is being widely used. This methodology emphasizes extracting hypotheses and theories from data and discovering underlying concepts and connections through the collection and analysis of qualitative data.
The reasoning method involved in basic theory is inductive reasoning, which is completely different from the hypothesis-deduction model in traditional scientific research.
Researchers often begin with a question or rely solely on the collection of qualitative data. After reviewing the collected data, the researcher is able to extract some apparent concepts or ideas, which are said to "emerge" from the data.
The ideas and concepts are marked with codes that briefly summarize the content of each concept.
As data are further collected and revisited, these codes can be combined into higher-level concepts, ultimately forming the basis for a theory or hypothesis. The process of generating basic theory is very different from the research of traditional scientific models, which usually involves pre-selecting an existing theoretical framework, formulating hypotheses based on the framework, and finally collecting data to verify these hypotheses.
Background of the Basic Theory
Foundational theory, as a general research methodology, originates from the research work of sociologists Barney Glaser and Ansel Strauss. The two scholars developed the method of constant comparison when studying terminally ill patients, which later became known as the grounded theory method. In 1965, their book "The Awareness of Death" marked the beginning of basic theory. They then further elaborated on the overall logic of this methodology in their book The Discovery of a Fundamental Theory, published in 1967.
The book has three goals: to bridge the gap between social science theory and empirical data, to provide rationale for underlying theory, and to legitimize qualitative research.
The approach based on basic theory has achieved remarkable results in fields such as medical sociology and psychology, and has expanded to fields as diverse as drama, management, manufacturing, and education.
Philosophical Foundations
Grounded theory combines the traditions of positivism, general sociology, and symbolic interactionism in particular. According to some scholars, grounded theory is not a complete methodology, but a way to help construct methods to better understand the human situation.
The strategy of basic theory is to interpret the meaning of individuals in social interaction and emphasize the value of qualitative research in revealing social processes.
In grounded theory, researchers do not formulate hypotheses before data collection. Instead, hypotheses should be generated from the data and should uncover the key problems faced by the participants and their solutions. In this process, every event in the data is the key unit of analysis, rather than just the individual being studied.
Methodology of Basic Theory
The analysis process of basic theory involves several basic steps. The first step is to code the text, a process that begins with the first line of data from the first interview. Once the data was collected, small chunks of text were coded line by line, and useful concepts were identified.
The next step is to integrate these concepts, refine them, and write a theory.
In this process, the researcher will link the coded categories together based on a central category (central concept) and use negative case analysis to test the theoretical model. As data are compared again and again, new insights will emerge. The generation and integration of these ideas will eventually form the basis of the theory.
Writing and Organizing
After completing the coding, the process of organizing the codes into a theoretical model is critical. The organized theory helps to effectively communicate the observations to others and ensures strong connections between categories.
When writing the final theory, relevant academic literature will be woven into the article to enhance the scholarship and readability of the theory.
Research based on grounded theory does not allow for an advance literature review to avoid stereotyping possible findings. The literature should be read during the collation phase as additional data to aid further coding and comparison.
SummaryGrounded theory provides researchers with a flexible framework to generate new concepts and explain human behavior. The uniqueness of its approach is that it does not rely on existing theory or literature review, but rather on concepts extracted directly from the data. This allows the underlying theory to reflect the rich and diverse human experience. With the development of society, will this methodology be more widely applied and promoted in other fields?
