How do you write research questions for grounded theory?

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Grounded theory is an emergent research methodology in the field of sociology, by which theories “emerge” organically from the researcher’s observations of a given situation; the collected data drive the formulation of the codes and categories from which the theory takes shape. The researcher is required to approach the situation without any preconceived notions, to the extent that it is forbidden to review related academic literature until a much later stage in the process. Consequently, interview questions cannot be prepared in advance, as this would negate the aim of grounded theory, which is – in the words of Dr. Bernard Glaser, one of the founders of grounded theory – to discover the theory implicit in the data. Thus, the content and context of directed questions must emerge from the data simultaneously with the elements of the theory.

The first stage of the research process consists of collecting initial data by observing a situation and interacting with the concerned population, via conversations, interviews, focus groups, group feedback analysis or any other individual or group activity that yields data. During this stage, the researcher identifies the basic concepts at play in the situation and codes them into categories. This is an inductive process, by which the researcher’s understanding of the situation is shaped by the constant comparison and coding of incoming data. Analysis of the initial data determines where to go and what to look for in the next round of data collection. The questions required to move the study forward thus flow organically from each round of data to the next.

Data collection and open coding – the systematic coding of all incoming data – continue in parallel until the discovery of the main concern that is driving the research situation and the core category that explains how the main concern is processed or resolved. The process by which codes and their relationships with other codes are identified is documented by the researcher in memos, which serve as the building blocks of the emerging theory.

Once the main concern and core category are recognized, the open coding that characterized the first stage of the research process gives way to selected or closed coding, which focuses exclusively on the core category and its subordinate categories. It is at this stage that the researcher must formulate questions that reflect on the core category and its properties, using the accumulated theoretical memos to identify the classes of data required to round out the categories in question.

At the same time, the researcher must now seek to increase the diversity of the sample population in ways that strengthen the emerging theory. This is achieved through theoretical sampling, which targets specific subjects or groups of subjects that can add new support for the researcher’s understanding of the core category as it relates to the main concern. Thus, the final stages of data collection require the researcher to tailor the content of the research questions according to the relevant categories, the targeted sample and the context in which the questions are presented.

When the collection of new data ceases adding to what the researcher already knows about a given category, its properties and its relationship to the core category, that category is said to be saturated. When all categories are saturated, the collected and coded data are sorted and the theoretical outline is constructed. At this point, the researcher may consult existing academic literature and integrate it into the theory through selected coding, where it is given the same weight as any other collected data. The theory is now ready to be written up and submitted.

Resource by A.Moore

I just moved to Michigan from South Carolina. This is my first winter here and so far it's freezing. I enjoy traveling, drawing, camping, writing, and doing community service in my spare time. I work for a education company and help them with their outreach to teachers and students. Hope everyone enjoys my articles.

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