Developing Grounded Theory

Grounded theory is the most popular genre of qualitative research used in the health professions and is widely used elsewhere in the research world. In this volume, six key grounded theory methodologists examine the history, principles, and practices of this method, highlighting areas in which different strands of the methods diverge. Chapters cover the work of Anselm Strauss, Barney Glaser, Leonard Schatzman, and the postmodern and constructivist schools. Dialogues between the participants sharpen the debate and show key topics of agreement and disagreement. This volume will be ideal for courses on grounded theory that wish to show the ways in which it can be used in research studies.

The Second Edition of this best-selling textbook continues to offer immensely practical advice and technical expertise that will aid researchers in analyzing and interpreting their collected data, and ultimately build theory from it. The authors provide a step-by-step guide to the research act. Full of definitions and illustrative examples, the book presents criteria for evaluating a study as well as responses to common questions posed by students of qualitative research.

Grounded theory is the most popular genre of qualitative research used in the health professions and is widely used elsewhere in the research world. In this volume, six key grounded theory methodologists examine the history, principles, and practices of this method, highlighting areas in which different strands of the methods diverge. Chapters cover the work of Anselm Strauss, Barney Glaser, Leonard Schatzman, and the postmodern and constructivist schools. Dialogues between the participants sharpen the debate and show key topics of agreement and disagreement. This volume will be ideal for courses on grounded theory that wish to show the ways in which it can be used in research studies.

The Second Edition offers an innovative extension of grounded theory useful in qualitative research projects that draws on interviews, observations, and visual, narrative, and historical discourse materials. To engage the dense complexities of real world situations, Situational Analysis (SA) braids together Strauss's ecological social worlds/arenas theory, Foucault’s discourse analysis, and Deleuze and Guattari’s rhizomes and assemblages. The book will serve as an invaluable resource for advanced undergraduate and graduate-level students, as well as professional researchers and consultants from diverse backgrounds pursuing qualitative projects.

Nominated for The Qualitative Book Award for 2013 Watch Melanie Birks' interview on grounded theory This is a highly practical book which introduces the whole range of grounded theory approaches. Unlike most existing books in this area, which are written from a particular philosophical standpoint, this text provides a comprehensive description of the strategies and techniques employed in this methodology. Birks and Mills accessible and highly-readable text is driven by practical case examples throughout to help the reader get to grips with the process of doing grounded theory analysis for themselves. The book deploys a variety of educational activities to guide readers through both the principles and the application of grounded theory, making this an ideal starter text for those new to the approach. This is an ideal first introduction to grounded theory for any student or researcher looking to use grounded theory approaches in their analysis for the first time.

Developing Grounded Theory: The Second Generation Revisited is a highly accessible description of the rapid development of grounded theories and the latest developments in grounded theory methods. A succinct overview of the development of grounded theory is provided, including the similarities and differences between Glaserian and Straussian grounded theory. The method introduced by Schatzman, and the development of Charmaz’s constructivist grounded theory and Clarke’s situational analysis, are clearly presented. The book is divided into seven sections: each type of grounded theory is discussed by the developer (or their student), followed by a chapter describing a project that used that particular type of grounded theory. Bookending these chapters is the first chapter, which describes the development and landscape of grounded theory, and a final chapter describing the challenges to the future of grounded theory. This book is ideally suited for beginning students trying to come to grips with the field as well as more advanced researchers attempting to delineate the major types of grounded theory.

`Grounded theory is a highly influential way of working with qualitative data and Kathy Charmaz is a major player, both innovative and fluent. This book is a model student text: lively, carefully argued and full of vivid illustrations. Beginning students and professional researchers will find it to be required reading' - David Silverman, Professor Emeritus, Sociology Department, Goldsmiths College and Visiting Professor, Management Department, King's College, University of London Kathy Charmaz is one of the world's leading theorists and exponents of grounded theory. In this important and essential new textbook, she introduces the reader to the craft of using grounded theory in social research, and provides a clear, step-by-step guide for those new to the field. Using worked examples throughout, this book also maps out an alternative vision of grounded theory to that put forward by its founding thinkers, Glaser and Strauss. To Charmaz, grounded theory must move on from its positivist origins and must incorporate many of the methods and questions posed by constructivists over the past twenty years to become a more nuanced and reflexive practice. Essential reading for students, new researchers and seasoned social scientists alike, this book is one of those rare things, a textbook that is both accessible to those new to the field but also one that has important things to say about the nature of social enquiry itself.

The fourth edition of this best-selling text continues to offer immensely practical advice and technical expertise to aid researchers in making sense of their collected data.