Grounded Theory

Grounded theory (GT) occupies an important position within the interpretivist research paradigm and has strongly influenced the development of qualitative research over the past five decades. In this chapter, we introduce readers to GT methodology.GT aims to develop theory from data. First, we first trace the history and development of GT, including a brief introduction to its ‘schools’. Next, we present and examine GT’s core principles and features, focusing on: the place of the literature review; the role of the researcher and critical reflectivity; data collection, early analysis, and theoretical sampling; memoing, theoretical coding, and diagramming; and writing up. In conclusion, we summarise key points from the chapter and remind the reader of the core aim of GT research–conceptual development and theory construction.