Doing focused coding

This chapter discusses the process of focused coding from a constructivist grounded theory (CGT) perspective (Charmaz 2014). After the first stage of open coding, which splinters the data for analysis, focused coding refocuses the data so that it can be reconstructed later during other stages of theory development. In this chapter, I summarise some of the key literature related to understanding the nature of focused coding, and I provide practical advice for helping readers to make the necessary shift towards this vital stage of the grounded theory method (GTM). An account of how focused coding was carried out during my PhD studies will offered not only as a real-world example, but also as a means of highlighting strategies which can enable new grounded theorists with ways of approaching focused coding with greater confidence.