Page 285 - Mike Ratner CC - WISR Complete Dissertation - v6
P. 285
simplest possible definition to explain complex phenomenon to where much can become
knowable.
Figure 4.2. Some Considerations and Possible Meaning of the Nature of Theory in GTM.
Grounded theory method (GTM) according to Glaser emphasizes induction or emergence,
and the individual researcher's creativity within a clear frame of stages, while Strauss is more
interested in validation criteria and a systematic approach. A later version of GT called
constructivist GT, which was rooted in pragmatism and relativist epistemology, assumes that
neither data nor theories are discovered, but are constructed by the researcher as a result of his or
her interactions with the field and its participants.
Grounded theories aim to provide practical and simple explanations about complex
phenomena by converting them into abstract constructs and hypothesizing their relationships. They
offer helpful and relatively easy-to-remember layouts for us to understand our world a little bit
better. Grounded theory has further significance in this study because it provided me explicit,
sequential guidelines for conducting qualitative research. It offered specific strategies for handling
the analytic phases of inquiry. GTM streamlines and integrates data collection and analysis and it
legitimizes qualitative research as scientific inquiry. (Wikipedia.org/wiki/Grounded_theory)
266