Journal of Guangxi Teachers Education University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition) ›› 2022, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (6): 79-93.doi: 10.16088/j.issn.1001-6597.2022.06.007

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Grounded Theory: Its Misuse and Clarification

CHEN Yin   

  1. School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210097, China
  • Received:2022-03-15 Online:2022-11-15 Published:2023-02-15

Abstract: Grounded theory (GT), as a research methodology in its own right, has been widely misused in its popularization and use in China. By doing a review of the GT literature from the perspective of sociology of knowledge, this paper aims to clarify the roots of the methodology amid distortions since its origination. It intends to help novice researchers employ the methodology more knowledgeably. Strauss, as one of the originators, was indeed absent in the process of establishing the methodology. This explains his subsequent departure from the original methodology and many more “versions” of grounded theory as witnessed in the literature at the present moment in time. In actuality, these “versions” have significantly deviated from the original methodology on the pretext of “innovation” and “localization” in several aspects including deep description, the hypothetical deductive thinking, the use of “three-level coding” and the introduction of NVivo as part of the methodology. Novice researchers are strongly urged to revisit the original text of GT methodology and adopt GT in their research as it is intended, and to follow the basic principle of natural presentation and “let the data speak for themselves”, so as to generate abstract conceptualization theory. Novice researchers should be clear about the original aspiration, conduct embodied learning, and pursue social practice if they want to integrate the method core into the research.

Key words: grounded theory, qualitative research, hypothetical-deductive, NVivo, embodied learning

CLC Number: 

  • C31
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