Method slurring: the grounded theory/phenomenology example
Abstract
Increasingly, qualitative research methods are being embraced by nurse researchers because these approaches allow exploration of human experience Failure to explicate qualitative methodologies is resulting in a body of nursing research that is either mislabelled or is classified broadly as qualitative and subject to charges that qualitative research lacks rigour In this paper, the authors discuss the importance of specificity in methodology and distinguish between phenomenology and grounded theory, two frequently misused terms in the description of qualitative methodology
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Grounded theory papers do not always convey a theoretical sampling approach.
“Grounded theory papers do not always convey a theoretical sampling approach (Baker et al , 1992; Draucker et al , 2007)”
From Is it really theoretical? A review of sampling in grounded theory studies in nursing journals (2016) · cites this paper as Baker et al , 1992
Cites
The Discovery of Grounded Theory; Strategies for Qualitative Research
Glaser, B. G., Strauss, A. L., & Strutzel, E. (1968) · Nursing Research · doi:10.1097/00006199-196807000-00014 · Cited by 39,449 · see citing works
The problem of rigor in qualitative research
Sandelowski, M. (1986) · Advances in Nursing Science · doi:10.1097/00012272-198604000-00005 · Cited by 2,772 · see citing works
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Sampling in qualitative research. Purposeful and theoretical sampling: Merging or clear boundaries?
Coyne, I. T. (1997) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.1997.t01-25-00999.x · Cited by 2,402 · see citing works
Validity in qualitative research
Whittemore, R., Chase, S. K., & Mandle, C. L. (2001) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/104973201129119299 · Cited by 2,144 · see citing works
The analytic challenge in interpretive description
Thorne, S., Kirkham, S. R., & O'Flynn-Magee, K. (2004) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/160940690400300101 · Cited by 1,793 · see citing works
Methodological rigour within a qualitative framework
Tobin, G. A., & Begley, C. M. (2004) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2004.03207.x · Cited by 1,601 · see citing works
Goulding, C. (2005) · European Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1108/03090560510581782 · Cited by 944 · see citing works
Developing a grounded theory approach: a comparison of Glaser and Strauss
Heath, H., & Cowley, S. (2004) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/s0020-7489(03)00113-5 · Cited by 837 · see citing works
Glaser, B. G., & Holton, J. (2004) · Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research · doi:10.17169/fqs-5.2.607 · Cited by 783 · see citing works
Methodological issues in grounded theory
Cutcliffe, J. R. (2000) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1046/j.1365-2648.2000.01430.x · Cited by 642 · see citing works
Grounded theory in software engineering research: a critical review and guidelines
Stol, K.-J., Ralph, P., & Fitzgerald, B. (2016) · Proceedings of the 38th International Conference on Software Engineering · doi:10.1145/2884781.2884833 · Cited by 470 · see citing works
The application of grounded theory and symbolic interactionism
Jeon, Y. (2004) · Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences · doi:10.1111/j.1471-6712.2004.00287.x · Cited by 286 · see citing works
Consumer research, interpretive paradigms and methodological ambiguities
Goulding, C. (1999) · European Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1108/03090569910285805 · Cited by 271 · see citing works
Fortunati, S., Martiniello, L., & Morea, D. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12125120 · Cited by 134 · see citing works
Urcia, I. A. (2021) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069211045474 · Cited by 120 · see citing works
“Some novice researchers also create methodological messes by either amalgamating both GT and PA’s strategies (Baker et al., 1992) or blending specific assumptions of differing methodological adaptations.”
BackgroundInfluentialIs it really theoretical? A review of sampling in grounded theory studies in nursing journals
McCrae, N., & Purssell, E. (2016) · Journal of Advanced Nursing · doi:10.1111/jan.12986 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
Grounded Theory Approaches Used in Educational Research Journals
Stough, L. M., & Lee, S. (2021) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069211052203 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
de Santisteban, P., & Gámez-Guadix, M. (2017) · Psychosocial Intervention · doi:10.1016/j.psi.2017.02.001 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Crooks, R. E., Bell, M., Patten, S. B., Wiebe, S., Holroyd-Leduc, J., Bulloch, A. G., Macrodimitris, S., Mackie, A., Sauro, K. M., Federico, P., et al. (2017) · Epilepsy & Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2017.03.005 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
- Authors
- Baker, C., Wuest, J., & Stern, P. N.
- Affiliations
- The University of Texas at Austin (US)
- University of New Brunswick (CA)
- Indiana University Indianapolis (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Advanced Nursing
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1992-11
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1355-1360
- ISSN
- 0309-2402 (ISSN-L)
- 1365-2648
- OpenAlex
- W2041443840
- Cited by
- 701
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 28 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 31 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 34.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Advanced Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Qualitative Research Methods and Ethics
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Health Information Management › Methodologies in Health Research and Practice
- Keywords
- grounded theory, phenomenology, qualitative research methodology, nursing research, scientific rigor, terminology misuse
- MeSH terms
- Data Collection, Nursing Theory, Philosophy, Nursing, Research Design, Sampling Studies, Reproducibility of Results, Nursing Methodology Research
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