The document is a guide to grounded theory, explaining it as a flexible research methodology for building new theories from data. It discusses the importance of constant comparison, the types of data that can be used, and techniques for analyzing and developing concepts. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for relevant literature review and warns against common misconceptions about grounded theory.

1. Grounded(Theory(
In(20(minutes*(
For(my(fellow(PhD(students.(
www.researchgames.org.uk.
@Be1yAdamou.
@RTG_Ltd.
Be1y.Adamou,..
PhD.Student,.University.of.LIFE.yo..
*Depends.on.how.fast.you.read.
*Depends.on.if.you.feel.the.need.to.stop.and.laugh,.or.check.your.Facebook..
.
By.Be1y.Adamou.
Someone.who.had.to.read.a.lot.and.cry.over.papers.about.Grounded.Theory..
before.being.able.to.make.this.simplified.guide.!
Includes(real(talk!(

2. Right now, when someone says
“Grounded Theory”,
you feel like this.
It’s ok.
We know.
We’re here to help.

3. • It.is.the.skeleton.–.the.process.and.
infrastructure.by.which.data.can.be.
gathered.and.analyzed..
• Because.of.this,.the.Grounded.Theory.
method.offers.a.number.of.techniques.
to.operaPonalize.exploraPon.to.reach.
an.internally.valid.conceptualizaPon..
What.is.Grounded.Theory?.

4. Basically,.Grounded.Theory..
(or.GT).is.a.really.flexible.and.
exploratory.method.of.gathering.
data.to.build.theory..
Ok, repeat that, in English pls.

5. Actually,.it.
was.2.people...
Glaser.and.
Strauss...
(we.don’t.know.who.the.woman.with.
the.pearls.is)...
The.method.was.created.40.
years.ago.and.gained.
popularity.in.recent.years.due.
to.it’s.flexibility,.and.in.part.due.
to.the.widening.variePes.of.
ways.in.which.people.can.
collect.data.(i.e..through.social.
media.)..
What.crazy.person.created.GT?.
Guess(which(
one(is(which!(

6. Sooo…why.would.anyone.use.Grounded.Theory?.
To build theory where none
exists already, Daniel-san...

7. And$your$theory$
should$explain$
something.$
Some$universal$
truth$no7one$$
knew$before.$

8. People.also.use.GT.because.of.the.
opportuniPes.it.offers:.
.
1. Flexibility.–.it.is.not.a.single.method..
2. UPlize.&.integrate.GT.with.other.
research.methods..
3. GT.allows.for.quant.&.qual.data.(we.said.
that.already)..
4. CreaPve.opportuniPes.in.your.research.–.
consider.that.‘all.data.is.data’..Like.forms.
of.expression,.painPngs,.photographs.
and.drawings.(virtual.or.real)..

9. FYI.
Grounded.Theory.is.NOT.for..
tesPng.exisPng.theorePcal.frameworks..
.
It’s$all$about$the$$
GENERATION$of$theory.$
Not$the.verificaPon.of.exis)ng.theory..
So(repeat(aAer(me(3(Cmes:(
GeneraCon(not(verificaCon.((
GeneraCon(not(verificaCon.((
GeneraCon(not(verificaCon.(
(
Ok.(I(think(you(got(it.(

10. Neither...
And.DON’T.listen.to.the.crazy.
people.that.tell.you.it’s.Qual...
IT.IS.NOT..Ok?.
It.is.a.general.method.that.can.
INCLUDE.
qualitaPve.&.quanPtaPve.methods.
of.research.and.data.gathering..
So like, what methodology is
Grounded Theory? Qual or Quant, yo?

11. So what data CAN I use in GT dawg?
Secondary data
Primary data
Interviews(
Focus(groups(
Web(surveys(
Journals(
Archival((
data(
Reports(
Etc.((you(get(the(gist)(
Etc.((you(get(the(gist)(

12. THEORY.
So.in.essence:.
GROUNDED.THEORY.HELPS.BUILD.THEORY.
GT.is.the.foundaPon.that.you.can.use.to.help.build.a.theorePcal.framework..

13. Ok,.so.in.order.to.build.theory..
about.anything,.you.have.to.
understand.it.first,.right?.
Yeah(but,(HOoooW%does%it%help%
build%theory%bro??%
(this.is.where.you.say.“right”).
Right..So.in.order.to.deepen.your.
understanding,.you.can,.and.
absolutely.should….

14. LISTEN.TO.AND.READ..
AS$MUCH$AS$POSSIBLE$$
of.literature.that.relates.to.your.field..
Listen.to.the.experts..
Read.the.relevant.books,.arPcles,.
journals.etc..
You.can.also…..

15. j Interview.peeps..Like,.experts.in.your.
field..Or.people.who.have.had.relevant.
experiences.relaPng.to.your.field..
j Absorb.juicy.and.useful.secondary.
data.
j Carry.out.your.own.primary.research,..
qualitaPve.or.quanPtaPve,.or.both..

16. OMG, so I can like
Can I basically do anything and carry ou
my research exactly the way i want to?

17. Not exactly.
You must FOCUS

18. You$can’t$be$all$like$on$Facebook$all$
day,$wai4ng$for$someone$to$update$
their$status$with$something$of$
relevance$to$your$research,$and$then$
call$that$‘Grounded$Theory’$explora4on.$
That shit
is not
gonna fly.

19. And$you$can’t$research$something$completely$irrelevant$and$try$
and$shoeChorning$it$into$your$research.$$
If it’s a square hole,
you will need a
square peg.
!

20. YOU CAN do some pretty cool things
in your Grounded Theory method.
You can use:
$
• Ethnography$
• Netnography$
• Social$media$research$(structured!)$$
• Observa4ons$through$video$
• Conduct$‘mini’$experiments$
• Research$through$using$EEG$headsets$and$measuring$brain$
waves.$
“You.must.be.prepared.to.embrace.a..
rich.and.diverse.sources.of.data..
to.build.your.theory”.

21. Holy shit.
That’s a lot of options.
.
Yeah,.it.is...
But.you.go1a.
figure.out.what’s.going.to.
work.for.YOU.and.for.the.
OUTCOME.you.want..
.
For.instance,.conducPng.interviews.
might.not.be.relevant.to.you.if.you’re.
developing.theory.about.how.winning.
racejhorses.respond.to.fame..Unless.you.
can.speak.horse.#Horsewhisperer.
.
.

22. And.like,.while.sPcking.nodes.on.people’s.heads..
to.measure.brain.waves..
IS.pre1y.cool.and.awesome,..
it’s.also.pre1y.expensive,.and.Pme.consuming...
So.you.go1a.think.about.those.logisPcal.things.too..
.
OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE BROKE
AND NEVER FINISH YOUR PHD.
EVER.

23. USED LOTS OF IRRELEVANT RESEARCH
NEVER GOT TO
BUILD MY THEORY.
Do(not(be(like(this(guy(

24. Even$if$the$research$methods$$
you$use$are$$
ALL$DIFFERENT$
in$order$to$build$your$theory,$$
try$to$make$them$$
complimentary$and$$
of$relevance$to$your$field,$to$$
deepen$your$understanding...

25. ..so when the data is combined, and through your
development, it can all produce
CONCEPTS for AWESOME THEORETICAL FLAVOUR.
Like how Peanut Butter and Jam works.
RESEARCH METHODS =
DIFFERENT BUT COMPLIMENTARY

26. Let me break GT down for
you one time:
1. You(gather(data(through(research(
2. You(analyse(that(data(throughout(
your(research(process(through(
constant(comparisons(and((
develop(concepts.(
3. The(you(go(BUILD(THAT(THEORY(
gurl.(

27. So…$
How$do$I$analyze$my$data$and$make$those$
constant$comparisons?$
Well,$you$can$use$‘internal$senseCmaking$techniques’$such$as$memo’s$of$things$you’ve$
developed$in$YOUR$OWN$MIND$from$conversa4ons$you’ve$had,$or$things$you’ve$read$
$(again,$of$relevance$to$your$field$of$research).$
$They$can$be$notes,$diagrams,$mind$maps$etc.$
You$need$to$constantly$link$your$research,$try$and$find$connec4ons.$

28. Example.
Talk to me

29. =SHIT TON
OF DATA
Interviewing experts in your field (qual)
Online surveys for
participants (quant)
Focus groups with
participants
(qual)
OK.(So(let’s(say(you(decide(to(use(a(
TRIANGULATED(APPROACH(to((your(research,(ok?((
Let’s(say(you(go(for:(

30. But$remember:$
While(you’re(doing(all(that(
awesome(experimentaCon(and(
research,(you(should(be(
READING(all(the(appropriate(
literature(in(your(field(to(
compare(what(you’re(learning(
through(your(research,((
to(what’s(already(out(there.((
(
You(should(also(be(WRITING(a(
lot(about(what(you’re(learning.(
Like(we(said(before,(mind^
maps,(diagrams(etc.(
You(should(KEEP(A(DIARY.(
It(will(come(in(handy.(Trust(me.(

31. So(anyway,(like(we(said,(you’ll(end(up(with(a(SHIT(TON(OF(DATA.(
With(all(the(data(you(collect,(you(need(to(do(something(really(complex^sounding(
called(AXIAL$CODING$to$make$sense$of$all$the$data.$
=SHIT TON
OF DATA
Interviewing experts in your field (qual)
Online surveys for
participants (quant)
Focus groups with
participants
(qual)

32. IN GEEK SPEAK,
AXIAL CODING IS:
“The!disaggrega,on!of!core!themes!during!
qualita,ve!data!analysis.!!
Axial!coding!in!Grounded!Theory!is!the!
process!of!rela,ng!codes!(categories!and!
concepts)!to!each!other,!via!a!combina,on!
of!induc,ve!and!deduc,ve!thinking.”!

33. IN NORMAL SPEAK, THIS MEANS:
=SHIT TON
OF DATA
Interviewing experts in your field (qual)
Online surveys for
participants (quant)
Focus groups with
participants
(qual)
FINDING(
THEMES(&(
PATTERNS(IN(
YOUR(DATA!(

34. So let’s say in your data, you have been
able to identify several themes which
allow you to develop categories of data.
Like!let’s!say!your!par,cipants!completed!your!survey,!and!responded!to!you!about!a!
piece!of!music!you!were!tes,ng,!for!whatever!crazy!reason!that!related!to!your!research.!
And!let’s!say!that!some!people…!
!
1. Hated!the!music!(it!made!them!feel!upset)!
2. Loved!the!music!(it!made!them!feel!calm)!
3. Got!up!and!danced!to!the!music!(it!made!them!feel!happy)!
4. LeM!the!room.!
!
These!are!FOUR!CATEGORIES!of!responses;!four!categories!of!data.!
From(the(categories(you(idenCfy(in(your(data,(
you(can(build((
CONCEPTS(

35. CONCEPTS are like juicy apples
you can collect to keep your
Theory-building healthy.

36. “But how do I go from categories in
my data, to developing concepts?”
Good question.
We’re so
glad you asked.

37. YOU HAVE TO KEEP ASKING
HOW & WHY.
Did they hate the piece of music?
How? Why?
Did the race horse enjoy fame?
How? Why?
Did my game engage people?
How? Why?

38. Knowing the answers to these
questions will deepen your
understanding
And(the(more(you(dig(deep(and(explore,(
the(concepts(will(emerge(in(your(mind.((
And(the(more(you’ll((
break(through(the(glass(ceiling(of(your(
pre^exisCng(knowledge.(

39. BUT BE WARNED:
A$lot$of$peeps$think$they’re$using$$
Grounded$Theory,$$
when$they$actually$AREN’T.$
So$here’s$how$you$know$when$you$
HAVEN’T$used$GT:$
$
1. If$you$haven’t$developed$theory$from$data$
through$constant$comparisons$
2. If$you$haven’t$followed$a$theore4cal$sampling$
strategy$
3. If$you$haven’t$used$some$form$of$data$coding.$
4. You$can$feel$it$in$your$heart.$$
$

40. THEORY
Once.you’ve.gone.through.these.processes.
you.shall.have.your.

41. AND
you will have
expanded
your mind.

42. Ok now we know you’re so happy
you wanna cry.
Hold the tears.
Go forth
and research.
Good luck.

43. But don’t be smug about it.
Spread the knowledge!

44. That(was(
Grounded(Theory(
In(20(minutes*(
For(my(fellow(PhD(students.(
www.researchgames.org.uk.
@Be1yAdamou.
@RTG_Ltd.
PhD.Student,.University.of.LIFE.yo..
*If.it.wasn’t.20.minutes.then.that’s.ok,.you.learned.something,.
.
By.Be1y.Adamou.
Any.copyright.infringement.was.totally.NOT.intended..All.images.used.are.used.for..
humorous.purposes,.for.educaPon..
Find(me(on((Twiaer!(