Theory and method in the study

Spatial theory is the study of space and place.

The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Basics of Qualitative Research. Goals and Perspective The phrase "grounded theory" refers to theory that is developed inductively from a corpus of data. If done well, this means that the resulting theory at least fits one dataset perfectly.

This contrasts with theory derived deductively from grand theory, without the help of data, and which could therefore turn out to fit no data at all. Grounded theory takes a case rather than variable perspective, although the distinction is nearly impossible to draw.

This means in part that the researcher takes different cases to be wholes, in which the variables interact as a unit to produce certain outcomes. A case-oriented perspective tends to assume that variables interact in complex ways, and is suspicious of simple additive models, such as ANOVA with main effects only.

Part and parcel of the case-orientation is a comparative orientation.

Cases similar on many variables but with different outcomes are compared to see where the key causal differences may lie. This is based on John Stuart Mills'A system of logic: Ratiocinative and Inductive method of differences -- essentially the use of natural experimental design.

Similarly, cases that have the same outcome are examined to see which conditions they all have in common, thereby revealing necessary causes.

Socrates' Educational Theory

The grounded theory approach, particularly the way Strauss develops it, consists of a set of steps whose careful execution is thought to "guarantee" a good theory as the outcome. Strauss would say that the quality of a theory can be evaluated by the process by which a theory is constructed.

This contrasts with the scientific perspective that how you generate a theory, whether through dreams, analogies or dumb luck, is irrelevant: Although not part of the grounded theory rhetoric, it is apparent that grounded theorists are concerned with or largely influenced by emic understandings of the world: Methods The basic idea of the grounded theory approach is to read and re-read a textual database such as a corpus of field notes and "discover" or label variables called categories, concepts and properties and their interrelationships.

The ability to perceive variables and relationships is termed "theoretical sensitivity" and is affected by a number of things including one's reading of the literature and one's use of techniques designed to enhance sensitivity.

Of course, the data do not have to be literally textual -- they could be observations of behavior, such as interactions and events in a restaurant. Often they are in the form of field notes, which are like diary entries.

An example is here. Open Coding Open coding is the part of the analysis concerned with identifying, naming, categorizing and describing phenomena found in the text.

Essentially, each line, sentence, paragraph etc. What is being referenced here? They are the nouns and verbs of a conceptual world.

Part of the analytic process is to identify the more general categories that these things are instances of, such as institutions, work activities, social relations, social outcomes, etc. We also seek out the adjectives and adverbs the properties of these categories.

For example, about a friendship we might ask about its duration, and its closeness, and its importance to each party. Whether these properties or dimensions come from the data itself, from respondents, or from the mind of the researcher depends on the goals of the research.

It is important to have fairly abstract categories in addition to very concrete ones, as the abstract ones help to generate general theory.

Consider what is implied in the following passage of text Strauss and Corbin pg. Text Fragment 1 Pain relief is a major problem when you have arthritis.

Sometimes, the pain is worse than other times, but when it gets really bad, whew! It hurts so bad, you don't want to get out of bed. You don't feel like doing anything. Any relief you get from drugs that you take is only temporary or partial. One thing that is being discussed here is PAIN. When is it a lot and when is it little?

When it hurts a lot, there are consequences:Research Based Methodologies. The Taylor Study Method is a paradigm shift in the way candidates can now prepare for their EPPP. TSM has researched the various theories of learning and memory in order to optimize your success, and has seamlessly integrated these proven theories into its online learning system to enhance your learning process and the encoding of information stored in memory.

Learn theory and method with free interactive flashcards. Choose from different sets of theory and method flashcards on Quizlet. Home» Courses» History» Theories and Methods in the Study of History Theories and Methods in the Study of History Course Home.

By Steve Borgatti. Discussion drawn from: Glaser and Strauss. The Discovery of Grounded Theory.; Strauss and Corbin.

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Basics of Qualitative Research. Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion. By Jordan Brady Loewen. Why focus on theory and method? Theory, when done correctly, is a practice of intellectual humility. A theory is an.

John Dewey is one of the most influential thinkers in the history of modern educational theory. In this video, we will briefly explore his philosophical position and how his ideas have impacted.