An Introduction to Grounded Theory: Choosing and Implementing an Emergent Method

ion revealed areas in which to adjust and finalize the overall theory structure. This process was repeated until theoretical saturation occured and no new themes emerged from the data. Table 4: Summary of Coding Implementation Strategies Coding Phase Implementation Strategy Outcome Example Approaches from Present Study Initial Coding MaxQDATM software: allows researchers to identify number and frequency of emergent codes Line-by-line coding of interview transcripts Initial codes to begin analysis Identify actions performed by utterances (e.g., reinforcing self, using grades to measure knowledge gains Focused Coding Print codes on strips of paper and organize Incident-by-incident coding of interview transcripts Visualize relationships among codes Identify incidents to be coded in further analysis Identify a disconnect between a negotiation and their impacts on student identity Identify coding themes (e.g., prior to college, managing life as a college student, and alignment of self and profession Axial Coding Document-based coding on printed interview transcripts Organize properties of incidents according to GT framework Identify properties of incidents Identify relationships among incidents Create initial structure of the emergent theory Utilize GT components to organize data (e.g., strategies, causal conditions, outcomes, and intervening conditions) [2] Theoretical Coding Incident-by-incident coding on printed interview transcripts Identify overall trends for theory application Identify and account for negative cases Identify shifts in definitions of self vs. shifts in definition of the civil engineering profession Theoretical Categories Document-based coding on printed interview transcripts Draw from existing theories to articulate components of the emergent model Articulate model Abstract meaning Identify orientations of identity negotiations inspired by identity saliency [10], social identity theory [30, 31], and discourse analysis [37] Theoretical Saturation MaxQDATM software: allows researchers to apply emergent theory to participant interviews Incident-by-incident coding of printed interview transcripts Examine and finalize theory Tweak and identify nuanced characteristics of the model (i.e., identifying when the model dissolves) Throughout the various coding phases, it is important to note that themes do not immediately translate into a theory. As comparisons are made and categories are identified, relationships between these categories become increasingly abstract and theoretically-focused. One way to bolster theory development is to draw and sketch proposed models of the emergent theory. This sketching process can be used as an analytical step itself and provides the researcher with the freedom to test different theoretical propositions. For our study in which we developed a grounded theory of professional identity formation for undergraduate civil engineering students, we began sketching theory relationships starting at the focused coding phase. These sketches were then tweaked and refined to aid in theory abstraction throughout data analysis.