The Literature Review in Grounded Theory: A response to McCallin (2003...

Tom Andrew, RN, B.Sc.(Hons), M.Sc., Ph.D. Abstract The paper by McCallin (2003) is a useful contribution to the debate surrounding the role of the literature in Grounded Theory (GT). For the purpose of this paper and with reference to McCallin (2003) the issue will be discussed in relation to the purpose of a review within GT. It will be argued that the misunderstanding about the function of the literature within a GT study arises partly as a result of the confusion caused by the continual rewriting of the method. Further it will be argued that a preliminary reading of...

Thoughts on the Literature Review and GT

Alvita Nathaniel, DSN Thinking about epistemic questions always reminds me of Socrates’ cave allegory. In Plato’s most famous book, The Republic, Socrates talks to a young follower named Glaucon. I would like to include here a short excerpt of their conversation and discuss how this relates to my thoughts about preceding a classic GT study with a thorough literature review. [Socrates] Imagine human beings living in a underground, cave like dwelling, with an entrance a long way up, which is both open to the light and as wide as the cave itself. They’ve been there...

NEW WAY OF USING LITERATURE IN GT?

Hans Thulesius, GP, Ph.D. After having read Antoinette McCallin’s paper on literature use in GT I find myself asking the following question. Is McCallin’s way of applying the literature letting the research area emerge in a literature search an important modification on how to use the literature in classic GT according to Glaser? McCallin shows how her way to a one core variable grounded theory went over a literature review in the beginning of her research. But this literature review was actually a general literature search for a problem area to explore since...

Aspects on McCallin’s paper, “Grappling with the literature in a groun...

Helene Ekström, MD, Ph.D. I read Antoinette McCallin’s paper with interest and I have learned that there are problems which I have foreseen perhaps because I am, as many medical doctors are, unaware of the many “theories” or different perspectives that one can chose in undertaking a study. Kirsti Malterud, Professor of General Practice in Bergen, Norway, used to say that we are theoretically ignorant and instead focus on the pragmatic issues of how to survive the day and help the “sick” in an appropriate way. However, even if I feel like a real novice, I have some remarks...

The Relationship between an Emerging Grounded Theory and the Existing ...

Vivian B. Martin, Ph.D. The relationship between grounded theory researchers and the existing literature has become a red herring that even confuses some grounded theorists who have completed a study. Antoinette McCallin’s essay does a commendable job outlining the realities of the research terrain that make proceeding without some exposure to the literature unlikely and ill-advised in most situations. When embarking on my dissertation, I needed to know enough about the literature, both substantive and methodological, to argue for the use of classic grounded theory as...

Methodological Issues: Have we forgotten the place of thinking here?

Antoinette M. McCallin, Ph.D., RN The article “grappling with the literature in a grounded theory study” (McCallin, 2003) has stimulated a lively discussion in the international grounded theory research community. In this paper, I reply generally to my colleagues’ responses and raise some further issues that I do not believe have been addressed to date. In particular, I question if current discussions about the place of literature review are incomplete if methodological matters are debated in isolation from issues of thinking. The purpose of this paper is to argue that...