Issue 1, June 2013

Book Review: Ditching Description: From Data to Abstraction

Susan Stillman, Director of Ed for Six Seconds Barney G. Glaser (2013). Getting Out of the Data: Grounded Theory Conceptualization, Mill Valley: Sociology Press Overview In the first chapter of this book, Glaser explains his purpose to help the researcher use the constant comparative method to discover and name patterns in the data, relate them to each other, generate a “conceptual hypothesis” (p. 2), and allow a multivariate substantive theory to emerge around a core variable. The first sentence demonstrates his intent to help the reader in “getting out of the data” into “conceptualization” (p. 1).  In preparation for writing this review, I showed the book to a friend who has only a passing familiarity with grounded theory (GT). His immediate reaction upon reading the first sentence was to ask me whether the reader was already supposed to know what “getting out of the data” and “emergence of conceptualization” meant.  “All is data” (p. 67) and what good data for me, the reviewer! I had made an assumption that all readers who picked up this book would understand the language used, and my friend’s comment made me realize this might not be the case.  This small volume is probably not the book for a casual reader with some curiosity about GT.  Glaser’s stated audience is the dissertation researcher, whom he believes would have the most energy, interest, and motivation to preserve the fidelity of classic GT (p. 4), and, therefore, would be looking for additional insights and strategies from newer works. This current book is intended as a “synopsis” (p. 1), to be supplemented by reading Glaser’s other works. Glaser’s process, familiar to his readers, is to do GT, not just write about it. Glaser states, “This book will be a GT of GT use, as is my usual style” (p. 2). In Getting Out of the Data, Glaser emphasizes, as he has done since 1965, the importance of constant comparative analysis for getting to conceptualization, and offers “help in getting out of the data” (p. 2).  Help comes in the form of his always evolving thinking on both constant comparative methodological steps such as eliminating preconceptions, collecting data, coding and naming patterns, and in his discussion of the underlying competencies needed for GT method success, such as motivation, patience, and the ability to tolerate ambiguity.  In this regard, Glaser shares his recent thinking on blocks to conceptualization, with specific suggestions and motivational support for getting through these obstacles successfully. In preparing to write this review, rather than employ a linear chapter by chapter approach, I used the “skipping and dipping” (p. 75) method to memo and categorize ideas that caught my attention.  I’ve called the first section Back to Basics, as Glaser deepens aspects of constant comparative analysis familiar to many readers. In the second section, Blocks and Counter Blocks, I focus on these newer valuable additions to Glaser’s established repertoire of directives to researchers. Back to Basics Term clarification:  As an experienced teacher of GT methodology, I have often fielded questions on the meaning of common GT terms. Glaser provides a worthwhile clarification of these terms when he reiterates that code, category, property, and concept are all synonymous names for patterns. I have had students stressed by their attempts at distinguishing between them, and this clarification will help.  Glaser also refutes the use of non-GT terms, such as findings. “Treating a code as a finding is a misnomer “ (p. 61).  Validity is another concept often misunderstood...

Book Review: Stop, Write!

Hans Thulesius, University of Lund Stop, Write: Writing Grounded Theory. Barney G. Glaser (2013). Mill Valley: Sociology Press This book on writing grounded theory is intended for the empirical GT researcher who wants to pursue his/her research until publication. It is the first book devoted entirely to such a crucial issue as writing grounded theory. Thus, Stop, Write: Writing Grounded Theory, is a practical book that fills a gap in GT methodology. In the first chapter of the book, Dr. Glaser says, “Stop unending conceptualization, unending data coverage, and unending listening to others who would egg you on with additional data, ideas and/or requirements or simply wait too long”. The book teaches the reader how to actually write a grounded theory by “simply” writing up the sorted memos. This requires efficient sorting that is dealt with in chapter two on Sorting Memos, which includes precious repetition from Theoretical Sensitivity (1978). How writing can be done effectively is outlined in chapter three, The Working Paper. Then follows chapter four on how to rework the first draft with the different tasks of editing for language and professionalism. Thereafter, Dr. Glaser discusses Writing Problems in chapter five where he gives useful guidance on how to overcome writing blocks and problems with supervisors and dissertation committees. The book also deals with publishing and with collaboration as experienced between Barney Glaser and the cofounder of grounded theory, Anselm Strauss. Another book from Dr Barney G. Glaser. So, why should I read this one when I haven’t read all the others, the reader might ask himself. From my perspective, one should read those books that one’s grounded theory interests require. And if you do grounded theory research or if you teach grounded theory, the requirements may be different. Yet, both doers and teachers should get this book in order to optimize their GT skills. Eventually this book is a necessity for the committed GT scholar. Glaser analyses field notes taken during seminars and in his communication with grounded theorists worldwide. That is why this book eventually was written up from memos generated during years of seminar and mail interactions with grounded theory researchers. Dr. Glaser has apparently, in his data, seen a void that needs to be filled regarding writing GT, instead of just going on collecting data and generating concepts. Many are those PhD students using grounded theory that “outgrow their substantive GTs” (a pattern presented in this book), “grapple with worrisome accuracy,” restraints of dissertation committees and keep collecting data and generating new concepts instead of pursuing the write up in order to get their PhD ready. If it takes too long to reach the stage of writing, the joy of doing research risks getting lost and researchers may tell themselves – never again a research project using GT, which they sense is tedious and hard. Many researchers with grounded theory PhDs later lose the motivation for pursuing another project because it took too long to finish the first one. But since the learning curve of the method is quite long, the best way to get over a post PhD low is to start a new project. This is emphasized in the chapter on writing problems, and is a way to avoid “outgrowing one’s SGT.” The best way to learn grounded theory is to do it. But, doing requires knowledge on how to, and that is where Dr. Glaser’s books come in. Writing grounded theory is different from writing other types of research...

About The Authors

Daniel M. Berry got his PhD in Computer Science from Brown University in 1974. He was in the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Los Angeles, USA from 1972 until 1987. He was in the Computer Science Faculty at the Technion, Israel from 1987 until 1999. From 1990 until 1994, he was half of each year at the Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, USA, where he helped build CMU’s Master of Software Engineering program. In 1999, Berry moved to what is now the Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Between 2008 and 2013, Berry held an Industrial Research Chair in Requirements Engineering sponsored by Scotia Bank and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Berry’s current research interests are software engineering in general, and requirements engineering and electronic publishing in the specific. Email: dberry@uwaterloo.ca   Barney G. Glaser is the cofounder of grounded theory (1967). He received his PhD from Columbia University in 1961. He then went to University of California San Francisco, where he joined Anselm Strauss in doing the dying in hospitals study and in teaching PhD and DNS students methods and analysis. He published over 20 articles on this research and the dying research. Since then, Glaser has written 14 more books using and about grounded theory, and countless articles. In 1998 he received an honorary doctorate from Stockholm University. His latest book, which deals with the no preconceptions dictum in grounded theory, will soon be published. Email: bglaser@speakeasy.net Michael W. Godfrey is an associate professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. After finishing his PhD at the University of Toronto, he spent two years at Cornell University before joining the University of Waterloo in 1998. Between 2000 and 2005, he held an Industrial Research Chair in telecommunications software engineering sponsored by Nortel Networks and the National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada. His research interests span many areas of software engineering including software evolution, reverse engineering, program comprehension, mining software repositories, and software clone detection and analysis. He contributed a chapter titled “Copy-Paste as a Principled Engineering Tool” to the 2010 O’Reilly book Making Software: What Really Works and Why We Believe It. Email: migod@uwaterloo.ca Gary L. Evans, B.A., Hons. B. Comm, M.B.A., PhD, prior to embarking on an academic career was Senior Partner and CEO for KPMG Consulting for Central Eastern Europe and prior to that appointment was Partner in Charge of Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Energy for the London, U.K. office of KPMG for tax, audit and consulting.   As a partner in a professional firm Mr. Evans spends substantial amount of time with corporate boards and the executive management of major international corporations. In 2003, after retiring from the professional firm, Mr. Evans dedicated his time to research and teaching at the University of Prince Edward Island and decided to complete a PhD in the field of Corporate Governance at Liverpool John Moores University under the supervision of Dr. Steven Letza, a renown scholar in the field of corporate governance.  The thesis “Culture: A key ingredient to value-added boards” presents the board culture theory developed with classical grounded theory methodology. Email: gevans@upei.ca Colin Griffiths is a lecturer [assistant professor] in the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Trinity College Dublin. Colin has more than 25 years experience working with people with profound and complex disabilities in Ireland. Since 2002 Colin has taught in the...