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Grounded Theory: A practical guide for management, business and market researchers

Posted on: Friday, 24 October 2003, 06:00 CDT

Grounded Theory: A practical guide for management, business and market researchers Author: Christina Goulding Publisher: Sage Publications No of pages: 186 Price: L18.99 ISBN: 0761966838 Much has been written about the grounded theory approach to qualitative research, however the number of books devoted solely to this methodology remains relatively few. Therefore, any new book dedicated to the subject is always likely to attract attention - especially given the increasing popularity of grounded theory in healthcare research.

First impressions of the text are that those wanting to gain a comprehensive understanding of the philosophy, principles and application of grounded theory should be well served, despite the target audience being students of management, business and market research.

The book is divided into three distinct sections: first, philosophy, principles and procedures. Second, an illustration of the process; and third, a critical review of the methodology.

The first section starts out by providing a extensive overview of the evolution of grounded theory in relation to the competing research paradigms. This is followed by a lucid debate about how the method has matured since its development and continues to do so. The remaining two chapters in the first part of the book are dedicated to grounded theory procedures, and, while similar to a number of other texts, the discussion remains detailed and insightful.

The second part of the book comprises a practical illustration of how the method has been applied in a research study that examined consumer behaviour and the meaning derived from visiting heritage sites in the England.

While the actual subject matter of these chapters is in no way related to health or nursing, it nonetheless provides a considered account of the data collection, sampling and analytical techniques and procedures that can be adopted when using the grounded theory.

The final section of the book gives a balanced but critical review of grounded theory methodology. This chapter clearly articulates the relative merits and limitations of using this approach and will be of help to anyone wishing to explore the pragmatic and more abstract academic debates surrounding its use.

Okay, this book is not targeted at health professionals, neither is it a particularly easy read - being aimed at researchers and advanced students. However, anyone wanting to expand their theoretical and practical understanding of key philosophical and methodological issues related to grounded theory could do far worse than refer to its pages.

Dr Leslie Woods, University of Liverpool, UK

Copyright RCN Publishing Company Ltd. 2003

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