In 1967, Barney Glaser and Anselm Strauss developed a qualitative research method that focused on generating new theories through an inductive analysis of data gathered from research participants. They agreed that 'the scientific function of generating theory had become secondary, but needed to be centralised' (Glaser & Strauss, 1967), and so grounded theory came into being. What great names, btw. 'Glaser and Strauss' sound like a pair of streetwise-but-kind detectives from a flashy
In grounded theory, the researcher looks to understand a social phenomenon and to construct theories from the ground up, using participants' experiences, iterative data collection, and data analysis; effectively, constructing theories grounded in the data, rather than starting with a theory and then setting out to prove it valid or otherwise.
I talk in more depth about around my philosophical stance and methodology here.
Glaser, B. and Strauss, A., (1967), The Discovery of Grounded Theory; Strategies for Qualitative Research, located at: http://www.sxf.uevora.pt/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Glaser_1967.pdf, date accessed 2nd April 2024