Crisis, Abduction and Turning Points in Grounded Theory Method. : Three Ethnographic Cases on the Practice of the Qualitative Research Cycle

Muller, Thaddeus (2021) Crisis, Abduction and Turning Points in Grounded Theory Method. : Three Ethnographic Cases on the Practice of the Qualitative Research Cycle. In: Dealing with Grounded Theory : Discussing, Learning, and Practice. Pisa University Press, Pisa, pp. 35-66. ISBN 9788833395258

Abstract

In this chapter, I focus on turning points. Changing one’s research as a result of acquiring and analysing new data is an integral part of doing qualitative research in the tradition of Grounded Theory Method (GTM). However, turning points, which are drastic and dramatic transformations, deviate from the gradual abstraction process described in the GTM field. As a result, turning points are a blind spot in the GTM literature. In recent years, scholars have indicated that researcher makes inferences, which have a more intuitive, creative, unspecified and novel character. Abduction has been used to describe and understand this cognitive process, that does not follow a clearly described systematic logic path. I will see whether abduction can be used to understand and develop the concept of turning points. I use examples from my own research experience to develop the concept of turning points in relation to abduction. I will refer to the ‘back-stage’ experience of doing qualitative research during three ethnographic studies. I will focus on the emotional, intuitive and conflictual experiences of applying GTM while doing qualitative research.