Grounded Theory and Serendipity. Natural history of a Research

Bibliographic Data

ID12875343
AuthorsKrzysztof T Konecki (0000-0002-7370-3490, University of Lodz, corresponding author)
Year2008
Volume4
Issue1
Pages171-188
Publication date2008-04-30
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueQualitative Sociology Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1733-8077 • E-ISSN: 1733-8077
PublisherUniwersytet Lodzki (University of Lodz) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.18778/1733-8077.4.1.09
OpenAlexW4205491274
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited8

The paper deals with the issue of “serendipity” (which constitutes the context of discovery) in field research and the analysis of data by using the grounded theory methodology. The thesis of the paper is: the methodology of grounded theory is naturally associated with serendipity. We describe two aspects of serendipity in grounded theory: 1. substantive, and 2. theoretical. We present in the paper serendipity phenomenon by using the case of research on the “social world of pet owners”. We show how the research is developed by a sequence of decisions being made by researchers. The process of emergence of the main analytical category, subcategories and the whole theoretical construction during the long time of the field research and theoretical group analysis is presented, as well as the procedure of coming to unanticipated theoretical conclusions. It was all possible because of the interactional character of serendipity happening during the research in grounded theory style of investigation

Character (mathematics · Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Field (mathematics · Grounded theory · Phenomenon · Qualitative research · Serendipity · Social science · Sociology · Focus Groups and Qualitative Methods · Mathematics · Philosophy · Qualitative Research Methods and Applications · Social Development and Education Research

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