What is the difference between grounded theory and case study

Additionally, as I had professional experience in the substantive area of my study, grounded theory was an appropriate approach because it provided a method to deal with my experience, controlling the risk of introducing bias into the study. This control is achieved by the constant comparative method, which forces researchers to state their assumptions and their own knowledge as data in the form of memos or self-interviews and to compare these data with other data from the study.

Thus, for researchers with professional experience in the substantive field of their research, constant comparison is a valuable feature of the grounded theory method. To be sure, constant comparison reduces , but cannot completely eliminate, the risk of bias-induced distortions.

For these reasons, seeking to generate theory grounded in case study data was a particularly appropriate strategy for my research. Furthermore, this approach has been tested and detailed by Eisenhardt and it is one of the preferred ways of doing grounded theory in IS research Lehmann, b; Maznevski and Chudoba, ; Orlikowski, ; Urquhart, According to Eisenhardt , using case data to build grounded theory has three major strengths:.

Due to the close connection between theory and data it is likely that the theory can be further tested and expanded by subsequent studies. This is so because a level of validation is performed implicitly by constant comparison, questioning the data from the start of the process. Recent evidence shows that the combination of case studies and grounded theory has been rewarding for IS researchers.

For example, Lehmann a, p. Applying Grounded Theory to Case Study was very successful. It produced a prolific amount and yielded a great richness of information. A single case may be a typical case or it may be something that is unique Mariano, For an example of a unique case, consider a client the first author had the opportunity to care for many years ago. An elderly, single male patient had a severe, unrepaired hypospadias. His anatomy was such that the urinary meatus was at the scrotal-penal junction.

Although he was near the end of life and unable to communicate at the time, exploring the effect of this problem on his life would have made an interesting case study in which the unit of analysis was the individual with hypospadias. Multiple cases are used when the researcher is interested in the same issue in different situations, or to understand a particular situation from different perspectives. To use the example of hypospadias again, a researcher might design a multiple case study to understand the decisions parents make surrounding repair of hypospadias in infants with differing severity and in different societies and religions.

Case method is a research design that is often guided by a framework and is useful to investigate a complex contemporary phenomenon using multiple data sources Yin, Consider the possibility of studying the process of care for clients who are directly admitted to an inpatient unit for management of kidney stones.

A theoretical framework could provide guidance for data collection. In this model, the relationship between nursing interventions and patient outcomes is mediated by the client and the health care system. In a case study with the above research question using this model as a framework, the researcher would collect data about each area of the model.

Asking the following questions, the researcher would explore the phenomenon of interest according to the model. What nursing interventions were used? Were the interventions effective?

It would be important to collect data over time for several patients admitted with similar diagnoses. Eventually the researcher would construct the ideal case, a case study constructed using the data from several cases to describe the pain management strategies used in the particular setting of interest.

The product of case research is usually a description of the object of interest. An excellent example of case research in nursing can be found in Zucker Grounded theory grew out of the theoretical framework of symbolic interaction Blumer, ; Bowers, This framework can be thought of as the lens or the glasses through which one views the world.

For example, suppose a nurse was talking to a group of older women about incontinence. Two of the women seemed quite distressed at the mere mention of the word incontinence. The third woman appeared embarrassed, but had several questions. The fourth woman in the group did not appear to be the least bit uncomfortable and was very willing to share her experience of effectively managing her incontinence with the others.

They all agreed that incontinence was not a normal part of aging and that a woman experiencing incontinence should discuss the problem with a health care provider. Within the group there were both individual and shared meanings in relation to incontinence. Each woman in the group responded to the topic of incontinence in a unique way.

This is representative of the individual meanings each woman ascribed to the prospect of experiencing incontinence. Although each woman responded individually, they also had shared meanings about incontinence.

These shared meanings provide the basis for interaction between people. Grounded theory is a qualitative research methodology in which substantive theory is derived through an ongoing process of continually reviewing the data, refining questions, and re- evaluating these changes.

The resulting substantive theory is a theory that is applicable to a specific situation. The goal of the developed theory is to illustrate the basic social processes engaged in by the participants in a particular setting. Strauss and Corbin , p. The emergence of themes and a sharper focus occur over time as the participants identify their experiences to the researchers Stern, A grounded theory must be accessible and understandable to the people working in the area of the research.

For example, suppose a researcher conducted a grounded theory study exploring the process engaged in by women who are not more than 50 years old to manage chronic urge incontinence.

The theory should be useful to health care providers who are working with these women. The women themselves should also be able to understand the theory so that they may be better able to understand how to manage their incontinence. For a recent grounded theory nursing research study see Jacelon In both case and grounded theory methods, the data may come from many sources. In all qualitative research, the researcher does not profess to be an expert about the phenomena of interest.

The researcher does not develop hypotheses about the phenomena; rather, he or she observes and questions and then makes sense out of those observations.

Common sources for data in clinical case and grounded theory research include interviews, observation, and documents such as client records and system records on staffing, etc. Open-ended, qualitative interviews are conducted with all participants. In the previous example regarding pain management for clients with kidney stones, the researcher may wish to interview the client, the nurse, family members who were with the patient at the onset of pain, nurse aides regarding identification of pain in patients on the unit, physicians, etc.

Participant observation. Participant observation PO is a data collection technique in which the members of the research team immerse themselves in the world of the participants Bowers, While trying to become immersed in the world of the participants, the team member will simultaneously attempt to maintain a position of questioning those things that the participants take for granted Bowers, The plan of observation is dictated by the research questions Stake, In the example, the purpose of PO would be to observe the process of care direct and indirect interventions and the response to that care in relation to kidney pain.

Documents can provide a wealth of information about the topic of study. They are most useful when used as supporting evidence for other sources of data Yin, Sources of written data in the example of nursing intervention for kidney pain may include client records such as the medical record including operating room records, flow sheets recording input and output, the client Kardex, etc.

Documents of interest regarding system include characteristics such as staffing plans for the nursing floor upon which the study will be based, minutes of floor meetings, records of client acuity, and agency policies and procedures relevant to the focus of the study.

Trustworthiness in qualitative research is the equivalent of validity in a quantitative study. It is established through ensuring rigor in the process of data collection and analysis. The following techniques are often used. Bracketing is the process of the researcher becoming self-aware and reflecting on the research process and her own assumptions.

Prolonged engagement and persistent observation. Multiple data sources. A major strength of case study design is the use of multiple data sources Yin, Multiple sources of evidence will provide opportunities for comparison of data among and between participants as well as between different types of data sources Stake, Participant checking.

Participant checking is a process of seeking feedback from the study participants. It is part of the process of establishing credibility Ely et al.

Peer researcher support group. A peer researcher support group Ely et al. The ability to transfer findings defends upon adequate description of the context for the research to allow others to compare their settings to that of the research. Data analysis will be discussed in a future article in this series. The depth of understanding provided through qualitative research can supply an important source of knowledge to inform the care provided by urologie nurses.

Case is particularly appropriate for indepth exploration of real clinical situations. Grounded theory is an excellent tool for understanding the social processes at work as patients learn to manage new or chronic health conditions. Both methods provide insight to answer challenging and complex clinical questions.

Practicing nurses are encouraged to seek out experienced qualitative researchers to mentor the rigorous process of bringing forth trustworthy, insightful findings. Guidance through the journey of selecting a design, collecting rich data, completing the appropriate depth of analysis, and preparing an interesting and informative manuscript, can provide practicing nurses with opportunities to use case or grounded theory methods to add the spark of a new dimension of challenge, insight, and illumination to their professional work.

Bogdan, R. Qualitative research for education: An introduction to theory and methods 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Bowers, B.