Critical realism in empirical research: employing techniques from grounded theory methodology

TY - JOUR

T1 - Critical realism in empirical research

T2 - employing techniques from grounded theory methodology

AU - Hoddy, Eric T.

PY - 2019/1/2

Y1 - 2019/1/2

N2 - Whilst critical realism (CR) is becoming recognised as a significant meta-theory for the social sciences, there is little guidance on how to produce research which is consistent with its ontological and epistemological assumptions. This article contributes to an emerging discussion about how CR can be applied, drawing on an example of a qualitative study that has sought to understand and explain the causes of unmet need amongst a group of rural labourers in Tunisia. Using this study as an illustration, I show how techniques from grounded theory methodology can be usefully harnessed in the data collection, coding and analysis stages of a research project that adopts a CR philosophical and methodological framework. I illustrate how an ‘abductive’ variant of grounded theory allowed drawing on pre-existing theoretical knowledge throughout the research stages; whilst open and axial coding techniques could be harnessed for identifying and postulating CR causal mechanisms. This article should be of interest to students and researchers involved with grounded theory and applied critical realism.

AB - Whilst critical realism (CR) is becoming recognised as a significant meta-theory for the social sciences, there is little guidance on how to produce research which is consistent with its ontological and epistemological assumptions. This article contributes to an emerging discussion about how CR can be applied, drawing on an example of a qualitative study that has sought to understand and explain the causes of unmet need amongst a group of rural labourers in Tunisia. Using this study as an illustration, I show how techniques from grounded theory methodology can be usefully harnessed in the data collection, coding and analysis stages of a research project that adopts a CR philosophical and methodological framework. I illustrate how an ‘abductive’ variant of grounded theory allowed drawing on pre-existing theoretical knowledge throughout the research stages; whilst open and axial coding techniques could be harnessed for identifying and postulating CR causal mechanisms. This article should be of interest to students and researchers involved with grounded theory and applied critical realism.

KW - coding

KW - Critical realism

KW - grounded theory

KW - qualitative research

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050923740&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/13645579.2018.1503400

DO - 10.1080/13645579.2018.1503400

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85050923740

SN - 1364-5579

VL - 22

SP - 111

EP - 124

JO - International Journal of Social Research Methodology

JF - International Journal of Social Research Methodology

IS - 1

ER -