Seminars and workshops

Grounded theory seminar and workshops

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Grounded Theory Troubleshooting Seminar

Online (Zoom): 28/29 November, 2024

Progress your grounded theory study with:

Helen Scott, PhD, Grounded Theory Online, Peer Reviewer of the Grounded Theory Review, Fellow of Grounded Theory Institute

Tom Andrews, PhD, University College Cork, Ireland. Peer Reviewer of GT Review, Fellow of Grounded Theory Institute

Seminar design

This highly practical seminar is designed for established and novice Grounded Theory researchers (including PhD and Masters students). The aims are to progress each Grounded Theory study to its next stage and to inspire and empower you as a GT researcher.

In particular we will work with you to:

  • review your research design from a GT perspective
  • review your data collection methods
  • help you to conceptualise your data
  • enable you to visualise a trajectory for your study and the steps you will need to take.

You will be able to learn from other researchers and PhD students and we will introduce you to the network of Grounded Theorists who just love talking Grounded Theory!

To apply for a place (see definitions of types of attendees in more detail below), please email Helen, giving your answers to the appropriate questions below.

Troubleshootees and Novices

Please tell us:

  1. What is your current status e.g. PhD student?
  2. What is the area/focus of your research?
  3. Troubleshootees: Where are you in the Grounded Theory process? Novices: what is your interest in Grounded Theory
  4. Troubleshootees: have you identified your core category? If so please elaborate.
  5. What would you like help with/feedback on from the seminar?
  6. Which Grounded Theory books have you read?

Please note that we will be looking for a mix of types of studies and stages of research and so if you are unsuccessful in gaining a place it is no reflection on your work.

Supporters

Please tell us:

A. What is your current status (e.g. PhD student, Supervisor, Professional researcher)?
B. What is your interest in Grounded Theory?
C. What would you like to gain from the seminar?

Seminar fees

The fees will be:

  • £295/€337 for PhD/Masters students online
  • £340/€370 for PhD/Masters students in person in Petersfied
  • £325/€370 for faculty, post-doctorates and professional researchers online
  • £370/€400 for faculty, post-doctorates and professional researchers in person in Petersfield

The additional cost for those attending in person is for tea/coffee all day and lunch and contribution to room hire.

The seminar in detail

Troubleshootees

There are places for up to 12 active participants, to bring work for ‘trouble shooting’. As a Troubleshootee you should have in mind specific issues which you wish to have addressed at the seminar and provide between 1 and 3 pages of relevant information in pdf format; perhaps data (e.g. anonymised field notes/transcripts of interviews or observations) or memos. Since all participants will be considering each project in turn, these files will be shared amongst us.

Troubleshootees and Novices will also be invited to meet with one of the seminar leaders either individually or in pairs.

Supporters/Novices

There are also places for up to 6 ‘Supporters’ (normally supervisors) and ‘Novices’ (who have not yet started data collection or perhaps have not yet even committed to a research method). As a Novice you will learn by being immersed in Grounded Theory methodology and by observing the troubleshooting of other GT studies. If there is time, Novices will be invited to talk through their issues and concerns in a very relaxed and informal manner.

Supporters are requested to merely observe to allow the focus to remain on Troubleshootees and Novices.

Applying for a place as a Troubleshootee

To apply for a place as a Troubleshootee/Novice: please email helen@groundedtheoryonline.com telling us something about your interest in Grounded Theory and answering as many of the following questions as are relevant:

  1. What is your current status e.g. PhD student?
  2. What is the area/focus of your research?
  3. Troubleshootees: Where are you in the Grounded Theory process? Novices: what is your interest in Grounded Theory
  4. Troubleshootees: have you identified your core category? If so please elaborate.
  5. What would you like help with/feedback on from the seminar?
  6. Which Grounded Theory books have you read?

Please note that we will be looking for a mix of types of studies and stages of research and so if you are unsuccessful in gaining a place it is no reflection on your work.

Applying for a place as a Supporter

To apply for a place as a supporter: please email helen@groundedtheoryonline.com telling us something about your interest in Grounded Theory and answering as many of the questions below as are relevant:

A. What is your current status (e.g. PhD student)?
B. What is your interest in Grounded Theory?
C. What would you like to gain from the seminar?

Preparation:

Please read at least ‘Doing Grounded Theory and preferably ‘Discovery’ as well:

THE DISCOVERY OF GROUNDED THEORY: Strategies for Qualitative Research (1967, 1999) Barney G. Glaser, Anselm L Strauss ISBN 1-884156-13-4 … if you have not read this already, read it in a relaxed way just to get an introduction to the ideas underpinning grounded theory. Then read:
DOING GROUNDED THEORY: Issues and Discussions (1998) by: Barney G. Glaser, Ph.D ISBN 1-884156-11-8. … in a more intentional way.

Proposed Schedule:

Day 1 – Meeting room opens at 09.00 a.m. GMT

09.15 – 09.30 Welcome and introductions
09.30 – 10.30 Scoping the seminar
10.30 – 11.00 Troubleshooting (1 participant)
11.00 – 11.30 Short break
11.30 – 12.45 Troubleshooting (2 participants)
12.45 – 13.45 Lunch break and informal chat 
13.45 – 14.30  Practice coding
14.30 – 15.00 Troubleshooting (1 participant)
15.00 – 15.30 Short break
15.30 – 16.30 Troubleshooting (2 participants)

Day 2

09.15 – 10.00 Review of previous day; Q&A
10.00 – 11.00 Troubleshooting (2 participants)
11.00 – 11.30 Short break
11.30 – 13.00 Troubleshooting (3 participants) with a break at some point
13.00 – 14.00 Lunch break and informal chat
14.00 – 15.00 Theoretical codes and getting memoing
15.00 – 15.30 Short break
15.30 – 16.00 Troubleshooting (1participants) with a break at some point
16.00 – 16.30 Q&A and roundup

Online workshop

NEXT WORKSHOP: Date to be decided at 9.30 a.m. GMT (good for Australia).
Email helen@groundedtheoryonline.com if you are interested.

Introduction to grounded theory: planning a grounded theory study.

This online workshop is for those wondering if Grounded Theory is right for them or who are just starting out. You have the option to quietly observe or together we can work through your plans and discuss your concerns, specifically addressing:

  • What is Grounded Theory?
  • Is this the right method for your study?
  • Is the substantive area ok?
  • Is the way that you will collect/are collecting your data consistent with Grounded Theory? Can it be improved?

The aim is to avoid early and common errors which can make the GT process more difficult than it has to be. We will also:

  • unpick the terms used in Grounded Theory (e.g. indicator, incident, category, code, concept);
  • demonstrate data analysis techniques e.g. open coding, constant comparison and memoing;
  • practice analysis together, using your own data or our sample data.

Please contact us if you are interested in attending.

The seminar usually takes about 2 – 3 hours and the seminar fee is £75 for students and £95 for supervisors/professional/post-doc researchers. We meet using Zoom.

Participants’ experience of our Troubleshooting Seminar

 I very much appreciate the efforts of Dr Helen Scott and Dr Tom Andrews for organising high quality grounded theory troubleshooting seminars, which have brought me not only valuable guidance and constructive advice on the methodology, but also brought me a chance to meet several supportive friends in the grounded theory communities around the globe. Maleeya Buravas, PhD, 2022


Also, I thank all those who made this learning process possible: … Helen Scott at Grounded Theory Online for the troubleshooting seminar and mentoring to write up a cohesive grounded theory. Upholding family relationships in a context of increasing awareness of parental illness, Charlotte Oja PhD 2021


The questions “Where do I start?”  or “Am I right too?”  occupied me a lot before the seminar and still I face them with every word of my texts.  With your seminar, I was able to embark on a journey of discovery – not only about the methodology, but rather about myself and my attitude as a researcher to the subject.  The most exciting thing was exposing my perspective on subjects and their concerns and thus drawing conclusions about the discourse in which my research moves.  The seminar gave me no answer to the question: “Is this the right way?”  – Rather, it taught me how I cope with the path I have chosen: That is, to recognize my research intention and to make it understandable to a broad audience.  The respectful and familiar setting (despite the online format) essentially contributed to this – as a researcher I was grateful for this attitude.  In addition, the international network enriched me and gave me insights into how wonderfully diverse research can be, that something connects us and that we are not alone with our questions – all of which is immensely encouraging. (G.T. September, 2021)


I attended the Grounded Theory troubleshooting virtual seminar in 2020 as I was hoping to use the methodology in my PHD research. I was a little anxious attending the course as I was very new to Grounded Theory but the excellent presentations and lively discussions really increased my understanding of the methodology and confirmed that it was the right choice for me. I was also given the opportunity to present and discuss my own study, which was invaluable. Helen and Tom were excellent facilitators and listening to the other attendees discuss their studies helped me understand the practical applications of Grounded Theory. I’ll definitely be attending again! (S.OR.,September, 2021)


Helen and Tom’s facilitation of the Grounded Theory Troubleshooting seminar was hugely beneficial to my research. There was plenty of opportunity to share our research and receive constructive feedback no matter what stage we were at (it was very useful to see research at various stages of the journey) and whilst it was overwhelming at times, I am a much more confident Grounded Theorist now and plan to attend more sessions before my thesis is completed. I have stayed in touch with other attendees, and we meet monthly now to discuss all things Grounded Theory. I’m very grateful for Helen’s support in bringing us all together.
(N.R., September, 2021)


I attended the 2-day Grounded Theory Online seminar in March 2021 as a troubleshootee.  It was a great opportunity to present my research and to get constructive feedback from the expert facilitators and fellow early researchers who attended.  In an interactive and supportive environment I received constructive feedback that helped me to make real progress in my research journey. (S.OC., September, 2021)


Crucially, thank you so much for the very rich and insightful seminar. The robust, friendly and intellectually stimulating interventions/comments of participants is also deeply appreciated. (S.T., November, 2019)


Helen’s expertise in this methodology is immense and she infers a gentle confidence and strength to a Student. You don’t need to walk alone is my message to you. (C.Q., November, 2019)


The seminar was an inspirational experience for me and I feel I really understand how GT will fit my project and visa versa now. Extremely helpful stuff! (S.M., November, 2019)

I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the seminar last week. It was the most useful workshop I’ve done so far on my doctoral journey.  It clarified so many little questions I had in my head and most of the doubts about what I’m doing, the hows and whys. There wasn’t a moment during the two days when I wasn’t learning.  (N.B., May, 2018)


I totally enjoyed the experience, the venue, the mix of colleagues, the refreshments, relaxed ambiance, the pace and the remote chat with Tom. I have gathered a lot of information and confidence through the process, met some lovely people and am now turning my learning into action! (G.M, May, 2018)


I really enjoyed the seminar and stimulating company over the two days. I feel like it’s broadened my understanding of grounded theory and has encouraged me to integrate the theory which could make a big difference to the end product. Thank you very much… (R.E, May, 2018)


Overall, the grounded theory seminar has been a great experience. I have learned a lot, and feel much more confident that I will not make as much silly mistakes in my research as I would have done if I had not had this experience. I will most likely return in a year or two to get more assistance. I would wholeheartedly recommend the GT seminar to everyone considering or undertaking classic grounded theory research. Apart from the subject matter, it was incredibly valuable to discuss my work and woes with others doing similar research, and to simply network with like-minded researchers. We now have a Grounded Theory WhatsApp group, and it is going to be good to stay in touch! (Nieky, May, 2018)


A big thank you for such a great two days, it exceeded my expectations in terms of learning both practicalities and re focusing my research, I found it immensely reassuring to realise that I have chosen the best methodology for my study. Your advise was so valuable … (Anne, November 2016)


The pre seminar stage of my research was uncomplicated and painless. The data was analysed through a preconceived framework. It was an easy task to fit the data into an predetermined set of framework. Thus the pre seminar period was the period of ‘I’ talking on behalf of the data. With this aforementioned condition I decided to attend the seminar organised by Dr Helen Scott.

The seminar proved to be an eye-opener. The seminar lectures focused for the conceptual clarity and gave personal attention to attendee’s hassle. A thorough personal discussion with Tom Andrew helped me to realise my mistake and inspired me to retake the entire coding process. Thus, the post seminar period phase started with the relinquishing the well nurtured idea, looking at the data with clean mind set and dealing with the question like ‘what’s your research question?’ (often left unanswered) with dilemma. The phase is full of frustration, dealing ‘myself’ with patience and oscillating between doubts and self confidence. Tom Andrew’s guidance helped me through out the process. The emergence of core category after tireless coding and memos gave me a sheer satisfaction.

I want to thank Helen Scott and Tom Andrew for inspiring me and making my journey joyful.

Bhakti Shah,
PhD student.
Institute of Diversity Research.
University of Göttingen, Germany.