Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
The paper is organised as follows: first, an overview of the methodology of the
Grounded Theory approach is provided. Particular emphasis is put on the terms theo-
retical coding and theoretical sensitivity. Subsequently, a brief sketch is provided of
how evidence based modelling parallels a Grounded Theory approach. Third, at two
examples it is demonstrated, how the process of theoretical coding gains from the
development of a software ontology and how stylised facts provide additional evi-
dence to theoretical sensitivity. Finally, the paper ends with concluding remarks.
2
Grounded Theory
The terminology Grounded Theory is slightly misleading since it is not a classical
'grand' theory or a middle range theory of a certain phenomenon. Rather, it denotes a
certain methodological advice to
generate
theories. Thus Grounded Theory is an induc-
tive approach to study social phenomena. This is done in an iterative process in which
data collection and analysis are in a reciprocal relationship. The analysis of data should
stimulate new questions posed to the data that stimulates new collection of data. This
process should be iterated until a stage of theoretical saturation is reached [4]. This par-
allels companion or participatory modelling approaches [5] in which the process of
model development is constantly informed by the expertise of stakeholders and vice
versa this process aims to inform also the stakeholders by unfolding tacit knowledge of
the domain. This
iterative
account parallels the concept of theoretical saturation.
2.1
Theoretical Coding
Grounded Theory aims at inductively reaching a theory. In this process, the notion of
theoretical coding is of central relevance. The concrete instructions shall not be re-
ported here [6]. However, in broad terms the notion of theoretical coding describes
the process of building categories from key terms and relations. This is a process of
increasing abstraction from a detailed description of the phenomenon to discover
categories and their properties. Categories denote not the individual phenomena, but
relate certain groups of phenomena into a single concept, i.e. they denote a set. Fur-
thermore, the set of categories that enfold a picture of the target system are embedded
in a web of relations which describe the properties of the categories in various dimen-
sions. Briefly, this is the process of how Grounded Theory aims to enfold a
theory
of
a phenomenon, rather than merely describing it. Nevertheless, the relation between
theory and description remains ambiguous. The objective of the first of the following
two examples is to demonstrate how software ontologies enable to assist this process.
2.2
Theoretical Sensitivity
The terms 'theoretical saturation' and 'theoretical sensitivity' provide quality criteria of
the theory development in the Grounded Theory approach. The objective of the second
example is to show how simulation contributes in particular to the quality criteria of
theoretical sensitivity. Briefly, theoretical saturation is the criteria to stop the iterative
process of data collection and analysis. This is indicated if no additional categories or
properties can be found anymore. Theoretical sensitivity indicates the meaningfulness of
