A synthesis technique for grounded theory data analysis.

AIMS: The purposes of this paper are to examine the issues surrounding current changes in grounded theory (GT) research methods and to explicate an innovative synthesis technique to GT data analysis. BACKGROUND: In recent years there has been a steady rise in the number of published research reports that use the GT method. However, this growing body of GT literature has been criticized for its lack of adherence to the method as explicated by its originators, Glaser and Strauss. METHODS: Recent and past literature that explicates, describes, and discusses GT methods is reviewed. A synthesis technique for grounded theory data analysis was developed to analyse qualitative data collected for a grounded theory study on caregiving. This synthesis technique was derived from the works of four grounded theorists (Kathy Charmaz, Mark Chesler, Juliet Corbin and Anselm Strauss). RESULTS: The lack of clarity and the inconsistencies surrounding GT analysis, as reported in the literature, resulted in the development of a synthesis technique based on the works of the aforementioned-grounded theorists. The product was a synthesis approach that included analytical steps from each of these authors. CONCLUSIONS: This synthesis approach increased understanding and enhanced clarity of GT data analysis techniques. This paper illustrates how integration of works by noted qualitative scholars is an appropriate and effective means to advance the discourse on data analysis for GT research studies.

'What happened to me': rural African American elders' experiences of stroke.

The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to examine the experience of stroke from the perspective of rural African American elders and their family members. The qualitative method of narrative analysis was used to explain the stroke experience from the perspective of the participants. Descriptive narrative analysis was used to produce a report of the interpretive schemes that study participants used to create the significance of past events and to anticipate the consequences of future actions in regard to the stroke experience. The findings revealed five themes: Discovering Stroke, Delaying Treatment, Living with Uncertainty, Discovering the Impact of Stroke, and Reconstructing Life. The findings from this study have implications for both nursing practice and nursing research. First, the themes and patterns that resulted from the narrative analysis highlight issues of how, when, and why rural African American elders seek treatment for stroke symptoms. This information can assist practicing nurses in educating this target group on signs and symptoms of stroke, stroke prevention, and the emergent nature of stroke. Second, the study contributes significantly to understanding how individuals and their families live through and respond to the experience of stroke.

Coming to terms with perceived danger. A researcher's narrative.

Little attention has been given to the topic of perceived or imagined dangers in fieldwork, even though such dangers may significantly affect both collection and interpretation of data in qualitative research. Furthermore, methodological arguments persist in regard to interpreting qualitative research that gives voice simultaneously to the research participant and the researcher. In this article reflexivity and narrative methods were used to examine the concept of perceived danger(s) in a field setting using naturalistic inquiry. First, reflexivity and narrative methods were used to retrospectively construct a personal narrative that describes the impact of the field experience on the researcher. Then, narrative analysis was used to interpret this personal narrative and to further examine why the researcher "perceived" certain dangers, and how she came to know that these risks and dangers were presumed but unwarranted. This narrative is an example of how qualitative researchers can give voice to their field experiences.