Abduction as the type of inference that characterizes the development of a grounded theory
- 1 November 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Qualitative Research
- Vol. 6 (4), 497-513
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794106068019
Abstract
In this article, abduction is introduced in relation to theorizing in grounded theory. Theoretical insights are inevitable cornerstones of the development of a grounded theory and abduction is worked out as a type of inference that characterizes this development. How abduction could be used in grounded theorizing is shown in a grounded theory research on ‘organizing doubt’, i.e. the way Dutch army units are formed with self-organizing capabilities that can be deployed during crisis operations. The authors show that two concepts from organizational theory that are central in this grounded theory’s analytical framework - i.e. ‘dynamic complexity’ and ‘self-organization’ - are developed and embedded in a substantive theory on ‘organizing doubt’ by abductive reasoning.Keywords
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