Phenomenological Research
Phenomenological research focuses on similarities of lived experience within participant groups, investigating everyday experiences while suspending researcher assumptions. Example: nurses' experience caring for COVID-19 patients (Jang et al., 2022).
Grounded Theory
Grounded theory develops theories by explaining people's social actions and interactions. Example: clinical nurses' coping processes during COVID-19 (Nowell et al., 2021).
Similarities and Differences
Both use interpretive approaches and collect data from participant perspectives. They differ in origins (Husserl/Heidegger vs Glaser/Strauss), focus (describing experience vs developing theory), and analytical techniques (Urcia, 2021).
References
- Jang, H. Y., et al. (2022). Nurses' experience caring for COVID-19 patients. Int J Environ Research, 19(5), 2924. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8910268/
- Nowell, L., et al. (2021). Grounded theory of nurses' coping during COVID-19. J Clinical Nursing. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
- Urcia, I. A. (2021). Comparisons in grounded theory and phenomenology. Int J Qualitative Methods, 20. https://journals.sagepub.com/
Related: See our mixed methods research or research variables.