午夜剧场

It is an old story now, but I studied abroad during an era when qualitative research was mocked for not being a science, and it was there that I met the giants of qualitative research. Having received an education in Japan based on the "learn by watching your master's back" style, I had felt frustrated as to why analysis methods were not verbalized like statistics. I remember feeling a sense of clarity upon learning that studying research methods is essential even in qualitative research.

The Grounded Theory Approach (hereafter GTA), which I specialize in, is one of the three major qualitative research methods alongside ethnography and phenomenology. GTA is a method that proceeds with analysis based on data (hence the name "grounded") and attempts to present the mechanism by which phenomena appearing in the data occur as a theory (hence the name "theory"). It stands apart from other methods in that its highly refined analytical procedures are verbalized, making it an easy research method for beginners to learn.

However, in Japan, due to inappropriate introductions at the time of its inception, what exactly constituted GTA remained unclear, and a chaotic situation persisted. Amidst this, in 2005, I was given the opportunity to publish "Qualitative Research Method Seminar: Learning the Grounded Theory Approach" (Igaku-Shoin). From the fact that it was necessary to include "Qualitative Research Method" in the title, one can imagine that GTA's recognition was not what it is today, and its characteristics were not fully understood.

Over the 15 years since then, GTA has gradually taken root in Japan, and it has come to be featured as an equal to other research methods in recently published works such as the "Dictionary of Qualitative Psychology" (edited by Masahiro Nochi et al., Shinyosha) and "Mapping Qualitative Research Methods: To Grasp Characteristics and Utilize Them" (edited by Tatsuya Sato et al., Shinyosha). However, inquiries such as "I understand the basics, but I cannot use it well and want to receive direct training" continue unabated. While a research method is a tool that is meaningful only when used effectively, there still seems to be a large gap between learning and practice.

To date, I have written five books of different characters regarding GTA, including an introductory book, an analysis book for intermediate users, a self-study book, and a book on data collection. Finally, I would like to create a practical research handbook. I pray that 15 or 30 years from now, the base will expand further and GTA will be utilized effectively.