Definition

Grounded theory

A qualitative methodology for building theory from data through iterative coding, constant comparison, and theoretical sampling.

Where thematic analysis describes patterns, grounded theory aims higher: a theory of the process under study, generated from the ground up. Its machinery — open/axial/selective coding, constant comparison of new data against emerging categories, theoretical sampling of the next cases the theory needs, memo-writing throughout — exists to earn that claim.

It is demanding, and "grounded theory" claimed after one coding pass over convenience interviews is a red flag reviewers know well. If you follow the machinery, cite the lineage you used (Glaser & Strauss, Strauss & Corbin, or Charmaz’s constructivist version) — they differ meaningfully.