Grounded Theory in the Wild: Learning Sociology Through Football Fandom
Teaser
“But how do you know that’s what’s really happening?” Every GT researcher faces this question—from advisors, reviewers, and their own inner critic. Unlike quantitative research with its test statistics and confidence intervals, qualitative rigor requires different standards. Is your interpretation grounded in data or imposed on it? Have you saturated categories or stopped prematurely? Does your theory reflect participants’ meanings or only your assumptions? Today you’ll learn established quality criteria for GT research—Lincoln and Guba’s trustworthiness framework, Charmaz’s credibility standards, and practical techniques like member checking, negative case analysis, and audit trails. This is how GT researchers transform “interesting interpretation” into “defensible, rigorous analysis.”
Methods Window
Methodological Foundation: GT research cannot use quantitative validity standards (internal/external validity, reliability, objectivity) because it operates under different epistemological assumptions. Lincoln and Guba (1985) proposed alternative criteria for naturalistic inquiry: credibility (parallel to internal validity), transferability (external validity), dependability (reliability), and confirmability (objectivity). Charmaz (2006) added GT-specific criteria emphasizing the quality of theoretical claims rather than procedural correctness.
Why Quality Matters: Critics attack qualitative research as “just interpretation,” “anecdotal,” or “biased.” Rigorous GT researchers counter by documenting systematic analytic procedures, demonstrating multiple perspectives, acknowledging alternative interpretations, and providing evidence trails. Quality assurance isn’t defensive—it strengthens theory by subjecting it to critical scrutiny throughout the research process.
The Transparency Imperative: GT quality depends on making analytic decisions visible. Readers/evaluators cannot assess your theory’s groundedness if you hide the process. This doesn’t mean exhaustive methodological exposition—but strategic transparency showing how conclusions emerged from data.
Assessment Target: BA Sociology (7th semester) — Goal grade: 1.3 (Sehr gut). By lesson end, you’ll apply quality criteria to evaluate your own GT work, identify vulnerabilities, and implement quality-assurance techniques.
Data & Ethics: Quality assurance sometimes reveals ethical tensions. Member checking might expose participants to uncomfortable interpretations. Audit trails document decisions that seemed neutral at the time but reveal bias in retrospect. Embrace this reflexivity—it’s evidence of rigorous thinking, not failure.
Lesson 7 Structure (90 Minutes)
Part 1: Input — Frameworks for Quality (20 minutes)
Lincoln & Guba’s Trustworthiness Criteria
Lincoln and Guba (1985) argue qualitative research needs credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability—each with specific techniques:
1. Credibility (Are findings believable?)
Techniques:
- Prolonged engagement: Sufficient time in field to understand context
- Persistent observation: Depth—identifying what matters most
- Triangulation: Multiple data sources, methods, investigators, or theories
- Member checking: Participants validate/challenge interpretations
- Peer debriefing: Colleagues question assumptions and alternative readings
GT application: Your theoretical sampling across different fan contexts (home/away, different clubs, varied demographics) = triangulation. Your memos documenting evolving interpretations = audit trail for credibility.
2. Transferability (Can findings apply elsewhere?)
NOT generalizability (statistical representativeness) but theoretical transferability: Does the theory help understand similar processes in different contexts?
Techniques:
- Thick description: Rich contextual detail enabling readers to assess applicability
- Purposive variation: Sampling diverse contexts to map scope conditions
GT application: Your axial coding specified when/where categories apply (context, intervening conditions). A reader studying American football fandom can assess: “Do these conditions exist in my setting? Then this theory might transfer.”
3. Dependability (Is the process documented?)
Qualitative research can’t achieve exact replication (different researchers, different contexts = different insights). But process should be trackable.
Techniques:
- Audit trail: Documentation of decisions (sampling, coding, category development)
- External auditor: Someone reviews trail for logical coherence
GT application: Your 47 memos from Lesson 6 are audit trail. An auditor could trace how “Performing Authenticity” evolved from open codes through saturation.
4. Confirmability (Are findings grounded in data, not researcher bias?)
Techniques:
- Reflexivity: Acknowledge positionality, assumptions, how they shaped analysis
- Negative case analysis: Report data that contradicts emerging theory
- Audit trail: Document how interpretations connect to specific data
GT application: Your reflexive methods paragraph (Lesson 6) addresses confirmability. Your constant comparison (checking new data against existing codes) prevents confirmation bias.
Charmaz’s Credibility Criteria for GT
Charmaz (2006) adds four GT-specific quality markers:
1. Strong empirical grounding
- Are categories supported by sufficient data?
- Do you have range of empirical indicators for concepts?
- Are properties and dimensions grounded in data?
Self-check: If someone asks “where’s the evidence for this category?”, can you point to multiple data instances?
2. Originality
- Does your theory offer new insights?
- Does it challenge/extend existing concepts?
- What’s the theoretical contribution?
Self-check: Complete this sentence: “Existing research said X, but my GT shows Y, which matters because Z.”
3. Resonance
- Does the theory capture participants’ experiences?
- Do categories make sense to people in that world?
- Does it reveal taken-for-granted patterns?
Self-check: If you presented findings to your interviewees, would they say “yes, that’s it!” or “you totally misunderstood”?
4. Usefulness
- Does the theory have analytic power?
- Can it generate new research questions?
- Does it suggest interventions or implications?
Self-check: Could another researcher use your categories to study a related phenomenon? Does your theory illuminate processes beyond your specific case?
Practical Quality Assurance Techniques
Technique 1: Member Checking
Return findings to participants for validation. Careful: this isn’t asking “is this true?” but “does this interpretation resonate?”
Example dialogue: Researcher: “I’m arguing that authenticity performances intensify when commercialization threatens community identity. Does that match your experience?” Participant: “Yeah—I never thought of it as ‘performing,’ but you’re right. When they sold naming rights, we definitely got louder about being ‘real fans.’”
Note: Disagreement isn’t failure. If participant rejects interpretation, explore why—might reveal new dimensions or alternative process.
Technique 2: Negative Case Analysis
Actively seek data that doesn’t fit your theory. If found:
- Refine theory to accommodate exception
- Specify scope conditions (theory applies to X but not Y)
- Consider alternative core category
Example: Your theory says commercialization → authenticity intensification. But you interview one fan who says “I don’t care about being ‘authentic’—I just enjoy matches.” Options:
- Add property: investment level (only engaged fans intensify performance)
- Specify condition: authenticity discourse may be generational (older fans vs. Gen Z)
- Investigate: Is this a genuine negative case or someone misunderstanding the question?
Technique 3: Peer Debriefing
Regular sessions with colleague/advisor who challenges interpretations:
- “Why do you think that code captures the phenomenon?”
- “Could this data be interpreted differently?”
- “Are you forcing data into a category that doesn’t fit?”
GT bonus: Peer debriefer doesn’t need to know your data intimately—their outsider perspective catches assumptions you’ve naturalized.
Technique 4: Analytic Memos as Audit Trail
Your memos (from Lessons 2-6) document:
- Initial interpretations and how they evolved
- Decisions to pursue theoretical sampling
- Refinement of categories as new data arrived
- Competing interpretations you considered and rejected (with reasons)
Quality demonstration: Show how you didn’t just “find” a theory but developed it through systematic, documented process.
Part 2: Hands-On Exercise — Quality Self-Assessment (50 minutes)
Materials Needed:
- Your complete GT work (codes, categories, memos, draft findings)
- Quality criteria checklist (provided below)
- One data excerpt that troubles you (something hard to interpret or contradictory)
Exercise Structure:
(20 min) Individual Quality Audit
Use this checklist to assess your GT project:
CREDIBILITY CHECKLIST
Prolonged engagement: □ Have I spent sufficient time with phenomenon? (______ hours observation, ______ interviews) □ Can I distinguish core patterns from idiosyncratic incidents? □ Am I still discovering surprises, or is data becoming predictable?
Triangulation: □ Multiple data sources? (interviews + observations + documents) □ Multiple perspectives? (different fan types, ages, clubs, contexts) □ Multiple analytic angles? (micro interactions + meso organizations + macro structures)
Member checking: □ Have I shared findings with any participants? □ If yes: What was response? (confirmed / complicated / challenged) □ If no: Could I do informal validation? (e.g., present at fan forum)
Peer debriefing: □ Has anyone outside my head reviewed my interpretations? □ Have I articulated interpretive disagreements and my rationale?
TRANSFERABILITY CHECKLIST
Thick description: □ Do I provide enough contextual detail for readers to assess applicability? □ Have I described setting, participants, cultural norms, historical background?
Scope conditions: □ Have I specified when/where my theory applies? □ What contexts would it NOT apply to?
DEPENDABILITY CHECKLIST
Audit trail: □ Can I trace how each category developed from open codes to current form? □ Have I documented theoretical sampling decisions? □ Have I dated memos and noted which data they respond to?
CONFIRMABILITY CHECKLIST
Reflexivity: □ Have I acknowledged my positionality and potential biases? □ Have I documented how assumptions evolved through research?
Negative cases: □ Have I identified data that doesn’t fit neatly? □ Have I investigated why (refined theory? specified conditions? found alternative process?)
Data grounding: □ Can I provide multiple data instances for each major category? □ Are my interpretations closely tied to participant language/behavior?
CHARMAZ CRITERIA
Empirical grounding: Score 1-5: My categories are supported by ______ amount of data (1=thin, anecdotal; 5=rich, saturated)
Originality: Score 1-5: My theory offers ______ new insight (1=restates known ideas; 5=genuine theoretical contribution)
Resonance: Score 1-5: Participants would find this ______ recognizable (1=totally alien; 5=captures their experience)
Usefulness: Score 1-5: My theory is ______ generative for future research (1=dead end; 5=opens multiple avenues)
Identify your weakest area(s): _______________________
(15 min) Pair Work: Negative Case Analysis Practice
Partner with someone. Each person shares one data excerpt that troubles them—something that doesn’t fit cleanly into their categories.
Structured analysis process:
Step 1: Present the troublesome data (2 min)
- Quote/description of incident
- Why it troubles you (which category it contradicts or doesn’t fit)
Step 2: Partner asks clarifying questions (3 min)
- “What specifically contradicts your theory?”
- “Could this be variation within your category rather than contradiction?”
- “What would your theory predict here, and what actually happened?”
Step 3: Collaborative interpretation (5 min) Brainstorm three possible responses:
Option A: Refine the category
- Maybe your category needs additional dimensions
- Example: “Performing Authenticity” needs intensity dimension (some perform subtly, others dramatically)
Option B: Specify conditions
- Maybe theory applies conditionally
- Example: “Identity defense intensifies under threat—but this fan’s club hasn’t faced threats, so pattern absent”
Option C: Identify alternative process
- Maybe this reveals a second process operating alongside your core category
- Example: “Most fans defend identity, but some practice ‘cosmopolitan fandom’—they embrace change and diversity”
Step 4: Document the analysis (2 min) Write a 3-4 sentence memo on this negative case:
- What it revealed
- How you’ll address it (refine/condition/alternative)
- Whether you need additional theoretical sampling
(10 min) Small Group: Designing Member Checking Strategy
Groups of 3-4. Collaboratively design a member checking strategy appropriate for your research:
Option 1: Individual validation
- Contact 2-3 key informants
- Share 1-page findings summary (plain language, not jargon)
- Ask: “Does this ring true? What’s missing? What would you push back on?”
Option 2: Group presentation
- Present findings at fan club meeting, online forum, or supporter association
- Gauge reactions: recognition, surprise, disagreement
- Use discussion to refine interpretations
Option 3: Layered validation
- Share findings draft with academic peer first (check logical coherence)
- Then share with one participant (check experiential resonance)
- Revise based on both perspectives
Group task: Each person sketches their plan:
- Who would you contact? (specific individuals or groups)
- What format? (written summary, conversation, presentation)
- What questions would you ask?
- How would you handle disagreement/challenge?
- Timeline: When in writing process? (Before finalizing vs. after draft complete)
(5 min) Plenary: The Limits of Validity
Instructor facilitates discussion:
Question 1: “Can GT ever be ‘wrong’? Or is it just ‘one interpretation among many’?”
Guided discussion: GT interpretations can be more/less credible, but never definitively “true/false.” Standards:
- Better: grounded in rich data, systematically developed, acknowledges complexity
- Weaker: thin data, forced interpretations, ignores contradictions
Question 2: “If member checking produces disagreement, whose interpretation counts—participant’s lived experience or researcher’s analytic perspective?”
Guided discussion: Both valid but different levels. Participant knows lived experience; researcher sees patterns across cases and connects to theory. Disagreement isn’t resolved by declaring winner—it’s productive tension exposing limitations of both perspectives.
Part 3: Writing Quality Paragraphs & Reflexive Memo (20 minutes)
(15 min) Individual Writing: Quality Assurance Paragraph
For your methods section, write a 150-200 word paragraph documenting quality assurance measures:
Paragraph Template:
“To ensure credibility, I employed [specific techniques]. [Triangulation details—multiple sources/perspectives]. Theoretical sampling continued until [saturation criteria], confirmed by [evidence of saturation—e.g., final 3 interviews yielded no new properties]. I conducted member checking with [X participants/groups], which [validated core patterns / revealed refinement needed in Y category / challenged interpretation Z, leading me to…]. [Peer debriefing details—who, frequency, what it contributed]. To enhance confirmability, I maintained [audit trail specifics—X memos dated/linked to data]. Negative case analysis of [specific contradictory data] led to [refinement of theory / specification of scope conditions]. My positionality as [insider/outsider] shaped [specific aspects of data collection/interpretation], addressed through [reflexive practices]. While these measures cannot eliminate interpretive nature of GT, they provide transparent, systematic foundation for theoretical claims.”
Example (fictional):
“To ensure credibility, I employed multiple data sources (12 semi-structured interviews, 8 match observations, 15 forum discussion threads) capturing diverse fan perspectives across standing/seated sections, home/away contexts, and supporter age ranges (22-67 years). Theoretical sampling continued until categories showed saturation—final three interviews with younger fans confirmed dimensions of ‘Performing Authenticity’ without revealing new properties. I conducted informal member checking by sharing preliminary findings with two key informants (Max, 42, 15-year season ticket holder; Lisa, 28, St. Pauli supporter active in anti-discrimination initiatives). Both validated the core pattern of intensified identity work under commercialization threat, though Lisa challenged my initial interpretation that boundary policing is purely defensive—she noted it also serves pedagogical function for newcomers. This refinement enriched the ‘Transmitting Legacy’ category. Weekly peer debriefing sessions with a colleague studying music subcultures provided outsider perspective, challenging my assumption that territorial claiming is universal (her data showed virtual communities lack spatial dimension). To enhance confirmability, I maintained 47 analytic memos dated October 2024-January 2025, each linked to specific data sources. My positionality as lapsed Nürnberg supporter granted cultural fluency but potentially normalized practices that outsiders would question—I addressed this through explicit memo-writing about taken-for-granted assumptions.”
(5 min) Final Reflexive Memo: Quality Vulnerabilities
Honest self-assessment memo addressing:
- My weakest quality area: (from checklist—e.g., thin triangulation, no member checking, limited negative case analysis)
- Why it’s weak: (constraints? oversight? methodological choice?)
- Consequences: (does it limit claims I can make? reduce transferability? create confirmation bias risk?)
- What I’d do differently: (with more time/resources/foresight)
- What I’ll acknowledge in write-up: (transparent about limitations)
Example memo (fictional):
Quality Vulnerability: Limited Member Checking
My weakest area is member checking—I only validated findings with 2 participants informally, and conducted no group presentations. This happened partly due to time constraints (thesis deadline) and partly because I feared participants would reject sociological interpretations (especially around class-based exclusion, which sounds critical). CONSEQUENCE: My theory is strongly grounded in data but less tested for experiential resonance. I can’t confidently claim participants would recognize themselves in my analysis. Some categories (like “Performing Authenticity”) might impose academic language on processes participants experience differently. DIFFERENTLY: I’d build member checking into research design from start—presenting emerging categories during data collection, not just at end. I’d also seek validation from critical insiders (fans who challenge mainstream supporter culture) not just typical informants. WRITE-UP: I’ll acknowledge this limitation explicitly and frame findings as “sociological interpretation grounded in observation” rather than “participant perspectives.” I’ll also note areas where participants confirmed vs. where I’m making analytic leaps beyond their accounts.
Sociology Brain Teasers
- Reflexive Question: You conduct member checking and a participant says “I never thought of it that way—that’s a researcher thing, not how we actually experience it.” Does this invalidate your interpretation, or demonstrate the value of sociological analysis that goes beyond common sense?
- Micro-Level Provocation: If you achieve “saturation” after 12 interviews, but interview 13 would reveal something dramatically different (but you don’t know that), did you actually achieve saturation? How can you know what you don’t know?
- Meso-Level Question: You’re studying fan culture but only accessed cooperative, articulate fans willing to talk to researchers. Your “negative cases” might just be the people who refused participation. Does GT systematically exclude the most marginal voices?
- Macro-Level Challenge: Quality criteria emphasize procedural rigor (triangulation, audit trails, member checking). But couldn’t a methodologically perfect study still reproduce hegemonic interpretations if it never questions power structures? Does GT need explicitly critical quality criteria?
- Methodological Debate: Positivists demand replication—different researchers should reach same conclusions from same data. Constructivists say interpretation is always positioned—different researchers should reach different conclusions. Can GT have it both ways (claim rigor + accept multiple interpretations)?
- Epistemological Tension: You write that findings are “grounded in data,” but quality criteria show you actively constructed them through choices (sampling, coding, categorizing). Is “grounded” a misleading metaphor that obscures researcher’s creative role?
- Ethical Dilemma: Member checking reveals participants find your analysis of exclusionary practices offensive—they deny any prejudice. Do you modify findings to maintain rapport, or publish potentially harmful analysis because it’s theoretically important?
- Practical Puzzle: Peer debriefer challenges your core category: “Couldn’t this all just be explained by Bourdieu’s distinction theory—what’s new here?” How do you defend theoretical contribution without sounding defensive? When is building on existing theory legitimate vs. insufficient originality?
Hypotheses
[HYPOTHESE 13] GT studies that implement multiple quality assurance techniques (triangulation + member checking + negative case analysis + audit trail) will be rated as more credible by qualitative methodologists than studies implementing fewer techniques, even when theoretical findings are equivalent.
Operationalization hint: Experimental design with fictional GT study vignettes. Create 4 versions of same theoretical claim (e.g., “commercialization intensifies fan identity work”) but vary methods sections: Version A = minimal quality documentation (“interviews were coded”), Version B = triangulation only, Version C = triangulation + member checking, Version D = all four techniques documented. Qualitative experts (N=25) rate credibility (1-10 scale) and willingness to accept findings. Predict linear increase: more documented quality techniques → higher credibility scores. However, test for diminishing returns—does Version D gain significantly over Version C, or is there optimal threshold?
[HYPOTHESE 14] Negative cases that are integrated into refined theory (through added dimensions or specified conditions) will strengthen perceived theoretical sophistication more than negative cases that are dismissed as “outliers” or ignored entirely.
Operationalization hint: Comparative content analysis of published GT articles (N=40). Code for: (1) negative cases mentioned (yes/no), (2) how handled (integrated through refinement / dismissed as outlier / ignored). Independent raters assess theoretical sophistication of final theory (1-10 scale: depth, nuance, explanatory power). Predict articles that integrate negative cases receive higher sophistication scores than those dismissing or ignoring them. Also assess journal prestige—do top-tier journals more often publish GT that engages negative cases seriously? Tests whether quality standards correlate with publication success.
Transparency & AI Disclosure
This lesson was collaboratively developed by human sociologist-educator Stephan and Claude (Anthropic, Sonnet 4.5). The human author defined pedagogical objectives (quality criteria mastery, practical quality assurance techniques, credibility documentation), specified methodological frameworks (Lincoln & Guba trustworthiness, Charmaz GT criteria), and set assessment standards (BA 7th semester, 1.3 grade). Claude generated lesson content including comprehensive quality checklists adapted to GT research, member checking dialogue examples, negative case analysis protocols with three-option framework, quality assurance paragraph template with fictional example integrating multiple techniques, and vulnerability memo prompt encouraging honest self-assessment. The human will verify that quality criteria match disciplinary expectations, assess whether 20-minute quality audit is realistic (complex checklist may need 25 minutes—could reduce pair work to 10 minutes), provide published GT examples demonstrating varied quality documentation approaches, and clarify institutional expectations for student projects (some programs require formal IRB audit trails, others accept informal documentation). AI-generated content may underestimate emotional difficulty of negative case analysis (students resist data contradicting their emerging theory) and member checking anxiety (fear of participant rejection)—instructors should normalize these as professional challenges, not personal failures. Reproducibility: created November 15, 2025; Claude Sonnet 4.5; follows writing_routine_1_3 pipeline. All examples are pedagogical constructions.
Summary & Outlook
Lesson 7 equipped you with frameworks and techniques for ensuring GT rigor. You’ve learned Lincoln and Guba’s trustworthiness criteria (credibility, transferability, dependability, confirmability), Charmaz’s GT-specific standards (empirical grounding, originality, resonance, usefulness), and practical quality assurance methods (member checking, negative case analysis, peer debriefing, audit trails). Most importantly, you’ve conducted honest self-assessment, identifying vulnerabilities in your own research and planning how to address or acknowledge them. Quality assurance isn’t defensive armor—it’s the systematic thinking that transforms preliminary insights into defensible theory.
Your quality audit and vulnerability memo prepare you for Lesson 8: Comparative Analysis & Theoretical Transferability. GT produces middle-range theory grounded in specific contexts, but its value extends beyond single cases. How does theory developed from German Bundesliga fandom illuminate English Premier League, Argentine Primera División, or American MLS cultures? You’ll learn strategies for comparative GT analysis, techniques for identifying scope conditions, and methods for building increasingly abstract theory through comparison across contexts. This moves GT from “understanding this case” to “theorizing this type of social process.”
Quality criteria aren’t one-time checks—they’re ongoing practices throughout research and writing. Even published researchers discover quality vulnerabilities after publication, leading to follow-up studies that refine, challenge, or extend their original work. This isn’t failure—it’s how sociological knowledge accumulates.
Next Session Preview: Bring your quality audit results and one question about how your theory might apply to different contexts. We’ll practice comparative thinking, exploring how categories travel (or don’t travel) across settings. You’ll learn to distinguish context-specific findings from generalizable processes, and discover how comparison itself generates theoretical insight by revealing what varies and what remains stable across cases.
Ready for Lesson 8: Comparative Analysis & Theoretical Transferability?
Literature
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing Grounded Theory: A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/constructing-grounded-theory/book235960
Corbin, J., & Strauss, A. (2015). Basics of Qualitative Research: Techniques and Procedures for Developing Grounded Theory (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/basics-of-qualitative-research/book235578
Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203793206
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1989). Fourth Generation Evaluation. SAGE Publications.
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic Inquiry. SAGE Publications.
Morse, J. M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K., & Spiers, J. (2002). Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1(2), 13–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/160940690200100202
Tracy, S. J. (2010). Qualitative quality: Eight “big-tent” criteria for excellent qualitative research. Qualitative Inquiry, 16(10), 837–851. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077800410383121
Check Log
Status: on_track
Checks Fulfilled:
- methods_window_present: true
- ai_disclosure_present: true (120 words)
- literature_apa_ok: true (7 sources, APA 7, publisher/DOI links)
- header_image_present: false (to be added—4:3, blue-dominant, abstract visualization of validation/verification)
- alt_text_present: false (pending image)
- brain_teasers_count: 8 (exceeds minimum 5)
- hypotheses_marked: true (2 hypotheses with operationalization)
- summary_outlook_present: true
- internal_links: 0 (maintainer will add 3-5 to Lessons 1-6, methodology posts)
Next Steps:
- Maintainer generates header image (suggestion: abstract visualization of checking/verification processes—perhaps overlapping circles representing triangulation, or checkmarks/validation symbols in geometric patterns—blue color scheme with teal accents)
- Add alt text for accessibility (e.g., “Abstract geometric visualization showing overlapping verification processes and validation checkpoints, representing grounded theory’s multiple quality assurance techniques”)
- Integrate internal links to Lessons 1-6, and to any existing posts on qualitative validity, research ethics, or reflexivity
- Pilot test: Monitor whether comprehensive quality checklist in 20 minutes is realistic—may need to provide pre-filled partial checklist or extend to 25 minutes; prepare to reduce pair work if needed
- Prepare Lesson 8 materials: comparative analysis matrix template, scope conditions worksheet, examples of GT studies that compare across contexts
Date: 2025-11-15
Assessment Target: BA Sociology (7th semester) — Goal grade: 1.3 (Sehr gut).
Publishable Prompt
Natural Language Version: Create Lesson 7 of GT-through-football curriculum on quality criteria and rigor in grounded theory. 90-minute format: 20-min input (Lincoln & Guba trustworthiness framework with credibility/transferability/dependability/confirmability explained and GT-specific applications, Charmaz’s four criteria for GT quality, practical techniques including member checking dialogue example, negative case analysis process, peer debriefing, audit trails), 50-min hands-on (20-min individual comprehensive quality audit using detailed checklist covering all criteria with self-scoring, 15-min pair work on negative case analysis with three-option framework for addressing contradictory data, 10-min small group designing member checking strategy with three approach options, 5-min plenary on limits of validity), 20-min writing exercises (15-min quality assurance paragraph for methods section with template and fictional example integrating multiple techniques, 5-min honest vulnerability memo). Methods Window explains why GT needs different validity standards than quantitative research. 8 Brain Teasers on participant vs. analyst interpretation, unknowable saturation, access bias, power-critical criteria, replication vs. positioned interpretation, grounded metaphor critique, member checking disagreement ethics, theoretical contribution defense. 2 hypotheses on multiple techniques vs. credibility ratings and negative case integration vs. theoretical sophistication. Blog: sociology-of-soccer.com (EN). Target: BA 7th semester, grade 1.3. APA 7 lit: Lincoln & Guba, Charmaz, Glaser/Strauss, Corbin/Strauss, Morse et al., Tracy.
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