I’m Developing a Theory but I Have No Idea What it is

There are numerous academic and personal reasons to explain why some novice researchers may be anxious and thus confused when conducting a study using a classic grounded theory research design. When using this specific design, though, confusion must be tolerated and even welcomed because only through confusion can a well-developed theory be developed. In this article, the author presented four specific areas of potential confusion, explained why there might be bewilderment, and how a less-experienced scholar might overcome those perplexing moments. Specifically, the author will discuss (a) grand tour questions, (b) writing codes and memoing, (c) constant comparison, and (d) selective coding as he demonstrates why confusion is valuable in this particular research design.