Doing the Right Thing or Doing the Thing Right: Implications of Participant Withdrawal. (July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Thorpe, Andrea Stevenson
• Is Part Of: Organizational research methods. Volume 17:Number 3(2014:Jul.)
• Page Start: 255
• Page End: 277
• Publication Date: 2014-07
• Subjects: ethics in research -- grounded theory -- qualitative research -- interviewing; Organization -- Research -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Organizational sociology -- Research -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Management -- Research -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 302.350721
• DOI: 10.1177/1094428114524828
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1094-4281

Abstract

This article discusses implications of participant withdrawal for inductive research. I describe and analyze how a third of my participants withdrew from a grounded theory study. I position my example, ensuing issues, and potential solutions as reflective of inductive methodologies as a whole. The crux of the problem is the disruption inflicted by withdrawal on inductive processes of generating knowledge. I examine the subsequent methodological and ethical issues in trying to determine the best course of action following withdrawal. I suggest three potential options for researchers: Continuing the study with partial data, continuing the study with all data, and discontinuing the study. Motivated by my experience, and wider theoretical considerations, I present several suggestions and questions, with the aim of supporting researchers in determining the best course of action for their individual field circumstances.