You are here

This unique text shows researchers how to develop theories derived through qualitative inquiry. Johnny Saldaña illustrates how a theory is a research-based statement with an accompanying explicating narrative that contains six properties: concepts, propositional logic, parameters/variation, explanation/causation, generalizability/transferability, and the improvement of social life. The book features hundreds of examples of theories and metatheories from a wide range of disciplines and includes end-of-chapter activities for exercising the skills necessary to develop original theories. Just as Saldaña demystifies coding and qualitative data analysis in his bestselling Sage books, Developing Theory Through Qualitative Inquiry presents an accessible introduction to the principles and methods of theorizing for social insight.




 
Chapter 1 Defining Theory
 
Chapter 2 Concepts
 
Chapter 3 Propositions
 
Chapter 4 Parameters and Variation
 
Chapter 5 Explanation
 
Chapter 6 Generalizability and Transferability
 
Chapter 7 Improving Social Life
 
Chapter 8 Synthesizing the Six Properties
 
Chapter 9 Modeling a Theory
 
Chapter 10 Evaluating a Theory
 
Chapter 11 Conclusion

I adopted Developing Theory Through Qualitative Inquiry for the Basics of Arts Research and Methodology BA course. I concentrated on parts of chapter 1 Defining theory and 9 Modeling a theory to support the undergraduate students with basic principles, including theory, modeling, visualization and creative research aspects. The whole book is important, but in my opinion especially these chapters prepare the unexperienced BA students best for their upcoming seminar-research-thesis and the final BA creative research project/thesis. Furthermore, this topic is essential to my own dissertation and further publications I plan on methodology matters in the fields I am working in.
I have ordered the book to my university library to enable this semester and future students to access the whole book.

Mr Gerhard Bruno Erich Lock
Baltic Film and Media School, Tallinn University
May 13, 2025

A useful text for Dissertation

Mr Mark Warner
Education, North East Surrey college of technology
October 2, 2024
Key features
  • Presents a comprehensive introduction to developing conventional, mainstream theories derived from qualitative inquiry.
  • Shares multiple examples of theories from different disciplines
  • Includes end-of-chapter activities for exercising the skills necessary to develop an original theory.

Sample Materials & Chapters

Ch01_Defining Theory

Ch02_Concepts