Türkiye’deki nitel araştırma literatüründe Grounded Theory (GT) kullanımı, “gömülü teori” ve “temellendirilmiş kuram” çevirileri etrafında şekillenen belirgin bir terminolojik ve metodolojik karmaşa sergilemektedir. Bu makale, söz konusu sorunsalın yüzeysel bir çeviri tercihinden kaynaklanmadığını; aksine, metodolojinin kendi tarihindeki (Nesnelci, Prosedürel, İnşacı ve Durumsal) derin felsefi, ontolojik ve epistemolojik kırılmaların Türkiye bağlamındaki uygulamalara yeterince yansımamış olmasından beslendiğini savunmaktadır. Makalede, öncelikle GT’nin felsefi kökenleri ve temel paradigmaları arasındaki ayrımlar Nesnelci (Glaser), Prosedürel (Strauss ve Corbin), İnşacı (Charmaz) ve Durumsal (Clarke) olmak üzere dört ana gelenek üzerinden netleştirilmektedir. Ardından, bu teorik çerçeve ışığında, Türkiye’deki akademik literatür (DergiPark, n=233) taranarak mevcut GT çalışmalarının metodolojik eğilimleri, terminoloji tercihleri ve felsefi duruşları arasındaki uyumsuzluklar sistematik bir analizle ortaya konmaktadır. Analiz sonuçlarına dayanarak makale, Türkiye’deki nitel araştırmacılar için felsefi temellere dayalı yöntembilimsel bir kılavuz ve karar akış şeması sunmaktadır. Bu kılavuz, araştırmacıların kendi ontolojik ve epistemolojik duruşlarıyla uyumlu GT versiyonunu bilinçli bir şekilde seçmelerini, terminolojiyi tutarlı kullanmalarını ve araştırma süreçlerini şeffaf bir şekilde belgelemelerini amaçlayarak, Türkiye literatüründeki mevcut çeviri ve uygulama karmaşasına felsefi temeli olan nihai bir çözüm önermektedir.
Grounded theory temellendirilmiş kuram gömülü teori nitel araştırma yöntemleri
Grounded Theory (GT) is one of the most widely used qualitative research methodologies in the social sciences. However, its extensive adoption has also increased the risk of superficial, fragmented, and methodologically inconsistent applications that lack philosophical reflexivity. This issue is particularly pronounced in the Turkish qualitative research literature, where GT is often employed without explicit engagement with its underlying ontological and epistemological assumptions. The coexistence of multiple Turkish translations—most notably “gömülü teori” and “temellendirilmiş kuram”—has further contributed to conceptual ambiguity, frequently obscuring the distinct philosophical commitments embedded in different Grounded Theory traditions.
This article argues that the prevailing confusion surrounding Grounded Theory in Turkey cannot be attributed solely to translation choices. Instead, it reflects a deeper methodological problem stemming from insufficient recognition of the philosophical, ontological, and epistemological ruptures that have shaped the historical development of Grounded Theory. First, the article demonstrates that Grounded Theory is not a single, unified methodology but rather a family of approaches that diverge significantly in their assumptions about reality, knowledge production, and the role of the researcher. Second, it contends that Turkish GT scholarship has largely overlooked these distinctions, resulting in methodologically incoherent and theoretically shallow applications. In response, the article proposes a philosophically grounded methodological guide and a decision flowchart to support qualitative researchers in Turkey in making informed and theoretically consistent methodological choices.
The article situates Grounded Theory historically by tracing its emergence in the 1960s through the collaborative work of Barney G. Glaser and Anselm L. Strauss. Initially developed as a reaction against positivist, quantitatively oriented sociology, Grounded Theory functioned as a methodological manifesto aimed at legitimizing qualitative inquiry and democratizing theory construction grounded in empirical data rather than imposed a priori frameworks. Over time, however, significant philosophical tensions emerged, giving rise to distinct Grounded Theory traditions.
Four major GT traditions are discussed: Objectivist Grounded Theory, Procedural Grounded Theory, Constructivist Grounded Theory, and Situational Analysis. Objectivist GT, associated with Glaser, is grounded in ontological realism and epistemological positivism, assuming that social reality exists independently of the researcher and can be discovered through systematic analysis. Procedural GT, developed by Strauss and Corbin, retains much of this realist orientation while introducing structured coding paradigms and analytic procedures. Constructivist GT, articulated by Charmaz, represents a clear epistemological shift by emphasizing the co-construction of data and theory through interaction between researcher and participants. Situational Analysis, advanced by Clarke, further extends Constructivist GT by incorporating postmodern, feminist, and poststructuralist perspectives and shifting the analytic focus to complex situations involving human and non-human actors, discourses, and silences.
To examine how these philosophical distinctions are reflected in Turkish scholarship, the study employs a systematic literature review conducted in August 2025 using DergiPark. Following screening, 233 peer-reviewed articles were analyzed using ATLAS.ti. The findings reveal that GT in Turkey is predominantly treated as an analytic technique rather than a comprehensive methodology. Most studies rely heavily on procedural coding strategies, often without adequate documentation of theoretical sampling, memo writing, or theory integration. Constructivist GT remains marginal, while Situational Analysis is entirely absent. Methodological inconsistencies, reliance on secondary sources, and unreflective terminological diversity further characterize the literature.
In response, the article proposes a philosophically grounded methodological guide and decision flowchart designed to help researchers align their ontological and epistemological positions with an appropriate GT tradition. An illustrative case study from Istanbul demonstrates how methodological flexibility, grounded in philosophical awareness, can enhance the rigor, transparency, and theoretical coherence of qualitative research.
Grounded Theory Epistemology Ontology Qualitative Research Methods Objectivist Grounded Theory Procedural Grounded Theory Constructivist Grounded Theory Situational Analysis
Etik kurul onayı gerekmemektedir. / Ethical approval is not required for this study
Bu çalışma herhangi bir kurum veya kuruluş tarafından maddi olarak desteklenmemiştir. Yazar, makaleye yönelik değerli eleştiri ve önerileri için dergi hakemlerine ve makalenin önceki bir versiyonuna yönelik yorumları için Dr. Afife İdil Akın Acar’a teşekkür eder. / This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The author thanks the journal reviewers for their valuable feedback on the article and Dr. Afife İdil Akın Acar for her comments on an earlier version of this article.
| Birincil Dil | Türkçe |
|---|---|
| Konular | Sosyolojide Niteliksel Yöntemler, Sosyolojik Metodoloji ve Araştırma Yöntemleri |
| Bölüm | Sistematik Derlemeler ve Meta Analiz |
| Yazarlar | |
| Gönderilme Tarihi | 17 Ağustos 2025 |
| Kabul Tarihi | 6 Aralık 2025 |
| Yayımlanma Tarihi | 27 Aralık 2025 |
| Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2025 Cilt: 7 Sayı: 2 |