Grounded Theory and User Requirements: a challenge for qualitative research

Abstract

We discuss the methodological implications of moving from grounded theory to user requirements for the design of information and communication technologies. This is a problem that is particularly acute for sociology, where theory is seen as a sufficient contribution to knowledge. Cultural theorists have potentially less of a problem moving from the cultural meaning of artefacts to design. The epistemological and methodological shifts are also narrower for the applied sciences. We submit the frameworks and sequencing of the open-ended interview need to be re-structured to ground both theory and user requirements. This is a sounder basis for detailing current and future user requirements from a social perspective.