Using Grounded Theory to Develop a Framework for an Information Society in Southern Africa

Grounded theory has not been widely used in the information sciences, despite it being one of the methods or designs employed for generating theories in the humanities and social sciences. However, with the increase in research that aims to generate information science theories, more researchers and students are exploring the use of grounded theory methods to conduct their studies. This chapter intends to simplify the conceptualisation and application of grounded theory methods for research within the information sciences. It discusses its origins, philosophical groundings and assumptions, as well as its methodological approaches. The chapter describes the foundations of the grounded theory methods providing some insights into some of the methodological approaches through an example study that constructed a theoretical framework for building information societies for development in Southern Africa. This chapter enhances the example with the practical lessons that the author learned in the conduct of the study.