The Development of Transactional Methodology in Social Sciences Based on the Grounded Theory Model

Abstract

The purpose of present study is to represent how the transactional methodology in social sciences is developed by using qualitative approach of grounded theory, setting up focus group workshops and conducting semi-structured interviews with some Iranian professors in the methodology of social sciences. This study used the qualitative approach of the grounded theory. In 2014, focus group workshops were set up, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with the professors of methodology in several groups. It is necessary to use qualitative methods in this research due to the recognition of grounded factors. Findings of this study on the basis of data analysis suggests that causal and structural conditions, confusion in choosing the type of methodologies, and imperfection of each methodology in social sciences lead to the different combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, and conducting transaction among the existing methodologies that is affected by the intervening conditions like mutual impacts of methodology and subject on each other as well as considering everything in its own context resulting in the transactional methodology. To conclude, developing transactional methodology paves the way for producing theories, conducting research to solve problems, fulfilling the local and global needs, and developing human knowledge. Finally, the transactional methodology is proposed as an alternative methodology to study a social phenomenon.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n23p2296