<p> This volume is directed toward closing the gap between theory and empirical research and improving social scientists' capacities for generating theory that is relevant and useful to their research. "Most writing on sociological method has been concerned with how accurate facts can be obtained and how theory can thereby be more rigorously tested. In this book we address ourselves to the equally important enterprise, of <i>how the discovery of theory from data-systematically obtained and analyzed in social research--can be furthered.</i> We believe that the discovery of theory from data--which we call <i>grounded theory</i>--is a major task confronting sociology today, for, as we shall show, such a theory fits empirical situations, and is understandable to sociologist and layman alike. Most important, it works--provides us with relevant predictions, explanations, interpretations and applications.... And so, we offer this book, which we conceive as a beginning venture in the development of improved methods for discovering grounded theory." From the introduction to <i>The Discovery of Grounded Theory</i> Authors: Barney G. Glaser, Anselm L. Strauss</p>