Grounded simulation

Abstract

This paper investigates the contribution of evidence based modelling to Grounded Theory. It is argued that evidence based modelling provides additional sources to truly arrive at a theory in the inductive process of a Grounded Theory approach. This is shown at two examples. One example concerns the development of an ontology of extortion racket systems. The other example is a model of escalation of ethno-nationalist conflicts. The first example concerns early to medium stages of the research process. The development of an ontology provides a tool for the process of theoretical coding in a Grounded Theory approach. The second example shows stylised facts resulting from a simulation. Stylised facts are broad patterns which are characteristic for certain domain fields. Thus they generalise over a particular case. This provides credibility for the claim to inductively generate a theory, i.e. to overcome a purely descriptive level. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.