Grounded theory enables a researcher to move beyond description to construct a theory about a particular phenomenon. The theory is ‘grounded’ in the data of the research. This article, the first of two articles, offers an explanation about grounded theory methodology and provides an overview of the historical developments and different types of ‘thinking’ that underpin the ‘doing’ of grounded theory. It also discusses symbolic interactionism and its influence on grounded theory. Grounded theory is an approach commonly used in
nursing research and more recently in rehabilitation nursing studies.