Challenges and Reflections on Data Analysis in Cross-Linguistic Constructivist Grounded Theory Research

Globalization has contributed to increased sociological study across languages and cultural backgrounds. Most multilingual researchers and teams may have experience collecting data in native languages, writing findings, and publishing them in English. Language conversion and translation deliver peculiar methodological practice challenges for researchers. Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) is a qualitative research approach that requires high precision in interpreting language in the original data, emphasizing the simultaneous iterative process of data collection and analysis. When the original qualitative data and published findings are not in the same language, the stage of data analysis at which language translation and conversion are undertaken will directly impact the research output quality and data validity. Thus, identifying potential obstacles and concerns emerging from the translation step and making recommendations is crucial for enhancing research in practice. This paper will base research experience on conducting a CGT study with Mandarin-speaking participants to illustrate challenges regarding language conversions through the data analysis process. The author analyzes the differing analytical outcomes of using English codes in the initial and focused coding stages, demonstrating how to overcome issues when coding in two languages to minimize data loss. It also provides specific suggestions on memo usage and cross-cultural contextual expressions. Therefore, this paper will contribute to CGT methodology and be of reference value to researchers undertaking cross-language studies.