Qualitative Family Research

A Newsletter of the Qualitative Family Research Network

National Council on Family Relations

Volume 8, Numbers 1 June 1993

Analytic  Induction:  A  Focused  Approach  

to  Interpretive  Research  
 
By  Jane  F.  Gilgun  
University  of  Minnesota,  Twin  Cities,  USA  
 
  Analytic   induction   rarely   is   used   in   contemporary   qualitative   family   research.     A  
method   useful   for   testing,   elaborating,   and   even   discovering   theory,   analytic   induction   was  
used   by   Thomas   and   Znaniecki   (l918/1920)   in   The   Polish   Peasant   in   Europe   and   America  
and   in   subsequent   research   monographs   of   the   Chicago   School   of   Sociology   (e.g.   Angell,  
1936;   Becker,   1962;   Cressey,   1950;   1953;   Lindesmith,   1947).     Angell's   work   was   seminal  
for  the  field  of  family  therapy  in  discovering  and  convincing  others  of  the  centrality  of  the  
concepts  of  family  integration  and  adaptability  (Boss,  1987).    Cressey's  study  of  embezzlers  
clearly  shows  the  research  processes  involved  in  doing  analytic  induction.  
 
A  Recent  Negative  Evaluation  
 
  Manning's   (l991)   recent   evaluation   made   it   even   less   likely   that   analytic   induction  
would   be   used   in   contemporary   research.     Manning   developed   evaluative   criteria   from  
paradigms  that  do  not  fit  analytic  induction  as  a  set  of  research  processes.    He  faulted  the  
method  for  its  failure  to  predict,  its  failure  to  produce  causal  theory,  and  what  he  said  was  
its   deficits   in   accounting   for   variation.     Had   Manning   read   Bogdan   and   Biklen's   (l992)  
description   of   the   method,   he   might   have   realized   that   there   are   other   reasons   besides  
causation  and  prediction  to  use  of  analytic  induction.    He  also  would  have  seen  that  it  can  
account  for  variation.  
 
Another  Way  of  Thinking  About  Analytic  Induction  
 
  Bogdan  and  Biklen  (l992)  discuss  and  give  examples  of  modified  analytic  induction,  
where   the   purpose   is   to   identify   patterns   of   social   processes   and   not   the   generation   of  
causal,   universal   hypotheses.     The   patterns   are   worded   so   that   they   are   statements   of  
relationships  written  in  universalistic  language.    Researchers  who  do  analytic  induction  use  
not   statistical   probability   in   their   generalizing   and   prediction,   but   use   analytic  
generalization,   where   the   findings   of   one   study   are   used   as   working   hypotheses   and   are  
tested  for  their  fit  in  other  situations  (Gilgun,  1994).    The  language  is  universalistic  simply  
because  there  appears  to  be  no  other  way  to  write  the  hypotheses  resulting  from  analytic  
induction.     Yet,   these   hypotheses   are   interpreted   through   analytic   generalization   and   not  
probabilistic  generalization.  
 
  Analytic   induction   involves   the   development   of   one   or   more   hypotheses   prior   to  

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entry   into   the   field,   testing   and   modification   of   the   hypotheses   during   data   analysis,   and  
finishing   with   hypotheses   rooted   in   data.     Best   of   all,   it   allows   for   the   emergence   of  
unexpected  findings.    The  principles  of  negative  case  analysis  guide    
 
the   selection   of   cases,   which   are   chosen   on   their   promise   of   disconfirming   the   working  
hypotheses.    
 
Common  Roots  with  Grounded  Theory  
 
  Sharing   its   Chicago   School   of   Sociology   roots   with   grounded   theory   (Glaser,   1992,  
1974;   Glaser   &   Strauss,   1967;   Strauss,   1987;   Strauss   &   Corbin,   1990),   analytic   induction  
uses   some   similar   procedures,   but   it   differs   in   when   it   brings   concepts   into   the   analysis.    
Grounded   theory   researchers   want   the   concepts   to   emerge,   while   those   who   do   analytic  
induction   pre-­‐select   hypotheses   and   the   concepts.     In   the   conduct   of   analytic   induction,  
however,   new   concepts   can   emerge.     Besides   in   those   works   cited   earlier,   discussions   of  
analytic  induction  can  be  found  in  Denzin  (l978),  Robinson  (1951),  and  Znaniecki  (l934).  
 
A  Bridge  with  Logico-­Deductive  Research  
     
  Analytic  induction  can  provide  a  bridge  between  logico-­‐deductive  research  focused  
on  hypothesis  testing  and  the  more  interpretive  approaches  represented  by  various  types  
of  qualitative  research.  Ph.D.  students  with  advisers  and  committee  chairs  unfamiliar  with  
some   other   qualitative   approaches   might   look   favorably   on   analytic   induction   because   it  
follows  so  many  procedures  with  which  most  professors  are  familiar.      
 
  For   example,   dissertation   research   using   analytic   induction   can   be   set   up   so   that  
students   do   a   thorough   literature   review,   develop   hypotheses   from   this   review,   and   then  
set   out   to   test   them   on   a   series   of   cases.     The   product   will   be   a   set   of   hypotheses,   some  
likely  to  be  fairly  descriptive  and  others  statements  of  relationships.    These  hypotheses  will  
be   firmly   rooted   in   data   on   the   one   hand   and   also   embedded   in   previous   research   and  
theory.      
 
Dealing  with  Unexpected  Findings  
 
  When  there  are  unexpected  findings,  these  can  be  noted  as  areas  for  future  research  
and   some   key   pieces   of   related   research   cited.     It   is   not   be   necessary   to   do   a   full   analysis   of  
how   these   unexpected   findings   fit   into   current   knowledge.     This   involves   doing   a   second  
study  and  gets  away  from  whatever  the  original  purpose  of  the  research  might  have  been.  
 
  Analytic   induction,   then,   has   great   potential   for   interpretive   researchers   who   are  
interested  in  using  theory  and  doing  hypothesis  testing.    Still  challenging  in  terms  of  time  
and  certainly  in  terms  of  thinking  and  research  skills,  analytic  induction  once  can  become  a  
fruitful  addition  is  the  repertoire  of  qualitative,  interpretive  methods.  

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References  
 
Methodological  Pieces  on  Analytic  Induction  
 
  Bogdan,  Robert  C.,  &  Sarri  Knopp  Biklen  (l992).    Qualitative  research  for  education  
(2nd  ed.).    Boston:  Allyn  &  Bacon.  
 
  Boss,  Pauline  (l987).  Family  stress.    In  Marvin  B.  Sussman  &  Suzanne  K.  
  Steinmetz  (Eds.),  Handbook  of  Marriage  and  the  Family  (pp.  695-­‐723).    New  York:  
Plenum.  
 
  Denzin,  Norman  (l978).    The  research  act  (2nd  ed.).      New  York:  McGraw-­‐Hill.  
 
  Gilgun,  Jane  F.    (l994).    A  case  for  case  studies  in  social  work  research.    Social  Work,  
39,  in  press.  
 
  Manning,  Peter  K.  (l991).    Analytic  induction.    In  Ken  Plummer  (Ed.),  Symbolic  
interactionism,  Vol.  II:  Contemporary  issues  (pp.  401-­‐430).    Brookfield,  VT:  Elgar.  (Reprinted  
from  R,  Smith  &  Peter  K.  Manning  (Eds.)  (l982),  Qualitative  methods.    Cambridge,  MA:  
Ballinger.        
 
  Robinson,  William  S.    (1951).    The  logical  structure  of  analytic  induction.    American  
Sociological  Review,  16,  812-­‐818.  
 
  Znaniecki,  Florian  (l934).    The  method  of  sociology.    New  York:  Farrar  &  Rinehart.  
 
Examples  of  Analytic  Induction  
 
  Angell,  Robert  A.    The  family  encounters  the  depression.    New  York:  Scribners.    
 
  Becker,  Howard  (l953).    Becoming  a  marihuana  user.    American  Journal  of  Sociology,  
59,  235-­‐242.  
 
  Cressey,  Donald  R.  (l950).      Criminal  violation  of  financial  trust,  American  
Sociological  Review,  15,  738-­‐743.  
 
  Cressey,  Donald  (l953).    Other  people's  money.    Glencoe,  IL:  Free  Press.  
 
  Cressey,  Donald  R.  (l951).    Criminal  violation  of  financial  trust.    American  
Sociological  Review,  15,  738-­‐743.  
 
  Lindesmith,  Alfred  R.  (l947).    Addictions  and  opiates.    Chicago:  Aldine.  
 
  Manning,  Peter  K.  (l971).    Fixing  what  you  feared:  Notes  on  the  campus  abortion  
  search.    In  J.  Henslin  (Ed.),  The  sociology  of  sex.    New  York:  Appleton-­‐Century-­‐Crofts.    
 

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   Thomas,  William  I.  &  Florian  Znaniecki  (1918/1920).    The  Polish  peasant  in  
  Europe  and  America  (5  vols.).    Chicago:  University  of  Chicago  Press.  
 
Cited  References  on  Grounded  Theory    
 
  Glaser,  Barney  (l992).    Basics  of  grounded  theory  analysis.  Mill  Valley,  CA:  Sociology  
Press.  
 
  Glaser,  Barney    (l978).    Theoretical  sensitivity.    Mill  Valley,  CA:  Sociology  Press.  
 
  Glaser,  Barney,  &  Anselm  Strauss  (l967).    The  discovery  of  grounded  theory.    Chicago:  
Aldine.  
 
  Strauss,  Anselm  (l987).  Qualitative  analysis  for  social  scientists.    New  York:  
Cambridge.  
 
Strauss,  Anselm,  &  Juliet  Corbin  (l990).    Basics  of  qualitative  research.    Newbury    
Park,  CA:  Sage    
 

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