Understanding victims of identity theft: A grounded theory approach
Kylie Turville, Sally Firmin, John L. Yearwood, Charlynn Miller · FedUni ResearchOnline (Federation University Australia) · 2010
Being a victim of identity theft can be a devastating and life-changing event. Once the victim discovers the misuse they need to begin the process of recovery. For the "lucky" victims this may take only a couple of phone calls and a small amount of time; however, some victims may experience difficulties for many year. In order to recover, victims of crime require support and assistance; however, within Australia this support is sadly lacking. In order to identify the issues currently faced by victims of identity theft as they work through the recovery process, a Grounded Theory methodology was identified as most appropriate. This paper provides a brief overview of the history of the research project; a brief introduction of grounded theory with a focus on preconceived ideas and their implications; and a description of the research project currently being undertaken. A discussion of some issues experienced when using grounded theory within an IT department with very little experience of qualitative research will be provided, along with some preliminary results.