The methodology of interpretation of qualitative data was explored using a grounded theory approach to the synthesis of data, examining the construction of categories in particular. The focus is on ways of organizing data and attaching meaning, as research problems embedded in cultural context are explored. A qualitative research training task with 4 groups of 3 to 5 members each (for a total of 27 graduate student subjects) evaluating comic strip culture was used to address the consistency between groups, how groups differ, and how different ways of categorizing data lead to different interpretations of comic strip culture. Intra-group differences and perceptions were pronounced, and group consensus varied considerably from individual reports. Individuals reported more diverse answers than group consensus indicated, and group answers were more simplified and focused on fewer categories than those of individuals. Implications of the research center on the idiosyncratic nature of qualitative research and issues related to generalizability, as well as the relationships between the types of questions being asked and the interpretations and relationships between the knowledge-base of researchers and the interpretation of data. One table presents the categories of cultural values elicited. (Author/SLD)