Case studies and content analysis Flashcards
What are case studies?
It’s an in-depth investigation, usually of one person or a small group of people. Individuals studied may have particular conditions or unusual characteristics.
Often produce qualitative data, as unstructured interviews and observations may be used.
The participant may be asked to complete laboratory experiments to produce quantitative data.
Often case studies are longitudinal, as the participant is studied over many years. Examples of case studies include HM, whose memory was damaged following an operation.
What are the strengths of case studies?
Produce rich, detailed, in-depth data, giving a close insight into particular behaviours.
Help understand the behaviours of ‘normal’ individuals, for instance HM’s case showed that there are separate stores for long-term and short-term memory.
What are the limitations of case studies?
It can be difficult to generalise the findings from case studies, as the sample sizes are so small. Data is often collected retrospectively, so relies on the recall of the participant or their friends or family members, which may be inaccurate. Comparing to a control group is often not possible.
Researcher may become personally involved with the participant over a number of years, making them less objective.
What is a content analysis?
This is a type of observational research where something already produced (such as newspaper articles and television adverts) is studied. The aim is to analyse the communication in order to detect trends and make conclusions.
What are the strength of content analysis?
High external validity, as what’s analysed is the material that people consume in ‘real life’. It allows for the investigation of potentially sensitive topics, without the need for consent, as the material is in the public domain.
What are the limitations of content analysis?
People tend to be studied indirectly - communication produced analysed outside context.
There’s a danger that the researcher may attribute opinions and motivations to the speaker or writer that weren’t intended originally - lack objectivity.
