case studies and content analysis Flashcards
define content analysis
a type of observational research in which people are studied indirectly via the communications they have produced, for example in spoken interaction such as a speech, and written forms such as texts.
the aim is to summarise and describe this communication in a systematic way so overall conclusions can be drawn.
define coding
the stage of a content analysis in which the communication to be studied is analysed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories.
content analysis
in an observational study the researcher has to make design decisions about the following…
- sampling method
- coding the data
- method of representing data
what is the strength of content analysis
tends to have high ecological validity because it is based on observations of what people actually do- real communications that are current and relevant, such as newspapers.
what is the limitation of content analysis
observer bias reduces the objectivity and validity of findings because different observers may interpret the meaning of the behavioiral categories differently.
it is likely to be culture biased because intepretation of verbal or written content will be affected by the language and cultueof the observer and the behavioural categories used.
define thematic analysis
an inductive and qualitative approach to analysis that involves identifying implicit or explicit ideas within the data. themes will often emerge once the data has been coded.
thematic analysis information
what is a limitation of thematic analysis
it is a very lengthy process because it is painstaking and iterative- every item is carefully considered and the data are gone through repeatedly.
what are sum of the aims of thematic analysis
- to impose some kind of order on the data
- to enable themes to be identified and general conclusions to be drawn
define case study
a research method that involves a detailed study of a single individual, institution or event, which are generally longitudinal. case studies provide a rich record of human experience but are hard to generalise from.
it is a scientific research method and thus aims to use objective and systematic methods.
individual case studies; can use as a strength.
example of a case study
the case of phineas gage; it was important in the development of brain surgery to remove tumours because it showed that parts of the brain could be removed without having a fatal effect.
a record was kept of events in the rest of his life and people he knew were interviewed.
what is a strength of a case study
the method offers rich, in-depth data information. such data can provide insights into the complex interaction of many factors, in contrast with experiments where variables are held constant. this means that insights overlooked using other methods are likely to be identified.
what is a limitation of a case study?
there are important ethical issues such as confidentiaity and informed consent. many cases are easily identifiable because of their unique characteristics, even when real names are not given.
