Case Studies And Content Analysis

Question 1

What is a case study?

Answer 1

An in-depth investigation of an individual, institution or event

Question 2

What are 3 strengths of using a case study?

Answer 2

1. Provides rich, in-depth information- gives new insight into unusual and atypical forms of behaviour
2. May generate hypotheses for future study and trigger the revision of an entire theory
3. May be unethical to manipulate the variables

Question 3

What are two limitations of using a case study?

Answer 3

1. Difficult to generalise from individual cases
2. Information that makes it into the report is based on subjective selection and interpretation of researcher

Question 4

What is a content analysis?

Answer 4

A kind of observational study of qualitative data in which behaviour is observed indirectly via communications.

Question 5

What is a quantitative way of analysing data?

Answer 5

Coding- the analysis of communication by placing into categories and then counting

Question 6

What is a qualitative way of analysing the data?

Answer 6

Thematic analysis- involves identifying implicit/explicit ideas within data (often after coding)

Question 7

What are the 5 steps of carrying out a content analysis?

Answer 7

1. Collect data
2. Researcher reads through and familiarises themselves with data
3. Researcher identifies coding units
4. Re-analyse data and apply coding units
5. Tally the number of times a coding unit appears

Question 8

What are the two strengths of using content analysis?

Answer 8

1. High ecological validity- based on observation of what people actually do
2. When resources can be accessed by others the content analysis can be replicated- tested for reliability

Question 9

What are the two limitations of using content analysis?

Answer 9

1. Observer bias- different observers may interpret meaning of behavioural categories differently
2. Culture biased- interpretation of written or verbal content will be affected by the language and culture of observer