case studies and content analysis 22

Question 1

What are case studies?

Answer 1

An in-depth investigation, description and analysis of a single individual, group, institution or event

Question 2

What is content analysis?

Answer 2

A research technique that enables that enables the indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce (e.g. in texts, emails, TV, film and other media)

Question 3

What is coding?

Answer 3

The stage of a content analysis in which the communication to be studied is analysed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories (which may be words, sentences, phrases, etc.)

Question 4

What is thematic analysis?

Answer 4

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.

Question 5

What may case studies construct?

Answer 5

A case history of the individuals concerned

Question 6

What are strengths of a case study?

Answer 6

They are able to offer rich, detailed, insights that may shed light on very unusual and atypical forms of behaviour

Case studies may contribute to our understanding of ‘typical’ functioning

Case studies may generate hypotheses for future study and one solitary contradictory instance may lead to the revision of an entire theory

Question 7

What are the limitations of a case study?

Answer 7

Generalisation of findings is an issue when dealing with such small sample sizes

The information that makes it into the final report is based on the subjective selection and interpretation of the researcher

Personal accounts from the participants and their family and friends may be prone to inaccuracy and memory decay

Case studies evidence may have low validity

Question 8

What are the strengths of content analysis?

Answer 8

It can circumnavigate may of the ethical issues normally associated with psychological research

Much of the material that an analyst may want to study (TV adverts, films, etc) may already exist within the public domain so no issues with obtaining permission, high external validity

Flexible, production of qualitative and quantitative data depending on aims of research

Question 9

What are the limitations of content analysis?

Answer 9

People tend to be studied indirectly. communications produced are usually analysed outside of the context within which it occurred

Danger that the researcher may attribute opinions and motivations to the speaker or writer that were not intended originally

may be lack of objectivity