Research Methods Y2 - Case Studies/Content Analysis Flashcards
What is a case study?
Case studies are an in-depth investigation, description, and analysis of a single individual, group, institution, or event.
What type of data do case studies produce?
Case studies typically produce qualitative data through interviews, observations, questionnaires, and sometimes experimental or psychological testing.
What are case studies useful for?
Case studies are particularly useful for investigating unique human behaviors or experiences, such as rare conditions, or when studying individual memories over time.
What is one evaluation point of case studies?
Strength: Case studies offer rich, detailed insights that may shed light on very unusual or atypical forms of behavior. For example, the case of HM demonstrated the role of STM in forming LTM. This means case studies can highlight areas for further research.
What is one limitation of case studies?
Case studies are highly subjective due to reliance on researcher interpretation and self-reported data from participants. This reduces validity as findings may lack generalizability to other contexts.
What is another limitation of case studies?
Limitation: Case studies often deal with small sample sizes, making it difficult to generalize findings. Additionally, researchers may interpret findings in a biased way due to their close involvement with the participant(s).
What is content analysis?
Content analysis is a research technique that enables the indirect study of behavior by examining communications that people produce, such as text, emails, or social media.
What is coding in content analysis?
Coding is the stage of a content analysis in which the communication to be studied is analyzed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories, which may be words, sentences, or phrases.
What is thematic analysis?
Thematic analysis is an inductive and qualitative approach to analysis that involves identifying implicit or explicit ideas within the data once the data has been coded.
What is one evaluation point of content analysis?
Content analysis is useful in tackling sensitive issues, such as mental health, by studying the material that already exists in the public domain. This avoids issues of consent and gives insight into behaviors that cannot be ethically studied directly.
What is another strength of content analysis?
Strength: Content analysis is flexible, as it can produce both qualitative and quantitative data depending on the aims of the research. This means it can provide rich insights or summaries as needed.
What is one limitation of content analysis?
Content analysis is limited to the material available, which may not reflect the true representation of behaviors or attitudes. For example, newspapers may overemphasize sensationalist stories, leading to biased conclusions.
What is another limitation of content analysis?
Content analysis may lack reflexivity as researchers may misinterpret the motivations behind communication. This limits the validity of the findings as original intent cannot be clarified with the creators.
