Y13 RESEARCH METHODS - case studies and content analysis Flashcards
what are case studies?
in depth analysis of an individual, group or event
what kind of data does case study usually produce?
qualitative data
how do researchers construct a case study?
- construct a case history
by using interviews, observations, questionnaires or a combination of all of them
what does longitudinal mean?
case studies that tend to take over a long period of time
When doing a case study is it focused just on the individual of interest?
No, additional data can be gathered from family and friends of the individual
Strengths of a case study:
Rich, detailed insight on unusual or atypical forms of behaviours
Help contribute to ‘normal’ functions
May generate future hypothesis
Limitations of a case study:
- External validity lacking = low generalisation due to low samples
- info made onto final report is based on subjective selection and interpretation of the researcher
What is content analysis?
Research technique that enables the indirect study of behaviour by examining communications that people produce
What are examples of content analysis?
Text, emails, TV, film and other media
What is coding in content analysis?
Communication to be studied is analysed by identifying each instance of the chosen categories
What is thematic analysis?
Inductive and qualitative approach to analysis that identifies implicit or explicit ideas within the data
When do themes emerge in analysis?
After data has been coded
When may coding occur?
When the data sets are extremely large so need to categorise into meaningful units
What is a theme in content analysis?
Any idea which is recurrent
Coding or thematic analysis is more likely to be descriptive?
Thematic analysis
What happens if the researcher is satisfied with the themes and how they cover aspects?
May collect a new set of data to test validity of themes and categories
What do researchers do when new sets of data fit old set of data?
Research writes up final report
- Tend to use direct quotes to show theme
What kind of data is produced by coding in content analysis?
quantitative data
What kind of data is produced by thematic analysis in content analysis?
qualitative data
Strengths of content analysis:
Reduced ethical issues as research studying already exists in public domain
Produce quantitative or qualitative data
quantitative data = statistical testing can be carried out to test for significance
reliability can be tested for
Limitations of content analysis:
A
Studied indirectly so outside of context so opinions and motivations may have been distorted
Lack of objectivity as categories are decided by researcher = bringing possible subjectivity to research
bias may threaten validity of findings
