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Case Study by Maya 10A : - Coggle Diagram
Case Study by Maya 10A :
Limitations
The volume of data, together with the time restrictions in place, may impact the depth of analysis that was possible within the available resources.
The findings from the case study might be hard to replicate as the research may include methodological pluralism thus this decreases the reliability of the results.
Case studies are based on the analysis of qualitative data hence significantly depending on the interpretation of the sociologist of the information they have acquired. Thus, there is scope for observer bias and hence allowing the subjective perspective of the researcher to hinder the assessment of the data.
Case studies are often time-consuming and expensive as it requires a lot of resources and skillsets to conduct a research that would have a significant number of respondents.
As a case study deals with only one person/phenomena/group, it can be questioned whether the case study investigated is representative of the wider body of "similar" instances or not. Thus, the conclusions drawn from a particular case may not be transferable to other settings.
Strengths
Because of their in-depth, multi-sided approach case studies often shed light on aspects of human thinking and behavior that would be unethical or impractical to study in other ways.
Case studies allow different aspects of the case being studied to be explored using appropriate methods thus allowing the possibilities for wider conclusions to be drawn
The use of triangulation and a multiple case study approach provides a richness of information which, upon analysis within and across cases, thus allowing a correlation to be drawn. Using this research approach maximizes the depth of information and increases the transferability of the findings to allow for the development of a conceptual model, and a definite evaluation of the research.
Case studies allow a researcher to investigate a topic in far more detail than might be possible if they were trying to deal with a large number of research participants (quantitative approach) with the aim of generalizing.
Case studies can produce findings that can be tested by other research elsewhere thus proving/disproving the results of the study and hence increasing/decreasing the validity and accuracy of the findings.
What is a case study?
The three main types of case study are intrinsic, instrumental and collective. An intrinsic case study is typically undertaken to learn about a unique phenomenon. In contrast, the instrumental case study uses a particular case to gain a broader appreciation of an issue or phenomenon. The collective case study involves studying multiple cases simultaneously in an attempt to generate a still broader appreciation of a particular issue.
A case study is typically used when a researcher wants to identify research questions and methods of study for a large, complex study. They are useful for clarifying the research process, which can help a researcher make the best use of time and resources in the larger study that will follow it.
A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing, comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem.
They can help us generate new ideas. They are an important way of illustrating theories and can help show how different aspects of a person's life are related to each other.
It is where sociologists investigate in great detail a particular individual or group, as opposed to trying to gather a representative sample from the target population. Normally a case study will feature methodological pluralism (using a range of research methods to achieve triangulation) and they are often longitudinal studies (the researcher regularly revisiting the case over a long period of time).
The purpose of a researcher's case study is to experiment between theories or come up with new theories. Researchers are able to develop a hypothesis and go into detail through their research and experimenting when processing through the case study type of their choice.
Social, emotional & ethical issues
Emotional issues: As case studies are often in-depth and may explore sensitive or controversial issues within a community, researchers may have to probe into the participant's responses which might cause harm or distress to their emotional and psychological well-being.
Social issues: Social issues can range anywhere from selective process of choosing a sampling group to the discrimination against certain groups in society.
Ethical issues: Ethical issues surrounding case studies range from data acquisition, health and safety concerns, researcher bias, conflict of interest etc