preview

Strengths And Weaknesss Of Case Studies

Decent Essays

X. DATA ANALYSIS
As the information is collected, researchers strive to make sense of their data. Generally, researchers interpret their data in one of two ways: holistically or through coding. Holistic analysis does not attempt to break the evidence into parts, but rather to draw conclusions based on the text as a whole. Flower and Hayes (1981), for example, make inferences from entire sections of their students' protocols, rather than searching through the transcripts to look for isolatable characteristics.
However, composition researchers commonly interpret their data by coding that is by systematically searching data to identify and/or categorize specific observable actions or characteristics. These observable actions then become the key …show more content…

In this section, we comment on two key issues. To read the commentaries, choose any of the items below:
10.3. Strengths and Weaknesses of Case Studies
Most case study advocates point out that case studies produce much more detailed information than what is available through a statistical analysis. Advocates will also hold that while statistical methods might be able to deal with situations where behavior is homogeneous and routine, case studies are needed to deal with creativity, innovation, and context. Detractors argue that case studies are difficult to generalize because of inherent subjectivity and because they are based on qualitative subjective data, generalizable only to a particular context.
10.3.1Strengths Flexibility
The case study has the potential to engage participant in the research process. This is both a political and epistemological points. It singles a potential shift in the power base of who controls knowledge and recognizes the importance of co-construction perceived reality through the relationship and joint understandings we create in the field. It also provides an opportunity for researchers to take a self reflexive approach to understanding the case and

Get Access