The Disadvantages Of Using Qualitative Interviewing

Case studies are one of the first types of research to be used in the qualitative methodology and repeating the study several times will lead to the increased reliability of the study (Starman, 2013). This methodology is appropriate because it will allow for data collection results to be generalized based on the theoretical propositions and not the population (Harrison et al. 2017).

Disadvantages of a case study involve having a difficult definite conclusion to the hypothesis since there is no right or wrong answer. Also not all case studies are scientific, for example, Freud’s study of Anna O, and her problem with hysteria. This case is not scientific and is not capable of generalization. Case studies involve observations of a subject under research but the researcher may miss issues entirely due to inappropriate data collected.

A case study is “a method of analysis and a specific research design for examining a problem” (University of Southern California, 2010). It can be used to analyze a person, place, event, or other subjects in order to help discover mitigating issues, misconceptions, failures, trends, or recommendations (USC, 2010). Case studies will be used to gain a better understanding of situations and topics to help others make better policies, procedures, and decisions (USC, 2010).

Qualitative data is not numerical and is more likely to take the form of observations or interviews. Obviously, it is very difficult to perform any statistical analysis on this kind of data. A further problem is that another researcher cannot replicate this data and therefore it is difficult to check the validity of what has been written. Researchers using this kind of data must be careful to avoid subjectivity, that is, they must avoid letting their personal beliefs or preferences affect the way they record and interpret the data. The advantage of this form of data collection is that it allows the researcher to answer open-ended questions; consequently, it is more flexible. Qualitative data also provides opportunities to explain the context of an observation and can therefore present a fuller picture (OU, 2001).

There are three basic methods a researchers uses to conduct research. The first method is the observational method which is when behavior is closely observed. Now there are two different categories when it comes to the observational method- naturalistic observation and laboratory observation. When doing naturalistic observation the researcher views the participants in their natural environment. Now when doing laboratory observations the participants are viewed in a lab. Researchers have more control in a laboratory. Laboratory observations are more meaningful than those obtained with naturalistic observations. The second method is the case study method which involves an in-depth study of an individual or a group of individuals. When doing the case study method it allows the researchers to investigate a topic in way more detail than might be possible if they were trying to work with a large number of research participants. The last method that researchers use is the survey method. When using the survey method questions are administered through interviews or questionnaires. 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.

A case method is a documented study of a situation that transpires in real life or it can be about a fictional situation, which is used as teaching or learning tool in business schools and firms. These studies allow students evaluate cases and provide their own interpretations on potential solutions for the provided business scenario. Furthermore, the case method can also be described as something that gives you a detailed explanation of a company, industry, person, or project over a given period of time. Within the explanation, information about the company’s objectives, strategies, challenges, results, recommendations and more can be found. This also poses as a great way to promote interaction between students and

The researcher uses case study to prove their theory is correct and therefore, may be more likely to use a wide scope to interpret the data. The researcher must be

Case studies allow the least amount of control while conducting research.  This lack of control is considered to be one of the lowest forms on the scale of conducting a case study.  Case studies also involve only one person at a time without comparison to another group.  Because of how a case study is set up, it is difficult to compare the results from a

Research questions in case study design begin with ‘how and why’ (Yin, 2003) and determine the type of case study. The main function of the questions is to keep the researcher focused and on track (Zucker, 2001).The following questions fit the planned instrumental, and exploratory/descriptive single case study design:

This section of the article shall address the approach used in the case study, providing explanations of the preferred research method, sample details, variables under examination, data collection

Researchers have a variety of methods they use to conduct their research. Some of these methods include action research, ethnography and case studies. Of these methods, case studies can be viewed as valuable way to collect data. A case study can be defined in a variety of ways; however, it can be summarized as a form of qualitative research that aims to systematically study the function of a social group, individual or social event in order to effectively grasp the functions of the phenomena using a variety of data-gathering methods (Berg & Lune, 2016). The aim of this paper is to determine how and why researchers may use a case study, by conducting a deeper analysis of this research method. This will be achieved by examining the

A case study is a specific instance that is frequently designed to illustrate a more general principle (Nisbet and Watt, 1984). Hitchock and Hughes (1995) further suggest that the case study approach is particularly valuable when the researcher has little control over evens. Case studies strives to portray ‘what it like’ to be a particular situation, to catch up reality and ‘thick description’ (Geertz, 1973) of participants’ lives experiences of, thoughts about and feelings for a situation. They involve looking at a case or phenomenon in its real-life context, usually employing many types of data (Robson, 2002). It is important in case studies for events and situations to be allowed to speak for themselves, rather than to be largely interpreted, evaluated or judged by the researcher. In this respect the case study is akin to the television documentary. Case studies can make theoretical statements, but, like other forms of research and human sciences, these must be supported by the evidence presented.

A case study involves in-depth research and documentation of one person or more than one person. Researchers gain a large insight into the case when it’s not as many people compared to surveys, which is one of its strengths. The advantages of a case study are a deeper understanding of the patient, and the researcher doesn’t ‘t have to do anything against his or her ethics. The disadvantages of a case study are time consumption, and it’s hard to generalize since case studies are usually unique cases unlike anything else. Case studies, surveys, and naturalistic observations are all descriptive research methods, since they cannot make predictions or determine causality.

Case study does not necessarily rely on a single source of data, but usually case study research have multiple sources of data that includes but not limited to direct observation, interview, archival records, documents, participant observation and analysis of physical artifacts (Yin, 1984). Regardless of the nature of the data source, the data can include both qualitative and quantitative data i.e. qualitative data include the non-numerical data for example the data collected via interviews, similarly the qualitative data is the numerical data that includes the information based on the intervals, number or ratios. The focal point of the case study research is not the data

The methodology used to discuss and analyze the given topic would be Case study, which will act as a primary source of data. Yin (2003) recommended the use of case-study protocol as part of a carefully designed research project. He also added that case studies can be either single or multiple-case designs. Single cases are used to confirm or challenge a theory, or to represent a unique or extreme case. Uma Sekaran (2003) supports the justification for this methodology according to whom, case studies involve in-depth and background analyses of relatively similar situations within one environment and compare that of other. She also commented that case studies provide more of qualitative data rather than quantitative data.