RESEARCH DESIGN: BASIC INTERPRETIVE AND CASE STUDIES

A. BASIC INTERPRETIVE
Merriam (2009) describes a basic qualitative research study as having been derived
philosophically from constructionism, phenomenology, and symbolic interaction and as
being used by researchers who are interested in "(1) how people interpret their experiences,
(2) how they construct their worlds, and (3) what meaning they attribute to their experiences.
The overall purpose is to understand how people make sense of their lives and their
experiences".1
Basic qualitative studies, also called basic interpretative studies by some, provide
rich descriptive accounts targeted to understanding a phenomenon, a process, or a particular
point of view from the perspective of those involved. The underlying question the researcher
is asking is “How are events, processes, and activities perceived by participants?” With roots
in the social sciences, these basic studies may use a variety of techniques for collecting data,
with analysis focused on identifying recurrent themes or patterns.
Basic interpretive studies are more simplistic compared to other qualitative
approaches. They are not restricted to a particular phenomenon as in case studies. They do
not seek to explain sociocultural aspects as in ethnography. They do not seek to enter the
subject’s conceptual world to explain the “essence” as in phenomenology. They do not seek
to defi ne theory as in grounded theory research. They do not convey life stories through
narrative analysis, delve into history, or focus on analyzing content. These studies are, as the
name implies, basic. They describe and attempt to interpret experience.2
A basic qualitative research design will attempt to uncover:
 The participants’ experiences
 The meaning the participant ascribes to those experiences, or
 A process (e.g., How have 12 school leaders transformed their schools from low achieving
schools to high achieving schools?)3

1
Merriam, Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, (2009), 23.
2
Donald Ary, Introduction to Research in Education 8th edition. Canada: United States of America, (2010), 453.
3
M. Worthington,
http://a1149861.sites.myregisteredsite.com/DifferencesBetweenPhenomenologicalResearchAndBasicQualitativeRe
searchDesign.pdf.
 These studies are the most common qualitative studies and are used in a variety of
disciplines, including education. They may use a variety of data collection techniques,
including interviews and observations as well as review documents, and they may draw from
diverse theoretical orientations. Data analysis typically involves categorization and
development of patterns or themes, interpreted by the researcher through his or her own
disciplinary lens. Often, these studies may be shorter in duration than some of the other
qualitative forms, with the researcher not as fully involved in the context. To reiterate, the
basic goal of interpretive studies is to understand the meaning people make of their
experiences, assuming that people create their own meanings as they interact with the world
around them. The researcher starts from a frame of knowledge as a social construction.
Many beginning qualitative researchers conduct basic interpretive studies. Such
questions as “How did teachers feel about the new curriculum?” or “What instructional
strategies do students think are engaging and why?” might be answered in a basic qualitative
study using interviewing or focus group techniques. For example, a researcher might
interview students at various high school grade levels about their experiences in the
classroom to try and understand their perceptions on instructional techniques. By searching
for themes and patterns in the data, the researcher could attempt to answer the question about
which strategies appear to engage the students. Or the researcher could videotape or conduct
in-person observations of high school classrooms to answer this question.
Basic studies use the most common analysis techniques in qualitative research—
coding and looking for recurring themes. Other qualitative approaches are rooted in specifi c
traditions that infl uence the questions asked, the data collection process, the analysis
approach, and how data are interpreted.4

B. CASE STUDIES
a. DEFINITION
Case study methods involve systematically gathering enough information about a
particular person, social setting, event, or group to permit the researcher to effectively
understand how it operates or functions. Case studies may focus on an individual, a
group, or an entire community and may utilize a number of data technologies such as

4
Donald Ary, Introduction to Research in Education 8th edition. Canada: United States of America, (2010), 453-454.
 life histories, documents, oral histories, in-depth interviews, and participant observation.
Given the scope of the method, case studies can be rather pointed in their focus, or
approach a broad view of life and society. For example, the investigator might attempt to
assess the social life of an individual and their entire background, experiences, roles, and
motivations that affect his or her behavior in society. 5

b. CASE STUDY DESIGN TYPES

a) Exploratory Case Studies
When conducting exploratory case studies, fieldwork and data collection may
be undertaken before defining a research question. This type of study may be seen as
a prelude to a large social scientific study. Nonetheless, the study must have some
type of organizational framework that has been designed prior to beginning the
research.
b) Explanatory Case Studies
Explanatory case studies are useful when conducting causal studies. Particularly
in complex studies of organizations or communities, one might desire to employ
multivariate cases to examine a plurality of influences. This might be accomplished
using a pattern-matching technique suggested by Yin and Moore (1988). Pattern-
matching is a situation where several pieces of information from the same case may
be related to some theoretical proposition.
c) Descriptive Case Studies
Descriptive case explorations require that the investigator present a descriptive
theory, which establishes the overall framework for the investigator to follow
throughout the study. What is implied by this approach is the formation and
identification of a theoretical orientation before enunciating research questions. The
investigator must also determine before beginning the research exactly what the unit
of analysis in the study will be. The unit of analysis defines what the case study is

5
Bruce L. Berg, Qualitative research methods for the social sciences . California, California State University:
Long Beach, (2000), 225.
 focusing on (what the case is), such as an individual, a group, an organization, a city,
and so forth. 6

c. MAJOR DESIGN OF CASE STUDY

a) The Individual Case Study
When examining an individual case study, a similar type of assessment must be
undertaken. In some instances, a single lengthy interview may yield sufficient information
to produce answers to the research question(s). In other circumstances, several interviews
may be necessary, and these may require supplementation by field notes during direct
observation, copies of journal or diary entries from the subject, or other forms of
documentation.7 In order to get the data of individual case study, the researcher use
interview or personal documents of the subject. Example:
b) Case Studies Of Communities
Case studies of communities can be defined as the systematic gathering of enough
information about a particular community to provide the investigator with understanding
and awareness of what things go on in that community; why and how these things occur;
who among the community members take part in these activities and behaviors, and what
social forces may bind together members of this community. Community case studies
may be very general in their focus, or may specifically focus on some particular aspect of
the community, or even some phenomenon that occurs within that community. For
example, you may consider a community in general, such as examining an Amish farming
community. In such an investigation, you may be interested in the various daily routines
of members as well as their social interactions. On the other hand, you may be interested
in a particular phenomenon occurring within the Amish community. For instance, you
may be interested in how social control mechanisms operate in the community.
c) Case Studies Of Organizations
Case studies of organizations may be defined as the systematic gathering of
enough information about a particular organization to allow the investigator insight into

6
Bruce L. Berg, Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. California, California State
University: Long Beach, (2000), 230.
7
Bruce L. Berg, Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. California, California State
University: Long Beach, (2000), 226.
 the life of that organization. For example, you might conduct an organizational case study
on a police department. During this investigation you may examine how the agency
operates, and how each subunit fits together and serves the overall objectives of the
organization.8

d. STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF CASE STUDY

Nisbet and Watt’s (1984) explain about some strengths and weaknesses of case study.
Strengths
1. The results are more easily understood by wide audience (including non- academics) as
they are frequently written in everyday, non-professional language.
2. They are immediately intelligible; they speak for themselves.
3. They catch unique features that may otherwise be lost in larger scale data (e.g. surveys);
these unique features might hold the key to understanding the situation.
4. They are strong on reality.
5. They provide insights into other, similar situations and cases, thereby assisting
interpretation of other similar cases.
6. They can be undertaken by a single researcher without needing a full research team.
7. They can embrace and build in unanticipated events and uncontrolled variables.
Weaknesses
1. They results may not be generalizable except where other readers/ researchers see their
application.
2. They are not easily open to cross-checking, hence they may be selective, biased, personal
and subjective.
3. They are prone to problem of observer bias, despite attempts made to address reflexivity. 9

REFERENCES

Bruce L. Berg. Qualitative research methods for the social sciences, California State University:
Long Beach, 2000.

Couhen Louis. Research Method in Education, London: Routledge, 2000.

8
Bruce L. Berg, Qualitative research methods for the social sciences. California, California State
University: Long Beach, (2000), 233-234.
9
Couhen Louis, Research Method in Education London: Routledge, (2000), 184.
Donald Ary. Introduction to Research in Education 8th edition, Canada: United States of
America, 2010.

Merriam. Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation, San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass, 2009.

M. Worthington,
http://a1149861.sites.myregisteredsite.com/DifferencesBetweenPhenomenologicalResearchAndB
asicQualitativeResearchDesign.pdf.

Statement!
1. A basic qualitative research study as having been derived philosophically from
constructionism. (T)
2. Basic interpretive studies is simplistic compared to other qualitative approaches.(F)
3. Basic interpretive studies is seek to enter the subject’s conceptual world to explain the
“essence” as in phenomenoslogy.(F)
4. Basic interpretive studies are not restricted to a particular phenomenon as in case studies. (T)
5. A basic qualitative research design will attempt to the participants’ experiences. (T)
6. Data analysis typically involves categorization and development of patterns or themes,
interpreted by the researcher through his or her own disciplinary lens.(T)
7. The researcher starts from a frame of knowledge as a social construction.(T)
8. Basic studies do not use the most common analysis techniques in qualitative
research—coding and looking for recurring themes. (F)
9. Case studies may focus on an individual, a group, or an entire community and may utilize a
number of data technologies such as life histories. (T)
10. Case studies cannot be rather pointed in their focus, or approach a broad view of life and
society. (F)
11. Exploratory case studies, fieldwork and data collection may be undertaken before defining a
research question. (T)
12. Descriptive case explorations require that the investigator present a descriptive theory, which
establishes the overall framework for the investigator to follow throughout the study.(T)
13. In order to get the data of individual case study, the researcher do not use interview or
personal documents of the subject. (F)
14. Examining an individual case study, a not similar type of assessment must be undertaken. (F)
15. One of the strength of case study is the results are more easily understood by wide audience
(including non- academics) . (T)