HROD 5003, Epistemology and

Inquiry in HROD: Why, What, an

d How of Research
Gary N. McLean
McLean Global Consulting, Inc.
gary.mclean@mcleanglobal.com
Dawisa (Oui) Sritanyarat
NIDA
Dawisa.s@gmail.com

NIDA PhD Program

Day 7 - pm
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Other Forms of Research
Case Study/Studies

Historical (Case study)

Documentary Analysis

Mixed Methods

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 Case Study
Modern case study research has
antecedents in anthropology, sociology, an
d psychology
By the 1980s, Stake (1988), Yin (1984),
Merriam (1988) were writing about case st
udy research as a methodology
Qualitative case studies share with other
forms of qualitative research: the search fo
r meaning and understanding

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Case Study Defined (Merriam, 2009)
A case study is an in-depth description and
analysis of a bounded system (Merriam,
2009, p. 40).
the single, most defining characteristic of
case study research lies in delimiting the obj
ect of study, the case (Merriam, 2009, p. 40
).
If the phenomenon you are interested in
studying is not intrinsically bounded, it is not a
case (Merriam, 2009, p. 40).
What
epistemology?
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Case Study Defined (Yin, 1994)

An empirical inquiry that

Investigates a contemporary

phenomenon within its real-life context, es

pecially when
The boundaries between phenomenon

and context are not clearly evident. (Yin,1

994: 13)
What
epistemology?
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Case Study Defined (Gray, 2004)
Case studies explores subjects and issues
where relationships may be ambiguous or u
ncertain. But, in contrast to methods such a
s descriptive surveys, case studies are also t
rying to attribute causal relationships and a
re not just describing a situation (Gray, 2004)

What
epistemology?
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Special Features
(Merriam, 2009, PP. 43-44)
Qualitative case studies can be
characterized as being particularistic, descr
iptive, and heuristic:

Particularistic: the case studies focus on a

particular situation, event, program, or phen
omenon

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 Descriptive: the end product of a case
study is a rich, thick description of the phe
nomenon under study

Heuristic: case studies illuminate the

readers understanding of the phenomeno
n under study

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When Should We Use Case Studies?
The case study is ideal when a How or Why
question is being asked about a contemporar
y set of events over which the researcher ha
s no control

How an aging workforce affected the

business?
How the drug intake methods affected
addicted?

(Yin, 1994) 9
When Should We Use Case Studies?
(cont)
The case with up-to-date information and
various sources of data (contemporary doc
umentation, direct observation, and system
atic interviews)
The study can be multiple cases of the
same issue or phenomenon and be able to
generalize

(Yin, 1994) 10
 Deductive or Inductive Case Study?
A case study can be purely inductive or exploratory,
starting from no theoretical position (pure grounded theo
ry)

Prior theory
used in data
collection and
Analysis

No. of cases

Or, it can be an deductive or confirmatory approach.

The first case study could be a theoretically pilot case for
data collection and analysis for all the remaining studies.

(Perry, 1998) 11
 Multiple Case Studies Method (Yin, 1994)
Define and Design Prepare, Collect and Analyze Analyze and
Conclusions
Conduct Draw cross-
first case case
Select study conclusions
cases
Modify
Develop
Conduct theory
theory Write
second
individual
Design case study
case Develop
data study policy
collection report implications
tools and Conduct
protocol remaining
case Write cross-
studies case report

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Components of Case Study Research
Design (Not for Qualitative Case Studies)
(Ellinger, Watkins, & Marsick, 2005, pp.333-334)
Identifying the problem, purpose, and research
questions
Using the literature
Selecting and bounding the case
Designing the study
Validity and reliability
Collecting the data
Analyzing the data Integrating the study findings
Interpreting findings
Drawing conclusions
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Quality in Case Studies
(Not Qualitative Case Studies)
Construct validity
Internal validity (only for causal case studies)
External validity
Reliability

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Case Study Sources of Evidence

1. Documentation
2. Archival records
3. Interviews
4. Direct observation
5. Participant observation
6. Physical artifacts

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CS Evidences: Strengths and Weaknesses
Sources Strengths Weaknesses/Risks
Documentation . Stable, unobtrusive, exact, . Access, problems of
. broad coverage confidentiality
. Reporting biases
Archival records . Precise and quantification . Same as Doc.

Interviews . Targeted and insightful . Biases due to poorly constructed

questions
. Response biases
. Inaccuracies (poor recall)

Direct . Reality . Time-consuming and costly

observation . Contextual . Narrow focus
. Reflexivity
Participant . Insightful into . Investigator biases
observation interpersonal behaviors
and motives
Physical artifacts . Insightful into cultural . Selectivity (idiosyncratic choices)
features and technical . availability
operations
kowit kangsanan 13-10-11 16
Strengths and Limitations of
Qualitative Case Studies (Merria
m, 2009, PP. 50-52)
Strengths Limitations

o Reliability, validity, and

The predictive nature of
generalizability.
the research findings o They are limited by the
Means of investigating sensitivity and integrity of th
complex social units e investigator
Rich and holistic account o unusual problems of ethics
of a phenomenon (Guba & Lincoln, 1981).
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Historical (Bogdan & Biklen, 2007,
as cited in Merriam, 2009)
Historical case study is a type of qualitative
case study

Historical organizational case study is a

study of the development of a particular org
anization over time

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 The key to historical case studies is the notion
of investigating the phenomenon over a period
of time

The researcher presents a holistic description

and analysis of a specific phenomenon (the ca
se) but presents it from an historical perspectiv
e

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 Historical research is essentially
descriptive, and elements of historical rese
arch and case study often merge. Yin (200
8) discussed the two approaches:
Histories are the preferred strategy
when there is virtually no access or co
ntrol
The case study is preferred in
examining contemporary events, but w
hen the relevant behaviors cannot be
manipulated

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Document Analysis
(Merriam, 2009)
Documents are usually produced for
reasons other than the research at hand an
d therefore are not subject to the same limit
ations as interviewing and observing.

Documents are a ready-made source of

data easily accessible to the imaginative a
nd resourceful investigator.

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Types of Documents (Merriam,
2009)
Official records Historical accounts
Letters Diaries
Newspaper accounts Autobiographies
Poems Photographs
Songs Film
Corporaterecords Videos
Government Online documents
documents
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 Public records and personal documents
are two common types of documents used i
n qualitative research.
A third type is what Bogdan and Biklen
(2007) call popular culture documents.
A fourth type: visual documents, includes
films, videos, and photography.

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Using Documents (Merriam, 2009,
P. 150-153)
Using documentary material as data is not
much different from using interviews and obse
rvations.
The data collection is guided by questions,

educated hunches, and emerging findings.

Finding relevant materials is the first step in

the process. Once documents have been loca

ted, their authenticity must be assessed. Next,
the researcher must adopt some system for c
oding and cataloguing them.
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Strengths and Limitations of
Documents (Merriam, 2009, Pp. 153-154)
Strengths Limitations
They may be
Easily accessible, incomplete
free, and save The information they
time and effort to
offer may not be in a f
the investigator
Stability, they are orm that is useful
Determining their
objective sources
of data compared authenticity and
to other forms. accuracy
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Mixed Methods Defined

Mixed methods research is a research

design for collecting, analyzing, and mixin
g both qualitative and quantitative data in
a single study or series of studies in order
to better understand research problems (
Creswell, 2003)

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Mixed Methods Defined
Mixed methods social inquiry is to invite
multiple mental models into the same inqu
iry space for purposes of respectful conve
rsation, dialogue, and learning one from ot
her, toward a collective generation of bett
er understanding of the phenomenon bein
g studies (Greene, 2007: 13)

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Mixed Methods Defined
Mixed methods social inquiry involves a
plurality of philosophical paradigms, theor
etical assumptions, methodological traditi
ons, data gathering and analysis techniqu
es, and personalized understandings and
value commitments (Greene, 2007: 13)

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Mixed Methods Defined
Some have argued that a mixed methods
approach is inherently contradictory as th
ey are based on different paradigms for c
ollecting the data,

Othershave argued that mixed methods

should be split into two studies, keeping th
e paradigms pure.

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Theoretical Background of Mixed
Research
Cook (1985)s vision of post-positivist
critical multiplism (theory of multiplism)
The fundamental postulate of multiplism
is that when it is not clear which of several
options for question generation or method
choice is correct, all of them should be sel
ected as to triangulate on the most useful
or the most likely to be true (p.38)

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Theoretical Background of Mixed
Research
Multiplistic conceptualization of social
and knowledge

The practice of multiple operationalism

(Campbell & Fiske, 1959; Webb, Campbell,
Schwartz & Sechrest, 1966) to cover 10 di
mensions of social inquiry.

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Dimensions of Mixed Research
Social Inquiry
1. Measure important constructs in multiple ways
(multiple operationalism) and multiple types of c
onstructs
2. Use multiple methods in research (including
quantitative and qualitative methods
3. Plan multiple interconnected studies in research
programs
4. Synthesize multiple studies conducted outside
planned research programs (literature reviews o
r meta-analysis)
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Dimensions of Mixed Research
Social Inquiry
5. Construct complex multivariate causal
models, instead of simple univariate ones
6. Competitively test multiple models and
multiple rival hypotheses
7. Use multiple stakeholders to formulate
research questions
8. Use multiple theoretical and value
frameworks to interpret research questions a
nd findings

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Dimensions of Mixed Research
Social Inquiry
9. Use multiple analyses and analysts to
examine datasets
10. Implement multi-targeted research that
probes many different issues in a single st
udy
(Greene, 2007: 22-23)

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Purposes for Mixed Methods
Research
1. Purposes of Triangulation
2. Purposes of Complementarity
3. Purposes of Development
4. Purposes of Initiation
5. Purposes of Expansion

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Dimensions of Differences in
Mixed Methods Design
1. Paradigms
2. Phenomena
3. Methods
4. Status: central role of quantitative and
qualitative methods
5. Implementation: independence and
timing
6. Study: categorical, one study, or more
than one study

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A Typology of Mixed Methods
Research Designs
1. Sequential exploratory design
2. Sequential explanatory design
3. Sequential transformative design
4. Concurrent triangulation design
5. Concurrent nested design
6. Concurrent transformative design
(Creswell, 2002)

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Major Unresolved Issues and
Controversies in the Mixed Research M
ethods Field
1. The nomenclature and basic definitions
used in the mixed methods research
2. The utility and purposes of MMR
3. The paradigmatic foundations for MMR
4. Design issues
5. Issues in drawing inferences
6. The logistics of conducting MMR
(Teddlie and Tarshakkori, 2003)

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References
Creswell, I. W. (2003). Research design:
Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed
methods approaches (2nd Ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ellinger, A. D., Watkins, W. E., & Marsick, V. J.
(2005). Case study research methods. In
R. A. Swanson & E. F. Holton III (Eds.),
Research in organizations: Foundations
and methods of inquiry (pp. 327-350).
San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.
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Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research:
A guide to design and implementation.
San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Gray, D.E. (2004) Doing Research in The
Real World. London: Sage.
Greene, J.C. (2007) Mixed Methods in
Social Inquiry. San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Yin, R.K. (1994) Case Study Research:
Design and Methods (2nd Ed.). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.

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