A GREAT article on methods and methodology, which I have had in the ‘to read’ pile finally got read during a park-walk
Hyett, N. and Dickson-Swift, V. 2014. Methodology or method? A critical review of Qualitative case study reports. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being.
There is SO MUCH good stuff in this.
There are two popular case study approaches in qualitative research. The first, proposed by Stake (1995) and Merriam (2009), is situated in a social constructivist paradigm, whereas the second, by Yin (2012), Flyvbjerg (2011), and Eisenhardt (1989), approaches case study from a post-positivist viewpoint. Scholarship from both schools of inquiry has contributed to the popularity of case study and development of theoretical frameworks and principles that characterize the methodology.
(Hyett, and Dickson-Swift, 2014: unpaginated)
and
Qualitative case study research is a pliable approach (Merriam, 2009; Meyer, 2001; Stake, 1995), and has been likened to a ‘‘curious methodological limbo’’ (Gerring, 2004, p. 341) or ‘‘paradigmatic bridge’’ (Luck et al., 2006, p. 104), that is on the borderline between postpositivist and constructionist interpretations. This has resulted in inconsistency in application, which indicates that flexibility comes with limitations (Meyer, 2001), and the open nature of case study research might be off-putting to novice researchers (Thomas, 2011).
(Hyett, and Dickson-Swift, 2014: unpaginated)
and
Qualitative case study research is a pliable approach (Merriam, 2009; Meyer, 2001; Stake, 1995), and has been likened to a ‘‘curious methodological limbo’’ (Gerring, 2004, p. 341) or ‘‘paradigmatic bridge’’ (Luck et al., 2006, p. 104), that is on the borderline between postpositivist and constructionist interpretations. This has resulted in inconsistency in application, which indicates that flexibility comes with limitations (Meyer, 2001), and the open nature of case study research might be off-putting to novice researchers (Thomas, 2011).
(Hyett, and Dickson-Swift, 2014: unpaginated)
Any more and I will get done for copyright. But this is a corker of an article.
Oh, go on, one last thing – a checklist they’ve put together.
