Case Studies as a Strategy of Inquiry
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NRI 7360 QUALITATIVE FIELD METHODS
STRATEGY OF INQUIRY – CASE STUDY Alex Zachariah
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA NATURAL RESOURCE INSTITUTE Qualitative research provides an in-depth understanding of the experiences, perspectives and histories of people within the context of their own setting or circumstances (Spencer et al, 2003). Qualitative research is an arena to explore and understand individuals or communities, social situation, event or role. It is a process by which the researcher investigates and understands a particular phenomenon and in most of the cases it could be a social phenomenon by comparing, contrasting, recording and classifying the object of study. According to Creswell (2003), Qualitative Research is concerned with process rather than the outcomes. It takes place in a natural setting as the researcher goes to the site and understands the life of the individual or the community in depth in their own natural social settings. He acknowledges that in qualitative research the researcher is the primary instrument for data collection. And it uses various interactive and humanistic data collection methods. The most important feature of qualitative research, which could be its strength as well as a weakness is that it is emergent. One notes and makes changes in their research and questions as the researcher get a better understanding of the social aspects in the field. Social scientists identify a number of approaches to do qualitative research like ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenological research and case study (Creswell, 2003).
Case Study as a Strategy of Inquiry
My research in Thailand is going to be an opportunity to study more about the Pred Nai Community in the Trat province of Thailand. This is a community, which won the
NRI 7360 QUALITATIVE FIELD METHODS
STRATEGY OF INQUIRY – CASE STUDY Alex Zachariah
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA NATURAL RESOURCE INSTITUTE Qualitative research provides an in-depth understanding of the experiences, perspectives and histories of people within the context of their own setting or circumstances (Spencer et al, 2003). Qualitative research is an arena to explore and understand individuals or communities, social situation, event or role. It is a process by which the researcher investigates and understands a particular phenomenon and in most of the cases it could be a social phenomenon by comparing, contrasting, recording and classifying the object of study. According to Creswell (2003), Qualitative Research is concerned with process rather than the outcomes. It takes place in a natural setting as the researcher goes to the site and understands the life of the individual or the community in depth in their own natural social settings. He acknowledges that in qualitative research the researcher is the primary instrument for data collection. And it uses various interactive and humanistic data collection methods. The most important feature of qualitative research, which could be its strength as well as a weakness is that it is emergent. One notes and makes changes in their research and questions as the researcher get a better understanding of the social aspects in the field. Social scientists identify a number of approaches to do qualitative research like ethnography, grounded theory, phenomenological research and case study (Creswell, 2003).
Case Study as a Strategy of Inquiry
My research in Thailand is going to be an opportunity to study more about the Pred Nai Community in the Trat province of Thailand. This is a community, which won the
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