What are the assumptions of Case Study Method? Explain the Sampling process.
Case study is a method of exploring and analyzing the life of a social unit or entity, be it a person, a family, an institution or a community.
Assumptions of case study are -
1) Case study would depend upon wit, commonsense and imagination of the person doing the case study. The investigator makes up his procedure as he goes along.
2) If the life history has been written in the first person, it must be as complete and coherent as possible.
3) Life histories should have been written for knowledgeable persons.
4) It is advisable to supplement case data by observational, statistical and historical data since these provide standards for assessing the reliability and consistency of the
case material.
5) Efforts should be made to ascertain the reliability of life history data through examining the internal consistency of the material.
6) A judicious combination of techniques of data collection is a prerequisite for securing data that are culturally meaningful and scientifically significant.
Sampling Procedure
The decision process of sampling is complicated one. The researcher has to first identify the limiting factor or factors and must judiciously balance the conflicting factors. The various criteria governing the choice of the sampling technique:
1. Purpose of the Survey:
What does the researcher aim at? The choice of a particular type of probability sampling depends on the geographical area of the survey and the size and the nature of the population under study.
2. Measurability:
The application of statistical inference theory requires computation of the sampling error from the sample itself.
3. Degree of Precision:
Should the results of the survey be very precise, or even rough results could serve the purpose? The desired level of precision as one of the criteria of sampling method selection.
4. Information about Population:
How much information is available about the population to be studied? Where no list of population and no information about its nature are available, it is difficult to apply a probability sampling method.
5. The Nature of the Population:
In terms of the variables to be studied, is the population homogenous or heterogeneous? In the case of a homogenous population, even a simple random sampling will give a representative sample. If the population is heterogeneous, stratified random sampling is appropriate.
6. Geographical Area of the Study and the Size of the Population:
If the area covered by a survey is very large and the size of the population is quite large, multi-stage cluster sampling would be appropriate. But if the area and the size of the population are small, single stage probability sampling methods could be used.
7. Financial resources:
If the available finance is limited, it may become necessary to choose a less costly sampling plan like multistage cluster sampling or even quota sampling as a compromise. Where the finance is not a constraint, a researcher can choose the most appropriate method of sampling that fits the research objective and the nature of population.
8. Time Limitation:
The time limit within which the research project should be completed restricts the choice of a sampling method.
9. Economy:
It should be another criterion in choosing the sampling method. It means achieving the desired level of precision at minimum cost.
Case study is a method of exploring and analyzing the life of a social unit or entity, be it a person, a family, an institution or a community.
Assumptions of case study are -
1) Case study would depend upon wit, commonsense and imagination of the person doing the case study. The investigator makes up his procedure as he goes along.
2) If the life history has been written in the first person, it must be as complete and coherent as possible.
3) Life histories should have been written for knowledgeable persons.
4) It is advisable to supplement case data by observational, statistical and historical data since these provide standards for assessing the reliability and consistency of the
case material.
5) Efforts should be made to ascertain the reliability of life history data through examining the internal consistency of the material.
6) A judicious combination of techniques of data collection is a prerequisite for securing data that are culturally meaningful and scientifically significant.
Sampling Procedure
The decision process of sampling is complicated one. The researcher has to first identify the limiting factor or factors and must judiciously balance the conflicting factors. The various criteria governing the choice of the sampling technique:
1. Purpose of the Survey:
What does the researcher aim at? The choice of a particular type of probability sampling depends on the geographical area of the survey and the size and the nature of the population under study.
2. Measurability:
The application of statistical inference theory requires computation of the sampling error from the sample itself.
3. Degree of Precision:
Should the results of the survey be very precise, or even rough results could serve the purpose? The desired level of precision as one of the criteria of sampling method selection.
4. Information about Population:
How much information is available about the population to be studied? Where no list of population and no information about its nature are available, it is difficult to apply a probability sampling method.
5. The Nature of the Population:
In terms of the variables to be studied, is the population homogenous or heterogeneous? In the case of a homogenous population, even a simple random sampling will give a representative sample. If the population is heterogeneous, stratified random sampling is appropriate.
6. Geographical Area of the Study and the Size of the Population:
If the area covered by a survey is very large and the size of the population is quite large, multi-stage cluster sampling would be appropriate. But if the area and the size of the population are small, single stage probability sampling methods could be used.
7. Financial resources:
If the available finance is limited, it may become necessary to choose a less costly sampling plan like multistage cluster sampling or even quota sampling as a compromise. Where the finance is not a constraint, a researcher can choose the most appropriate method of sampling that fits the research objective and the nature of population.
8. Time Limitation:
The time limit within which the research project should be completed restricts the choice of a sampling method.
9. Economy:
It should be another criterion in choosing the sampling method. It means achieving the desired level of precision at minimum cost.
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