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Chapter 3 Research Framework
al.,2007). Methods in case study refer to the tools, procedures or techniques the
researcher employs to gather and analyse data (Crotty, 1998). There is no agreed set
of methods for case study; rather, they are selected in relation to the nature of the
case study and the research question. Yin (2009) identified six sources of evidence or
data collection methods for case study research: direct and participant observations,
documentation, archival records, interviews, and physical artefacts. The methods
discussed below informed this research study.
3.8.1 Interviews
Williams (2007) explained that the interview considers the inter-relationship
between the person’s own “inner world” (ontological narrativity), the social context
and its expectations (public narrativity), the broad cultural and historical context
(master narrativity) and the researcher’s frame of reference (conceptual narrativity).
There are several approaches to interviewing – unstructured, structured and semi-
structured (Polit, Beck and Hungler, 2001). Creswell (2009) also stated that this data
collection method can be used via the telephone, face-to-face or in a group.
According to Polit, Beck and Hungler (2001), unstructured interviewing offers
flexibility and is useful when the researcher does not have a set of questions. It is
open-ended and enables the exploration of a previously uncharted research topic in
depth. In contrast, structured interviews have structured questions and each
participant is asked the same questions in the same order (Casey, 2006). There is
already some knowledge about the research topic. Semi-structured interviews use a
topic guide (not questions but subject areas or probes).
The semi-structured interview is used when the researcher knows most of the issues
to explore but cannot predict the answers. Semi-structured interviewing provides the
participants with the freedom to explain a situation in their own words and a
conversational tone is adopted. The researcher aims to get the participant talking,
telling stories, describing incidents and examples. It is these descriptions that yield
rich descriptive contexts and make qualitative data so valuable. When developing the
questions it is important to ensure that they are not double-barrelled or closed.
Probes and prompts should be prepared for each question, should more information
be required. Good interviewers listen, have patience act confident, and go at the pace