Types, Typologies and Thesis Research

Please provide an Abstract of 100-150 words briefly describing this chapter’s coverage 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com ITB11744 INFORMATION SCIENCE PUBLISHING This chapter appears in the book, Selected Styles in Web-Based Research edited byedited by Bruce L. Mann © 2006, Idea Group Inc. Case Study Research on Web-Based Learning 71 Copyright © 2006, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea Group Inc. is prohibited. Learning Objectives 1. Distinguish between a “qualitative case study” and a “quantitative case study” 2. Describe the identifying characteristics of qualitative and quantitative Web-based case studies 3. Demonstrate the procedure for conducting qualitative and quantitative Webbased case studies Introduction: Types of Case Study Research (Stake, 1994, 1995) • Intrinsic case study (where the interest is only in understanding the particulars of the case) • Instrumental case study (where the interest is in understanding something more general than the case) • Collective case study (where interest is in studying and comparing multiple cases in a single research study) Case Study Methods (Wikipedia, 2004) Illustrative Case Studies Illustrative Case Studies are descriptive; they utilize one or two instances to show what a situation is like. This helps interpret other data, especially when there is reason to believe that readers know too little about a program. These case studies serve to make the unfamiliar familiar, and give readers a common language about the topic. The chosen site should be typical of important variations, and contain a small number of cases to sustain reader’s interest. There are pitfalls in presenting illustrative case studies. They require presentation of in-depth information on each illustration. Also, there may not be time on-site for in-depth examination. The most serious problem is with the selection of instances. The cases must adequately represent the situation or program. Where significant diversity exists, it may not be possible to select a typical site. Exploratory Case Studies Exploratory Case Studies are condensed case studies, undertaken before implementing a large-scale investigation. Where considerable uncertainty exists about program