Page 65 - DLIS401_METHODOLOGY_OF_RESEARCH_AND_STATISTICAL_TECHNIQUES

Methodology of Research and Statistical Techniques

Notes of moving into the field in order to remove obvious barriers and problems. The investigator
training program covers the basic concepts of the study, terminology, processes, and methods,
and teaches investigators how to properly apply the techniques being used in the study. The
program also trains investigators to understand how the gathering of data using multiple
techniques strengthens the study by providing opportunities for triangulation during the analysis
phase of the study. The program covers protocols for case study research, including time
deadlines, formats for narrative reporting and field notes, guidelines for collection of documents,
and guidelines for field procedures to be used. Investigators need to be good listeners who can
hear exactly the words being used by those interviewed. Qualifications for investigators also
include being able to ask good questions and interpret answers. Good investigators review
documents looking for facts, but also read between the lines and pursue collaborative evidence
elsewhere when that seems appropriate. Investigators need to be flexible in real-life situations
and not feel threatened by unexpected change, missed appointments, or lack of office space.
Investigators need to understand the purpose of the study and grasp the issues and must be
open to contrary findings. Investigators must also be aware that they are going into the world
of real human beings who may be threatened or unsure of what the case study will bring.
After investigators are trained, the final advance preparation step is to select a pilot site and
conduct a pilot test using each data gathering method so that problematic areas can be uncovered
and corrected.

Notes Researchers need to anticipate key problems and events, identify key people, prepare
letters of introduction, establish rules for confidentiality, and actively seek opportunities
to revisit and revise the research design in order to address and add to the original
set of research questions.

Step 4. Collect Data in the Field
The researcher must collect and store multiple sources of evidence comprehensively and systematically,
in formats that can be referenced and sorted so that converging lines of inquiry and patterns
can be uncovered. Researchers carefully observe the object of the case study and identify
causal factors associated with the observed phenomenon. Renegotiation of arrangements with
the objects of the study or addition of questions to interviews may be necessary as the study
progresses. Case study research is flexible, but when changes are made, they are documented
systematically.
Exemplary case studies use field notes and databases to categorize and reference data so that
it is readily available for subsequent reinterpretation. They record testimonies, stories, and
illustrations which can be used in later reports. They may warn of impending bias because of
the detailed exposure of the client to special attention, or give an early signal that a pattern
is emerging. They assist in determining whether or not the inquiry needs to be reformulated
or redefined based on what is being observed. Field notes should be kept separate from the
data being collected and stored for analysis.

Maintaining the relationship between the issue and the evidence is mandatory. The researcher
may enter some data into a database and physically store other data, but the researcher documents,
classifies, and cross-references all evidence so that it can be efficiently recalled for sorting and
examination over the course of the study.

Step 5. Evaluate and Analyze the Data
The researcher examines raw data using many interpretations in order to find linkages between
the research object and the outcomes with reference to the original research questions. Throughout

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