Compare and Contrast Research Methods (case study with other five Essay

Compare and Contrast Research Methods (case study with other five methods ) - Essay Example A case study further aims at understanding characteristics of the studied subject for generalization to a larger population and has been used to develop theories such as developmental theories among children. Its ‘generalizability’ is based on the assumption that an explored case is similar to other cases and gathered information is the same as what would be observed in the other cases (Zucker, 2009; Crowe et al, 2011). Some of the features of case study that distinguishes it from other research methods are its specialization in a unit for study and a comprehensive study of such a unit. The method is also strictly qualitative and focuses on causal effect relationships. It is also largely dependent on a researcher’s rationale as opposed to observed features of the studied elements. Case studies also exist in different types such as snapshot case studies, and longitudinal case studies, a feature that allows for freedom in the research method It offers a number of advantages such as flexibility, ability to infer observations to other cases, and ‘relatability’ in cases where results cannot be inferred. It is similarly able to study small units such as an individual effectively. The case study has however been associated with external validity challenges due to its usual small sample size. Its implementation follows the traditional approach of preliminary considerations, data collect ion, analysis, interpretation, and communication of the interpreted results. Case study can be applied in studying management styles, and their prospects, as used by an institution (Crowe et al, 2011; Roberts, n.d.). Case study was for example used in the research to investigate ICT-enabled government models in European cities (Jrc, 2010). The focus group is another qualitative approach to research in which participants are organized in defined groups to