Case study as a research method in social sciences

¶ … Christian Perspective

Discussion and Inference

Synthesis Paper

Comprehension about Research

A key responsibility of the work of a professional researcher is that of publishing research results. Researchers' writings always serve as a store of knowledge for the writer, but researchers also pen their findings because their peers and readers expect a standard language, form and style when reviewing their work. While it can be hard for beginners to write in a clear scientific style, the skill is trainable and can be mastered with practice (Michael Derntl, 2014).

When doing case study research, as one looks at past studies and reports, the researcher gets a unique opportunity to explore and understand some of the most complicated issues in society from differing perspectives. This approach can be viewed as robust approach especially when in depth and holistic investigations are involved. Case study is appreciated in many fields as a critical tool to the study and exploration of social sciences and problems such as unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, drug addiction, etc. (Zaidah Zainal, 2007). Evaluation of resources is an important step in case study research. Reliability is important and articles that can be considered reliable are those that have been peer-reviewed before they were published. going through their research, a researcher is expected to formulate a thesis statement. A thesis statement represents the inferences and concerns the researcher absorbed about the topic of study. It summarizes, reinterprets, and integrates data (Kristina Olson & C.A. Meyersburg, 2008).

Case Study as a Research Method

Case study method gives researchers an opportunity to examine data closely in a given context. In most instances, the method chooses a small group of people or geographical location as the subject of study. Case study has been criticized as being less robust than other methods and it is important that great care be taken when constructing the case study's design. A multi-case or single-case can be adopted depending on the issue the researcher wants to study. Where there are not any cases to replicate, a single-case design can be adopted (Zaidah Zainal, 2007). Publishers and editors usually expect researchers to present their work in standard form when submitting their work for readers and reviewers. The form can differ by paper type, for example, a survey paper will differ from a case study, but the building blocks always remain the same. Various components of a paper are also needed to aid in indexing. Parts like titles, affiliations, authors, abstract and various metadata are very useful and should therefore be included. The information in sections usually show how existing tools, methods and theory were utilized but it is also very valuable that reflections the researchers extract from the whole experience and the relevance to other research work in the area of study are explained (Michael Derntl, 2014).

Several case studies exist for case studies. They include descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory case studies (Zaidah Zainal, 2007).

1. Exploratory case studies look into any data phenomena, which is relevant to the cause of the research. For instance, one doing a research on the reading processes of individuals might make general enquiries such as, "Are any strategies employed by students when they read a text?" and "if that is the case, how often?" Such general enquires and questions make further exploration easy, as they are likely to open many possibilities for further research.

2. Descriptive case studies give comprehensive descriptions of natural phenomena occurring within a given data. When investigating reading strategies, such a study will describe the strategies being used and the instances they are used. What might be a challenge is the reality that the researcher has to start with a descriptive theory supporting the story or phenomena. Failure to do this exposes a lack of rigor in the research and that problems are likely to encountered during the research project.

3. Explanatory case studies closely examine data to explain a given phenomenon. Explanatory case studies can be used for causal studies where a strategy like patter-matching can be utilized in investigating a given phenomenon in multivariate and complex cases.

Case studies can be very useful when it is hard to get a larger sample (for surveys) from a population. While case studies have several advantages such as presenting real-life data, and the provision of clearer insights into the subject's behavior, the use of case studies have also been criticized extensively for being unable to generalize results.

Discussion and Inference

Psychological applications and theories can be useful in helping us determine how someone might respond to a situation or thing. Putting psychology and theology together can be a big step in helping people understands the nature of God. The limiting issue is people's lack of depth of understanding of both disciplines. While most of the principles of psychology do not fully address the biblical concept of sin, an understanding of psychology can help understand the motivations behind sin and the various factors behind it. Counseling, even in a Christian set up, is more effective when psychological theories and principles are used (Jennifer Marie Mccarron, 2004).

It is not easy to harmonize Kholberg's theory with the teachings of the bible. The hierarchy of moral reasoning presented by Kholberg that claims seeking to appease God, avoiding punishment, and self-centered pursuit of reward are inferior moral reasoning forms clashes heavily with Christian teachings (Kholberg's Theory of Moral Development: A Christian Appraisal, 2016).