Frameworks of study in academic research

¶ … Creswell's (1994) well-known qualitative research traditions (i.e., biography, case study, ethnography, grounded theory, and phenomenology), Shank and Villella extended the taxonomy to include four criteria they believed would support greater understanding of qualitative research. The criteria provide these perspectives of the research: 1) Investigative depth; 2) interpretive adequacy; 3) illuminative fertility; and 4) participatory accountability. Taken together, the criteria gauge the researchers' willingness to direct inquiry below the surface and to less investigated areas, to conduct quality interpretation of the new area; to present the research in a way that strongly informs practice, and to ensure that participation in the research is reported in a manner that is both transparent and demonstrates accountability. These criteria offer alternate dimensions to the research traditions and foster rigorous qualitative study. Essentially, Shank and Villella have provided a set of criteria that fit well across the qualitative research traditions, while not favoring any one tradition.

My research purpose is to compare brand loyalty between young consumers in a developed country and a developing country (i.e., U.S. And Kenya). Brand loyalty is a very personal and dynamic aspect of consumer activity that is pivotal to effective brand management and the development of consumer insights. Qualitative research facilitates a deep investigation into the consumer perceptions about the products and services they prefer, and qualitative study can enable capture of the nuances of consumer sentiments and behaviors. The case study tradition supports the research questions of my proposed study, and I am particularly interested in pursuing research that meets the illuminative fertility criterion, as it is likely to engender actionable consumer insights. Developing a case study for each of the country types will assist with a comparison and contrast of the consumer behaviors -- and particularly sentiments -- of young consumers in different contexts. The context or environment in which data is collected is a substantive consideration in the research design as it contributes to the participants' realities and, therefore, influences their accounts. This point is one of the reasons for choosing to use a more ethnographic approach than, say, face-to-face interviews, focus groups, or any other form of qualitative research that is constructed and managed by the researcher rather

As Shank wrote, "The task of thick description is to make meaning clear" (2002, p. 77), and it is precisely the constructed meanings in personal accounts related to brand loyalty that my research will explore. In the interest of supporting the development of rich, thick personal accounts by young consumers, it is likely that mobile technology will be used to capture their perceptions in context -- in what is a technological interpretation of the ethnographic tradition. Moreover, as young consumers, the research participants are likely to exhibit a willingness to highlight, comment, and share information about brands that they use and prefer.