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involving multiple sources of information (e.g., observations, interviews, audio-visual material, and documents and reports’ (p. 73). Table 5.1 lists data sources used and their respective strengths and weaknesses. Table 5.1 Sources: Strengths and Weaknesses (Adapted from Yin, 2009, p. 102)

Source of Data

Strengths

Weaknesses

Interviews

Targeted to case study topic. Insightful—provides perceptions of informants.

Bias due to poorly constructed questions. Response bias. Inaccuracies due to poor recall. Interviewee gives what interviewer wants to hear.

Documentation

Stable—may be reviewed repeatedly. Unobtrusive—not created by case study. Exact—contains detail of events. Broad coverage—extended time span.

Retrievability may be low. Biased selectivity. Reporting bias. Access-may be blocked.

Direct Observation Reflects reality. Contextual.

Time consuming. Events may proceed differently because of observation. Costs-associated with time needed by observer.

Participant Observation

As above. Insightful into interpersonal behaviour. As for ‘Documentation’ above. Precise and quantitative. Insightful into cultural features and technical operations.

See above. Bias due to investigator’s manipulation of events.

Archival Records

As for ‘Documentation’ above. Accessibility due to privacy.

Physical Artefacts

Selectivity. Availability.

While quantitative data can be incorporated into case studies (see Chapters 1 and 2), qualitative data usually predominates (Patton & Appelbaum, 2003). The primary source