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It has been noted and observed that “research and its associated methods do not take place in a vacuum” (Bryman, 2015, p.3). This attests to the fact that, research methodologies are based on the preferred approaches for data collection and analysis (Blaikie, 2010). As outlined by Taylor and DeVault (2016, p.4) research methodology “includes activities to collect descriptive data, people’s own words and records of people’s behaviour”. Methodology is viewed as a term that is commonly used in reference to how we seek answers or solutions to a problem and it is regarded in the field of social sciences as how research is conducted (Taylor and DeVault, 2016:4).
According to Hjørland (2005, p.154), a good research method for a study should be established through a combination of philosophical positions of the study vis-à-vis the objectives of the study, the nature of the problem to be investigated, “its novelty in research and the time and resources available to carry out the work”. This shows that, the heart of research methodology is the research design since it provides the plan and structure for a study (Mouton, 1996; Parahoo, 1997). According to Maxwell (1996), research designs are embedded with five major elements that outlines and interacts with the research goals or objectives, conceptual framework or understanding, research questions (at the centre), methods, and validity.
Problem Statement
It is obvious from literature that investigators, especially early-career researchers and students are sometimes perplexed when it comes to choosing an appropriate research design such as case study or survey for a study. A number of authors have examined the clarifications and application of case study (Merriam, 1998; Zainal, 2007; Yin, 2009) and survey designs (Connaway and Powell, 2010; Siedlecki, Butler and Burchill, 2015) with the aim of increasing academics’ understanding on the right application of these popular research designs. However, majority of the analyses and discussions on case study and survey research designs lean to investigate broadly into educational research with seemingly insufficient or no emphasis on discipline or subject.
Chiefly, the multiplicity in how research designs are applied in the contexts of academic research obliges the need for a subject specific method on the appreciation of research designs in order to guide academics on the employment of these designs in their academic field of study or career. The paucity of discipline specific examinations on research designs such as case study and survey motivated this study to situate an analysis on the employment of these two research designs within the information science discipline. The study therefore outlines and offers analysis through a discursive approach on the application of case study and survey research designs within information research context.