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Layered Nature of Texts

According to Robert Yin, a well-known advocate of case study research, the strength of case study is its ability to examine in depth a case within its real-life context. This involves a consideration of the various layers of text, spoken or written, that help to create a holistic rendering of the case. Although the term layered texts is more often associated with hermeneutics or the interpretation of language to aid in understanding, which is the goal of interpretive research, this entry describes how studying layers of text might also be applied to positivist and critical research agendas.

Conceptual Overview and Discussion

Layered texts might be compared with newspaper color photos that are printed using four layers of ink. Individually, each layer offers little information to help the viewer makes sense of what the photo represents, but together the various inks provide a complete picture. Similarly, the metaphor can be applied to the text of cases, because each layer contributes to the understanding of the other layers as well as to the overall picture of the case.

Cases exist within multiple contexts with various actors, who often hold different perspectives. Each of these contexts could be considered a layer of text. An analysis of the text describing the various layers provides insights into how the actors influence and are influenced by the various contexts and other actors. Analyzing the interaction, the discourse and the multiple perspectives the various actors hold, provides a more complete picture of the case. Because of the complexity of cases, it is impossible to examine all contexts or perspectives associated with it; therefore, cases must be framed to limit the number of contexts and actors under consideration.

As with other forms of qualitative research, case studies may be examined in numerous ways depending on the purpose of the case study and the philosophical orientation of the analyst. Although there are several philosophical orientations or paradigms one may assume when analyzing research, three that most often guide research agendas include (1) the positivist, (2) the interpretive, and (3) the critical. Regardless of the paradigm, case studies should use data from multiple sources, such as archival records, documents, scientific data, surveys, interviews, observations, and field notes.

Application

Research conducted from a positivistic stance assumes that theories can be tested, verified, and generalized across situations. Positivist research also assumes that the researcher's role is one of objective observer. A case study would entail developing appropriate measures (qualitative and/or quantitative) for the constructs being studied, establishing or testing causal relationships, determining the domain to which the study's findings can be generalized, and demonstrating that the inquiry is value free.

For example, Roland Scholz and Olaf Tietje illustrated how researchers conducting positivistic case studies could examine various layers of text by employing the Brunswikian lens model. In this model, data acquisition related to the texture of the environment is followed by data interpretation, a process that relies on different types of methods to arrive at a perception, judgment, or evaluation. Their graphic illustration of this model shows the data of a case broken down to show multiple perspectives and filtered through a lens to arrive at a new theory. In positivistic research, however, the lens is often constructed by a priori conceptions of social interactions and relationships, and critics suggest, therefore, that researchers may fail to recognize that alternative conceptions of reality may exist. Most case studies tend to be conducted from a positivist perspective.

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