There are two main types of qualitative research, namely case studies and ethnographic
studies (McKay 2006). Ethnographic studies focus on group behaviour and the cultural
patterns underlying that behaviour. In other words, ethnographic studies generally
focus on the group rather than on the individual, consider the larger sociocultural
context, and endeavour to present an emic perspective of the phenomena under
investigation (Mackey and Gass 2005). Both ethnographies and case studies aim to
provide a holistic description of a phenomenon within a specific population and setting.
For example, with respect to language learning research, ethnographies focus on
cultural patterns within groups, while case studies tend to present detailed descriptions
of specific learners within their learning setting (Mackey and Gass 2005). Case studies
along with their data collection methods will be discussed in more detail in the next
section owing to their relevance to the current study.