HAPTER 3: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND METHODS
Overall, interviews are an essential source of case study evidence because
most case studies are about human affairs. These human affairs should be
reported and interpreted through the eyes of specific interviewees, and wellinformed
respondents can provide important insights into a situation. They
also can provide shortcuts to the prior history of the situation… (Yin, 2014)
This chapter describes the general methodology as well as the specific
methods employed in this study to determine the factors that influence faculty
research productivity in Thai higher education. The chosen methodology is a case
study, in this instance an in-depth qualitative study of faculty research at Assumption
University. The methods employed are based on different interview genres and
extensive documentation analysis to allow for solid data triangulation and
interpretation. After providing an overview of the research design and
implementation process, this chapter discusses the rationale, strengths and
weaknesses of the case study methodology through a review of the relevant literature
on the subject. The purpose is to present to the reader a straightforward assessment
of the possible limitations of this research design.