Purpose of the Research
The purpose of the study is clearly outlined in the article. The study uses multiple case studies design to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of the Arts administrators. The introductory part provides an analysis of the various case studies that are investigated. The author uses two approaches, hypothetical and literal replication strategy, in order to establish behaviour patterns as well as reveal new themes. The author, Lisl Zach, describe the various approaches that are undertaken in meeting the requirement of this study. Zach’s puts into consideration the critics that have been directed to the use of case studies in a research study. This approach of analyzing case studies in order to explain the research problem gives readers an understanding of the previous researches conducted on the subject matter and the gap of the researches.
Research questions
The research questions in which the research addresses includes; how can the arts administrators can retrieve the information they need? How can they establish that they possess enough and relevant information? What is the amount of time and effort they can use when seeking the relevant information? From these research questions, it is clear that the study’s central focus is on ways of accessing information by the arts administrators. The reader will be able to determine the research objectives of the study. Indeed, the use of multiple case studies for this research enhances the reader to have a clear comparison of the other researchers’ analysis of the problem under investigation. A single case study would have been biased, as there is no exploration of the replica studies.
Hypothesis and Theoretical Framework
The hypothesis for the study is not clearly stated, but the reader can understand the assumptions put forward by the author. In addition, the author does not state the null and alternate hypothesis. However, it can be deduced that the hypothesis for the study is to determine whether there is a positive information-seeking behaviour of the arts administrators in the society. Concerning the theoretical framework of the study, Zach does not provide a theoretical framework as the study focuses on multiple case studies. Ideally, theoretical framework would have been beneficial in analyzing the information-seeking behaviour of the arts administrators.
Literature review
The literature reviewed for this study focused on the previous case studies that were undertaken in relation to the information-seeking behaviour of the arts administrators. Zach examines the work of Yin (1994) in determining the effectiveness of replication strategy based on different experiments done on the subject under study. DiMaggio (1998) case study revealed that the arts administrators are notably well educated. These literature reviews, among others, was relevant to the research problem as it aimed at providing a clear picture on the way the arts administrators have resulted to seeking information for their success in the sector. The literature review is adequate as it uses multiple case studies in analyzing the statement of the problem. The reader can understand that arts administrators need to seek information for them to be competent in this versatile society. Zach study presents a thorough and precise approach for data collection and analysis. In conclusion, the study allows Zach to explore the reasons for the perceived differences in the use of case studies among researchers and builds coherent explanation on the effectiveness of relying on multiple case studies in analyzing a phenomenon. As such, the study is essential in providing an argument against the perceived adversity of using case studies in a research design.
Work Cited
Zach, Lisl. Using a Multiple–Case Studies Design to Investigate the Information-Seeking Behaviour of Arts Administrators. Library Trends – Volume 55, Number 1, 2006, pp. 4-21.