Employing Case Study and Survey Designs in Information Research

Research designs are regarded as set of guidelines and instructions to be followed in tackling research phenomenon. Employing research designs in information research is renowned to diverge from one investigator to another based on the researcher's choice and the nature of the problem under investigation. The dissimilarities in the application of research designs in information research do not rely on data collection alone, but also on the practical significances of the inquiry and the interpretation of the results. The study looked into the two most popular research designs—case study and survey—and discussed how the use of these designs fit into information research. It was found that understanding and application of research designs in information research is critical and beneficial. However, information researchers are advised to be careful of the flaws of the research design—case study or survey—they would adopt for a study.