Document Analysis

According to Yin (2009) in case study research, everything must be done to make sure that the analysis is of the highest quality. He points out four principles which must underlie all good case study research. These are:

(a) Attendance to all the evidence

(b) Address all major rival interpretations

(c) Address the most significant aspect of the case study (d) Use your own prior expert knowledge

In line with all the objectives of the research, our data analysis demonstrates awareness of current thinking and discourse about professionalism in management. The study explains one aspect or another of the revitalisation process of the carnival management organisation and highlights theoretical models that are presumed to have not only explanatory but also predictive powers.

Document analysis was of fundamental importance to the conduct of the research and the achievement of its objectives. The aim was to meet some of the basic objectives of a literature search and review, notably: to distinguish between what has been done from what needs to be done; to synthesise and

58. provide a new perspective by identifying relationships between ideas and practice; to establish the context of the topic or problem, rationalising its significance and enhancing and acquiring the subject vocabulary; to provide understanding of the structure of the subject by relating ideas and theory to applications; to identify the main methodologies and research techniques that have been used; and to place the research in a historical context to show familiarity with contemporary developments on the subject (Boote & Beile, 2005; Gray, 2014; Hart, 2009; Leech & Onwuegbuzie, 2007).

As a research technique, document analysis is particularly applicable to qualitative case studies. It includes the analysis of established literature and non- technical literature such as reports and internal correspondence as a potential source of empirical data (Stake, 1995; Yin, 1994). The rationale for its use in the research lies in its role in methodological and data triangulation; the immense value of documents in case study research; and its potential usefulness as a stand-alone method (Denzin, 1970). Its use is particularly appropriate to this research since some of the events being studied are historic and the documents were contemporaneously prepared. They were generated by various organisational stakeholders, including the researcher. Some documents were not formally published, but have been verified by their authors and still provide the most reliable and trustworthy sources of information which can be used corroboratively. Merriam (1988) notes that for historical and cross-cultural research, relying on prior studies may be the only realistic approach.

59. By definition, a document is an artefact which has as its central feature an inscribed text (Scott, 1990). Atkinson and Coffey (1997, p.47) refer to documents as “social facts” which are produced, shared and used in socially organised ways. They contain text and images that have been recorded without a researcher’s intervention and may range from public, through private to personal documents. Documents may take various forms. Those relied on for this research include: books, brochures, journals, background research papers, organisational and institutional reports, rules and regulations, survey data; agenda and minutes of meetings, manuals, event programs, letters and memoranda, maps, newspapers clippings, newsletters, press releases, magazines, posters, various public records, working papers, photo albums, radio broadcasts, and audio-visual materials.

Documents also include primary documents which refer to eye-witness accounts produced by people who experienced the particular event or the behaviour under study; and secondary documents which are produced by people who were not present at the scene but who received eye-witness accounts to compile the documents, or have read eye-witness accounts (Bailey, 1994). The documentary sources include documents generated by the researcher and colleagues. Support for the use of these documentary sources is provided in the work of Onwuegbuzie et al. (2012, p.7) who question the tendency to limit documentary sources to pre-existing literature and digital sources, arguing that they should include reviews stemming from other sources, such as directly from the researchers, scholars, and practitioners themselves.

60. 2.6.6. The Value of Document Analysis

Document analysis is valued as an important data collection method. Information contained in documents can suggest some questions that need to be asked and situations that need to be observed as part of the research (Goldstein & Reiboldt, 2004). In this regard, Connell, Lynch and Waring (2001) suggest that one of the advantages of document analysis is that documents could provide supplementary research data. Documents provide a means of tracking change and development. Where various drafts of a particular document are accessible, even subtle changes can reflect substantive developments (Yin, 1994). For example, in Carnival the various drafts of the Statement of Intent and Code of Practice and minutes of meetings reflect the level of trust between the lead stakeholders. Bowen (2009) suggests that documents may be the most effective means of gathering data when events can no longer be observed or when informants have forgotten the details. Documents can also be analysed to verify findings or corroborate evidence from other sources (Angrosino & Mays de Pérez, 2000)

Generally, advantages of document analysis include the fact that the documents do not change, unless the document contains statistical data that evolve and change. It requires data selection, instead of data collection. Documents may be readily available and recordable, as many of them are in the public domain. With the advent of technology and the internet, documents could be stored in databases and be made more accessible. The data contained in the documents would already have been gathered, and what remains to be done is for the content and quality of the documents to be evaluated. Documents are

61. unobtrusive and non-reactive in that they are unaffected by the research process. Reflexivity is not an issue in using the documents for research purposes (Merriam, 1988). The inclusion of exact names, references, and details of events makes documents advantageous in the research process. Documents may provide broad coverage and cover a long span of time, many events and many settings (Yin, 1994).

At the same time, document analysis has its limitations. Documents may contain insufficient detail for the research purpose; and retrievability or access may be deliberately blocked. Documents may also be subject to biased selectivity by the researcher (Yin, 1994). Nevertheless, documents of all types can help the researcher uncover meaning, develop understanding and discover insights relevant to the research problem (Merriam, 1988).