Theme 6: Qualitative and case study research(before lecture)

The paper I choose is Eckel, G., Pirrò, D., Sharma, G.K. (2009) "Motion- Enabled Live Electronics", ed. Fabien Gouyon, Álvaro Barbosa, and Xavier Serra, Proceedings of the 6th Sound and Music Computing Conference, Porto, Portugal, pp. 36-41 

Which qualitative method or methods are used in the paper? Which are the benefits and limitations of using these methods?

In the paper,the author tied to start the research in the deeper perspective of studying the current forms and limitations of the music performance.So there are many cases and specific phenomena which are utilized as the ancillary references to support author’s view.For instance,the author argues that the performer’s body extends into the instrument that he is playing.He wanted to use the seeming unit or interaction as the base to explore a method called “MELE” for letting the body to affect the sound processing.Consequently,it can access the more creative and multivariate effects.As the author says ”sound processing and projection may rather be enacted than operated by the musicians, which is one of the goals of our approach. ”I think the phenomenon analysis gives a explicit shape to people understanding the differences between the traditional performance and the new way of music interpretation.At the same time,the technical problems are utilized to illustrate the actual puzzles or limitations for the performers and musicians.

What did you learn about qualitative methods from reading the paper?

In this paper,the researchers demonstrate a complete experiment which is actually a performance for the audience to prove the results that they expect.There is a preparation before the composers and performers come.They all have the conceptual framework or ideas that are probably from their past experiences.Initially,most performances are just in the term of exploring the new interfaces.But at the end of each test,most performers are totally accustomed this way and even request more complicated interfaces.I think the results of the methods prove the worth of the interfaces based on the MELE in some way.

Which are the main methodological problems of the study? How could the use of the qualitative method or methods have been improved?

It is worried of communication and technical supports between the composers and the performers at the beginning.They should work together on a piece.Actually,the performers deeply get involved in the electronic parts to compose their original ideas in the process.Hence,the composes and performers should be equally involved in the collaborative ways. Consequently,most performers play the more active role in the composition with expressing their ideas and decisions.Composers give the guide and support for the performers,considering the general idea and audience immersion on the presupposition of needs and limitations of performers.In the end,both of participants feel acceptable and very rewarding from each other.Meantime,it shows the possibilities of the novel interface to be used in the live performance.

Briefly explain to a first year university student what a case study is.

The case studies should be based on the contextual conditions and involved an up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of the subjects.It always appear with popular works.Meantime,it could be conducted by following a formal research. The "case" being studied may be an individual, organization, event, or action, existing in a specific time and place.The data of case study should be collected from a sustained period of time.There are several types of case studies:  Key cases ,Outlier cases,Local knowledge cases.Decisions about the case selection need to be made about purpose, approach and process in the case study. A critical case allows the following type of generalization: "If it is valid for this case, it is valid for all (or many) cases."

Use the "Process of Building Theory from Case Study Research" (Eisenhardt, summarized in Table 1) to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of your selected paper.

From the perspective of case study,I think the author gets started with a definition of research questions.He emphasizes the “METE” which increases the degree of the performers’ embodiment in shaping the sound processing.The weaknesses in my way should be the Analyzing data.Because the data collected mostly is for supporting the new interfaces that the author always argues.I don’t think it could be used in a Cross-cases pattern.