Qualitative Exploratory Case Study

My research will examine climate change impacts on Kashechewan People. They have experienced frequent flooding in recent years. The number of floods is increasing at an alarming rate. They have been or warned to be evacuated four times in the last four years (CTV-News, 2015). The increased frequency and intensity of floods are linked to climate change. The ‘dramatic ice break-up’ events in the region are “potentially an important indicator of very recent changes in climate” (Ho et al., 2011).
This research will examine how Kashechewan people are affected by and respond to climate change impacts. It will look at what contribution traditional knowledge can make to climate change adaptation. My research objectives are examining how people perceive climate change and its existing and future impacts; studying their short- and long-term climate change and flooding experiences; analyzing their past practices to adapt to the effects of present and future changes; and exploring what contribution traditional knowledge can make to adapt to present and future changes. …show more content…
The approach is appropriate to the problem: how the community, as a bounded system (Creswell, 2007), is affected by and responds to climate change. It is useful for in-depth understanding of the complex phenomenon (Hay, 2010; Yin, 2003). While drawing on multiple sources of information, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participants’ observations (Creswell, 2007; Yin, 2003) will be conducted. The purposeful sampling (snowball) technique will be used to identify prospective interviewees that are ‘information rich’ (Paton, 2002). Triangulation e.g., checking data with participants will ensure use of multiple sources for rigor in data collection and analysis (Baxter and Eyles, 1997). I will hire a community research assistant to assist during the data collection and