Page 102 - Feasibility Study of New Media Technology on Constructing Online Public Sphere

Feasibility Study of New Media Technology
on Constructing Online Public Sphere

since single members poorly represent whole populations, the case study is seen

to be a poor basis for generalisation. Often, however, the situation is one in which
there is need for generalisation about that particular case or generalisation to a
similar case rather than generalisation to a population of cases. Then the demands
for typicality and representativeness yield to needs for assurance that the target
case is properly described. As readers recognise essential similarities to cases of

interest to them, they establish the basis for naturalistic generalisation’ (Stake,
2000, p. 23).
This vicarious experience is the way in which people gain knowledge and amend

their experiences. Hakim (2000) argued that the greatest proportional gain in confi-
dence in the results of a case study project is achieved when the number of cases is
increased from one to two or three. Simply put, more cases provide more data to relate
to theory and therefore more evidence to use when the aim is to further understanding.
According to Yin (1994), multiple case studies can provide more compelling evidence

than a single case study, and Schofield (2009) stated that, where findings have emerged
from a number of places, this increases the researcher’s confidence in applying their
hypothesis to a new situation.

Given the uniqueness of China’s internet environment and the complexity of the
national condition, I chose three typical cases in ICT-mediated public participation.
Typical cases could be described as those showing the attributes of a wider population
(Rose, 1991). Hakim (2000) defined a strategic case as being one which can provide the
most evidence for use in explanation. Patton (1987) also defined a critical case as being

a test case, being chosen as where a theory is most or least likely to be proven.
Hence, choices about the cases were made deliberately and on the basis of their
representative meaning in Chinese society. The triangular system acts as a theoretical

framework, and the purpose of the case studies is to collect materials from different
perspectives to elaborate the relationships between the three aspects.
The three incidents I chose are symbolic public participations in the context of
ICT development and reflect different levels of people’s concern, from the public good
to private good. The case study of Sun Zhigang incident aimed to investigate the co-

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