case study format

case study format

The Importance of Case Study Format in Research

1. Introduction

There are a variety of ways in which case studies are important. If it is exploratory, confirmatory or a testing case, one aspect holds true: it is important to have a good case study protocol. The protocol for a case study is the set of instructions for the study, and using previously published case study guidelines, this discipline has begun to standardize the methods of the case study design and execution. One of the major goals of a protocol is to facilitate communication between the research team and to form a record of the planning and execution of the study. The protocol should provide a detailed account of how the researchers planned to do the study and elucidate the rationale behind the study methods. With this in mind, the case study formats in different published works vary considerably. This has become apparent in the midst of the case study renaissance. For a noted example, different published case studies for the same topic have shown to have conflicting findings. This could be due to comparing case studies done for a single topic, which will have problems determining equivalency between the cases. This is a situation in which one case is considered less studyworthy, and there is an unclear guideline as to what makes a case study worthy. Guidance on case study design and execution is currently quite limited with more information to be found here.

2. Benefits of Case Study Format

Firstly, case studies are beneficial in that they provide a detailed analysis of a particular issue as opposed to a wide statistical survey. In doing so, a researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instance happened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. This is far more difficult to achieve via surveys which take a more generalized view of an issue, and it ultimately leads to a great amount of mixed methods in the end. The fact that there are detailed accounts from either a small group of people or one individual further allows for the data to be made into a more complete picture, and the researcher can cross-reference the information for a more thorough and conclusive analysis. These accounts are entirely reliant on the person interviewed, making the information less reliable than concrete evidence, but it allows for an experienced event to be understood from the point of view of the participant; a feature that is often useful in applied research. Case studies, in particular, are very useful in situations where the providing of a lot of detailed information is desirable, for the information gleaned on a rare issue can be much more beneficial in the long run, hence it is desirable the research done is recorded and the case studied. This, in turn, leads to the case study being useful on the grounds of information that may be valuable to teaching and for it may be brought to light and examined some years down the line.

3. Key Elements of a Case Study

Case studies are composed of several distinctive parts. These elements are typical, however, they may vary depending on the case, the nature of the inquiry, and the theory of the investigator. Generally, case studies examine a specific instance, or case, related to a larger set of issues. A good case study, according to Professor Paul Lawrence, is “the vehicle by which a chunk of reality is brought into the classroom to be worked over by the class and the instructor. A good case keeps the class discussion grounded upon some of the stubborn facts that must be faced in real-life situations” (quoted in Bain, 1991). A case study is a puzzle that has to be solved. The first thing to remember about writing a case study is that the case should have a problem for the readers to solve. The case should have enough information in it that readers can understand what the problem is and, after thinking about it and analyzing the information, the readers can come up with a solution to the problem. The case study is ideal for this. An informative case study is expected to capture the interest of the reader. A good case study should be innovative and provoking. It guarantees the class engagement of students and the development of critical thinking. This is specifically because the case method is an active learning method, which uncovers prevailing assumptions. It is also a method that has built-in feedback and case study students are expected to learn by working through deficiencies. By breaking down the specific problem, a case study is an effort to find the principles and theory which will be applicable across many situations. A case study provides opportunities for hypothesis and theory building. Generally, case studies can be segmented into 5 categories: the client/program being served, the system in which the client was a part, the problem(s) faced by the client, the strategy used to tackle the problem(s), and the outcome of the strategy. Finally, a case study should try to learn from an experience. This is done by carefully and systematically examining a small number of events so that conclusions can be drawn from those events to apply to the more general set of events. This is what makes a case study an ideal vehicle to administer the research.

4. Steps to Create an Effective Case Study

In step 6, the findings of the case study are to be presented in a report. There is no one way to write a case study, and the report is a time-consuming and intricate task. It may utilize a variety of methods such as (but not limited to) those employed within a positivist paradigm, action research, constructivist inquiry, and grounded theory. Each method is valid, and the quality of the report will reflect an application of the chosen methodology. When writing the case study report, it is important to keep in mind that a case study is not the publication of research findings, but the taking of a specific instance, issue, or insight (seen in the conclusion) and drawing general conclusions from that. The report should be clearly structured and applied using evidence in a way that the reader can see is pertinent to the case of the case study.

Step 5 is devoted to the creation of a case study protocol and the identification of the data gathering tools that the investigator will use. The key to creating the case study protocol is to use the case study data in a systematic manner. Field research is always accompanied by a degree of researcher subjectivity, but it is important that this be kept to a minimum. Systematic ways of achieving this include creating a case study database that will be used throughout the data gathering phase of the case study and keeping a field diary of the research activities. A crucial step in the data gathering process is to apply the data gathering tools systematically to all sources of data, whether qualitative or quantitative. This involves testing the tools on a small sample of data and getting feedback on their usefulness from research colleagues, the case study unit, and if possible, potential future users of the final case study report.

5. Conclusion

The case study format provides a clear procedure for such complicated decisions, helping to avoid the many pitfalls that lie between the study and the practical application of the data.

Lastly, the case study format is useful in the gathering of information. By its nature, the case study is complex. An example may be an intricate study of a specific industry using the data from an exploratory case of an individual business in that industry. Weighing the available data in the case against the potential consequences of publicizing the information may be a difficult task, but the decision that provides the best data with the least risk must be made if there is an intention to further the understanding of a specific event or idea.

If a case study serves to provide information for the betterment of an aspect of society, then it is in the best interest of the public for this information to be used efficiently and effectively. An outdated study may lead to wasted resources using methods that are no longer viable to solve a problem that has been identified as irrelevant in today’s world.

Primarily, the case study format serves to provide a set of guidelines for the creation of a useful method of information that is used by the general public. Without a well-defined format, the case study may present information in a way that is confusing, incomplete, or misleading. Therefore, the case study format is a means of quality control that permits the identification of discrepancies and the creation of a plan to resolve the information. This is an important aspect considering the fast pace of new development in the world today.

The case study format has proven to be an invaluable tool for the exploration of all areas of the world. The format permits the discovery of new ideas as well as further study of ideas currently in place. While the specific details of the format may vary, the common goal is to explore an area of interest in a way that provides a strong source of information that may be used to further the understanding of a specific subject.