case study design

case study design

The Importance of Case Study Design in Research

1. Introduction

This paper is the first of a planned series of publications intended to offer some guidance to researchers about designing and conducting case studies. It is intended to be a quite constructive paper, after the style of the Nuffield Science Research Teaching Project. It is designed to be read as a companion to beginning researchers in the process of carrying out their first case studies, and to be a reviving text for experienced researchers who are disenchanted with the results of their first case study projects. It is certainly not addressed to the methodological ‘high priests’ of the leading universities of the Western world, who feel that their knowledge and wisdom is far superior to the practical knowledge of mere ‘social technicians’. In fact, the paper is a response to feedback from beginning and experienced case researchers. An attitude of ‘back to the drawing board’ seems to be a common response by researchers who realise the practical difficulties of case study research in contrast to the purported methodological wisdom that is essential for producing valid and reliable research results. This paper may be regarded as an attempt to communicate some common-sense principles which lead to good case study research. The reader will notice that the paper is an exercise in learning by doing. This reflects the belief that case study research is primarily a learning activity.

2. Defining Case Study Design

Case study is a defined form of inquiry that enables a researcher to explore and understand complex issues. Case studies are often defined in different ways, reflecting evolving disciplinary and philosophical perspectives. The central tenet of a case study is that it attempts to understand complex social phenomena and although a single case study, it offers the opportunity to find the same findings in other cases. It is this definition that provides a specified focus to a method of inquiry (e.g. the study of process or the exploration of an issue) and this is reflected in the methodological literature. Case study design is widely viewed as a valid form of inquiry and an appropriate way to explore complex issues by those who are not fixated on large scale, statistical research (Crowe et al 2011). This paper will provide a background to case study research and specifically the multiple case study design. It will begin by providing a definition of a case study, as well as the multiple case study design. Next it will discuss the design and the adoption of a case study as a method of inquiry, a planning and preparation process, and the construct of the case study as it unfolds from the data (proposition development). This will be followed by a discussion on qualitative data, and more specifically the focus of a multiple case study design and types of case studies to be undertaken. Finally it will discuss the use of the case study as a research method and how this type of research can contribute to the broader research in a given field.

3. Benefits of Case Study Design

Readers and researchers can benefit from the case study design. If it is followed with care, a case study design can produce a wealth of information that is not easily obtainable by other methods. The data will be rich and varied, and the scope of information that can be obtained on a single or multiple units will far outstrip that possible from a larger number of narrower interviews. Providers of case study work certainly benefit from the production of a detailed account on the same criteria. However, the major benefit (beyond the provision of good evidence) is that the case study research, by its nature, follows through over time and can be more readily held to ideas of ‘tracking and watching change’. This is particularly relevant to the field of program evaluation. Two main ways in which the design can be influential are: providing a clearer understanding of a complex topic and having a more powerful impact on the perceptions of the readers. Case studies are able to explain more detailed information to the reader than would be available from other research designs and can have a powerful impact on the readers’ perceptions because the reader can identify with the case.

4. Elements of a Well-Designed Case Study

The failure of many case studies to meet the basic tenets of research stems from a poor design. It is at this point that the decision of the type of case study must be made. Three types of case studies are identified in the literature: exploratory, explanatory and descriptive (Yin, 1984). It is also at this point that the researcher must consider what type of data to collect and which techniques are most appropriate. These decisions depend on the nature of the case coming under investigation. For example, whether the data required is qualitative, quantitative or mixed, and which sources of evidence are most suitable. It is from these decisions that the above ‘criterion’ questions concerning how, what, where and who etc. will aid the researcher in designing the case study (Yin, 2003) and make it of a higher standard.

5. Conclusion

After reiterating the basic case study design and its various types, synthesis is the last step of conducting a case study. It is like cross-examination. The data for the case study can be collected from various sources such as interviews, documents, participant observation, and artifacts. After the data has been collected, it is necessary to determine the unit and establish a coding scheme. A case study can utilize one or a few units of study which can be individual (e.g. a famous psychologist), organization (e.g. a school), or a geographical area (e.g. a community). An important aspect in case study coding is to keep it focused on the obtained data. It is helpful to use a coding matrix to ensure that the information is categorized and is not missed. This step may make a researcher familiar with the data and prevent premature conclusions. Generalizing from a case study is one of the decisive points. A case study encompasses a detailed contextual analysis of a limited number of events or conditions and their relationships. It is based on the methodology; the researcher cannot assess the causal effects. Last but not least is to enliven a report of a case study is the focus on data interpretation and developing. Analysis can be guided by using a logic model to develop a cause and effect explanation or to build theory. In developing a theory, the case study is useful for testing theory, constructing theory, and making a theory of the case itself.