what is a case study in research

what is a case study in research

The Importance of Case Studies in Research

1. Definition and Purpose of Case Studies

Multiple tactics may be employed to use a case study in order to increase the utility of the findings and the researcher must be situated as a method and case expert, and the case study conducts the method. A common misconception is that it is a quick, one-size-fits-all approach to go along with case study research, this can be no farther from the truth. To be proficient with a method and to have a desirable research product, the process for a case study is a delicate one. Not only must the proper method be used, but the research must be organized in a parallel fashion, and competently integrate results. This is a task that completing the case and making the interpretation of it valid can take months. The requirement for parallel research capability means that multiple researchers may be employed on a case, or it may be only one researcher who uses multiple roles (Feagin, Orum, and Sjoberg, 1991). This places a case study at an advantage as compared to a study in which a method is simply used to quickly collect and test data.

The primary method used for a case study is called Pattern Matching. This requires a formal Underlying Theoretical Proposition (UTP). The case is selected on the basis of it being able to exemplify the UTP. As the data is being examined, the researcher pays close attention to alternative theoretical explanations of the case. By using the UTP as a guide, it essentially repels the researcher from digressing on a path that is unrelated to the case and potentially misdirects the data analysis. Relying on empirical evidence and multiple data sources in the examination and re-examination of a case is a key feature of a good case study. This is called the “Strategy of Inquiry” and it involves the mode of examination and logic for inquiring how the UTP has been demonstrated or refuted in a case. Last but not least is the method of sharing the results from a high-quality case study. Pattern matching requires that the empirical analysis of a case be written up as a narrative and that it discusses the validity of the research to the UTP. Deeply understanding the track of the whole inquiry demonstrates replication logic and creates an explanation of the validity of an interpretation.

The term case study refers to both a method of analysis and a specific research design for examining a problem, both of which are used in most circumstances to generalize across populations. This tab focuses on the latter – how to design and set up a research program using the case study method. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or among more than two subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm. A case study in a research paper typically uses several complementary methods to collect information. For any case study research, multiple sources of data are used to establish converging lines of inquiry. The data is assembled in a collective manner. A case study focuses on the starting and middle point.

2. Types of Case Studies

One of the most widespread issues with the case study methodology is the single-case vs. multiple-case design issue (Yin, 1981). “The case study will usually specify a single case. This, however, is not necessarily distinguishing of the case study. Eminent examples used by Isakin (1968) are also used in the search for generalizations. This is not the problem. The issue to clarify is the nature and ultimately the quality of the generalization.” (Isakin, 1968 cited in Yin, 1981, p.46). This raises questions about what type of case study is being conducted, in particular whether the case is typical or revelatory. Yin describes a revelatory case as one that “flies the bounds of generalization into a new realm to the life often within a case of quests for more varied tu ults.” (Yin, 1981, p.50). This position reinforces the idea that education and case studies go hand in hand, it is appropriate to suggest that a powerful teaching tool for educators is to provide examples of atypical versus typical cases. In fact, it is possible that a multiple-case design can be the most useful to researchers as it allows for cross-case generalization. If the case study type is selected based on the aforementioned issue, the researcher must decide whether their case will be representative of a typical case of that issue or whether it will be revelatory. This choice entails tests of theory and propositions on one hand and questions cause and effect on the other, and so one must choose at what levels the former is weak and the latter is strong. This is important due to the fact that a typical case will not test propositions well and a revelatory case will fare poorly in weeding out rival causes. One example of this can be seen in psychology research in adolescent British and Mexican American youth gangs conducted by Miller. The former is a case at the international level, legal discrimination, and it fails to test ideologies and situational alterations. The latter adolescent gang currently also had very escalated violent behavior and it takes place in a case similar to work of at that time and it is a revelatory case. Another important type of generalization that differentiates within-case and cross-case is the idiographic pit idiographic studies seek to be able to explain a single situation and cross an idea laid out by a my beloved lecturer and mentor to this day Dr. John Sutton in explaining things as they are and the idiographic research follows the same methods but is difficult to tell where the research is over. Step simulates this contrast by asking whether we draw over English and each about a dressing style like a little black dress and it is a case of questioning whether it is more interesting because it can be Case() study or a Questionnaire() study. Step() because and) effect() are important to understand the rotational level, where it is and it will go. Search it if it is not enough to explain the idea, then it is not a good idea to use it. This typological explanation of the two methods has prompted Adde Behaiffer to recommend that a distinction be made between two different aspects of the research one and each (not the paper chapter) else it would be a dead end and a waste of time. Perhaps he is asking whether he could be the one to help with this thing. It is crucial that the researchers understand the difference in these types and levels of generalization when designing the study and define their case in terms of them.

3. Conducting a Case Study: Methodology and Data Collection

Finally, case study methods are useful in linking theory to actual instances and understanding the constraints on the theories.

The case study method is more preferred in situations where the questions of how and why are being posed, rather than how to define the variables. This is due to the case study method focusing on the detailed phenomena within the context, which is the best way to study comprehensive and single or multiple instance cases. This is because it can be a tactic to “complexity cosmetics,” where the explanation is simply reduced to variables and tested relationships. For example, evidence-based healthcare takes one huge instance case where they try to improve the healthcare of the patient by learning about the change in clinical decision-making about the complex patient in the context.

The research questions are the base for the case study method. It is helpful for the research to define a case, such as an event, program, or process, that is of interest and the researcher believes will help understand the situation within the case. Cases can also be chosen because they are representative and unique, and it is expected that the information from the particular case will be informative. The researchers prepare the questions beforehand and determine how to study the case, trying to narrow down the study of the question. The preparation questions should guide the case study and determine how to define the case later in the study. This is very helpful for preparing interviews and observations. Another aspect is to identify the sources of the data and consider the propositions. So, the preparation and planning of the case studies are difficult to balance the scientific rigor and the opportunity to explore and discover. However, in certain instances, the case study method is more suitable.

4. Analyzing and Interpreting Case Study Data

The last two steps of analyzing case study data involve interpreting the findings and generalizing them to further theory. As stated before, much of case study findings are an interpretation from the researcher. In this sense, a clear explanation for the findings must be produced. This can often be done using the data itself, such as a quote from an interview. Once the findings have been well interpreted, it might be useful to match them with a graphical representation of the data so that they’re at hand to use when drafting research reports.

Another step is to verify that the findings are actually caused by the case study, that is to say that they are not a result of some other confounding variable. If the case study in question is an in-depth study of a person’s actions, then it will often be the case that the findings are simply an interpretation of the researcher on what the data implies. In this instance, it is best to have a colleague second analyze the data and then compare their interpretations with the findings. If they are similar, then it is likely that the findings are an accurate representation of the data.

In analyzing and interpreting case study data, there are many steps that can be attended to. The first step usually involves the researcher making a preliminary comparison of the findings with the original general research question. It is at this point that the researcher will look to see whether the findings are consistent with or ‘prove’ the general assertions made. In the case of a multiple or comparative case study, a cross-case analysis can be conducted, i.e. comparing each case to the original findings to really get a grip on whether the findings are relative to the general question.

5. Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies in Research

Case study research in some situations can be a very significant source of information that is unique to clinical practice. Using the example of the film on schizophrenia, it is likely that the methods used to collect the data were mainly observations and semi-structured interviews, and the data will never be replicated in a lab or with a large sample of schizophrenic patients. This specific type of research could also provide a significant and interesting teaching resource, as it’s very likely that the case material can be used as clinical examples in the teaching of abnormal psychology. But the most important benefit of case study research is the potential for the development of a novel hypothesis for later testing. This is because case studies are often exploratory in nature and there can be an excessive amount of information on an individual case that was not anticipated before the study began.

Guideline 3

Case studies can provide rich descriptive information about phenomena, thus giving rise to or challenging theory. They are a primary research method and they can be used with a specific aim in mind – testing, theory building, theory testing, and inductive research.

Guideline 2

Case study research can have important benefits and a few drawbacks. For example, usually it is based on the assumption that small samples can provide as much valuable information as one that is large. This will depend on the representativeness of the sample and there is always uncertainty as to how many people a sample should include. Multiple case studies are often a way of establishing the external validity of a study.

Guideline 1

Summary

Benefits and limitations of case studies