Introduction to Case Study - The Diigo Meta page

• 25 May 16
  

  bryonscoggin
• 17 Apr 14
  

  Kerryn Whiteside

  One of three articles by Tellis on designing, developing and reporting on case studies for research

  Case study methodology

• 12 Mar 14
  

  Sara Valla

  methodology case study qualitative research

• 06 Nov 13
  

  Sherry Lowrance
  • The unit of analysis is a critical factor in the case study. It is typically a system of action rather than an individual or group of individuals. Case studies tend to be selective, focusing on one or two issues that are fundamental to understanding the system being examined.
• 01 May 13
  

  Cathryn Chellis
  • case study
  • field procedures mostly involve data collection
  • having sufficient resources while in the field
  • subject's schedule must dictate the activity
  • Gaining access to the subject organization
  • scheduling data collection
  • data displays
  • analytic strategy
  • theoretical propositions
  • develop a case description
  • used a formal chapter construct to guide the development of the analysis
  • Pattern-matching

  10 more annotations...

• 22 Jan 13
  

  Tracy Lee Edwards

  casestudy

• 21 Jan 13
  

  macdrew

  research casestudy methodology

• 13 Sep 12
  

  adolfo arrieta

  casestudy

• 21 Apr 12
  

  dsw610

  case study dissertation

• 23 Jan 12
  

  Trent Gunderson
• 14 Sep 11
  

  Stephen Rahn

  casestudy dissertation

• 21 Jul 11
  

  Diane Gusa

  "Yin, R. (1994). Case study research: Design and methods (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing"

  case-study methods teaching

  • Case studies have been used to develop critical thinking (Alvarez, et al., 1990). There are also interactive language courses (Carney, 1995), courses designed to broaden the students' horizons (Brearley, 1990), and even for technical courses (Greenwald, 1991), and philosophical ones (Garvin, 1991).
• 21 Apr 11
  

  M F
• 13 Apr 11
  

  Hardi Prasetyo

  research methodology case-study qualitative_research

• 20 Feb 11
  

  Mark Glynn

  research casestudy methodology case_study research_methods

• 07 Feb 11
  

  Muireann OKeeffe

  case_study research methods

• 03 Nov 10
  

  Joy Quah Yien-ling
• 05 Oct 10
  

  nathandh_2000

  example of a case study, quite dated though

  casestudy studies

  • The goals of this study include an examination of the (a) managerial and (b) economic aspects of the rapid acquisition of information technology.
  • Samuel Levy (1988) conducted a study of instructional and research computing at the University of Arizona. This study replicates and extends the Levy (1988) study, and was conducted at Fairfield University. The current study extends the Levy (1988) study in its examination of aspects of the Internet, the World Wide Web, and Client/Server computing. Levy (1988) established the use of the case study as appropriate for the research project, and this researcher also used the literature to confirm the use of case methodology in the study at Fairfield University.
  • Case Study Methodology
  • The methodology in the United States was most closely associated with The University of Chicago Department of Sociology. From the early 1900's until 1935, The Chicago School was preeminent in the field and the source of a great deal of the literature.
  • The field of sociology is associated most strongly with case study research,
  • Hamel (Hamel et al., 1993) was careful to reject the criticisms of case study as poorly founded, made in the midst of methodological conflict. He asserted that the drawbacks of case study were not being attacked, rather the immaturity of sociology as a discipline was being displayed. As the use of quantitative methods advanced, the decline of the case study hastened. However, in the 1960s, researchers were becoming concerned about the limitations of quantitative methods. Hence there was a renewed interest in case study. Strauss and Glaser (1967) developed the concept of "grounded theory." This along with some well regarded studies accelerated the renewed use of the methodology.
  • A frequent criticism of case study methodology is that its dependence on a single case renders it incapable of providing a generalizing conclusion
  • Case study can be seen to satisfy the three tenets of the qualitative method: describing, understanding, and explaining.
  • The literature contains numerous examples of applications of the case study methodology. The earliest and most natural examples are to be found in the fields of Law and Medicine, where "cases" make up the large body of the student work
  • The evaluative applications were carried out to assess the effectiveness of educational initiatives. In both types of investigations, merely quantitative techniques tended to obscure some of the important information that the researchers needed to uncover.
  • Case studies can be single or multiple-case designs, where a multiple design must follow a replication rather than sampling logic. When no other cases are available for replication, the researcher is limited to single-case designs. Yin (1994) pointed out that generalization of results, from either single or multiple designs, is made to theory and not to populations. Multiple cases strengthen the results by replicating the pattern-matching, thus increasing confidence in the robustness of the theory
  • There were suggestions for a general approach to designing case studies, and also recommendations for exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive case studies. Each of those three approaches can be either single or multiple-case studies, where multiple-case studies are replicatory, not sampled cases. There were also specific examples in education, and management information systems. Education has embraced the case method for instructional use.
  • In exploratory case studies, fieldwork, and data collection may be undertaken prior to definition of the research questions and hypotheses. This type of study has been considered as a prelude to some social research. However, the framework of the study must be created ahead of time. Pilot projects are very useful in determining the final protocols that will be used. Survey questions may be dropped or added based on the outcome of the pilot study.
  • Explanatory cases are suitable for doing causal studies. In very complex and multivariate cases, the analysis can make use of pattern-matching techniques
  • Descriptive cases require that the investigator begin with a descriptive theory, or face the possibility that problems will occur during the project. Pyecha (1988) used this methodology to study special education, using a pattern-matching procedure. Several states were studied and the data about each state's activities were compared to another, with idealized theoretic patterns
  • Case studies have been increasingly used in education
  • Schools of business have been most aggressive in the implementation of case based learning, or "active learning" (Boisjoly & DeMichiell, 1994). Harvard University has been a leader in this area, and cases developed by the faculty have been published for use by other institutions
  • Yin (1994) recommended the use of case-study protocol as part of a carefully designed research project that would include the following sections:
  • Overview of the project (project objectives and case study issues)
  • Field procedures (credentials and access to sites)
  • Questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection)
  • Guide for the report (outline, format for the narrative)
  • The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards a holistic understanding of cultural systems of action (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1990). Cultural systems of action refer to sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the actors in a social situation. The case studies must always have boundaries (Stake, 1995). Case study research is not sampling research, which is a fact asserted by all the major researchers in the field, including Yin, Stake, Feagin and others. However, selecting cases must be done so as to maximize what can be learned, in the period of time available for the study.

  21 more annotations...

• 16 Sep 10
  

  Shaunna Smith

  qualitative research

• 06 Sep 10
  

  njdegraaff

  research_methods

• 29 Aug 10
  

  brian emerson

  case_studies

• 09 Aug 10
  

  Pauline Rooney

  Introduction to Case Study
  by
  Winston Tellis+

  casestudy methodology data_analysis categorical aggregation

• 03 Jun 10
  

  Denise Menchaca
• 26 May 10
  

  dazza50

  methodology case+study study research

• 29 Apr 10
  

  Antonio Figueiredo

  ResearchMethods delicious

• 07 Apr 10
  

  L Prosen

  casestudy research qualitative WGU methodology

  • case study is done by giving special attention to completeness in observation,  reconstruction, and analysis of the cases under study. Case study is done in a  way that incorporates the views of the "actors" in the case under study.
  • Strauss and Glaser (1967) developed the  concept of "grounded theory.
  • A frequent criticism of case study methodology is that its dependence on a  single case renders it incapable of providing a generalizing conclusion
  • Case studies can be single or multiple-case designs
  • Explanatory cases are suitable for doing causal studies.
  • The utilization outcomes were explained by three rival theories: a  knowledge-driven theory, a problem-solving theory, and a social-interaction  theory.
  • Problem-solving theory follows the same path, but originates not with a  researcher, but with an external source identifying a problem
  • Descriptive cases require that the investigator begin with a descriptive  theory, or face the possibility that problems will occur during the project.
  • must cover the depth and scope of the case under study.
  • The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards a  holistic understanding of cultural systems of action
  • sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the actors in a social situation
  • Case studies tend to be selective, focusing on one or two issues that are  fundamental to understanding the system being examined.
  • Case studies are multi-perspectival analyses.
  • Case study is known as a triangulated research strategy.

  12 more annotations...

• 28 Feb 10
  

  Ben Satterfield

  "Introduction to Case Study
  by
  Winston Tellis+
  
  The Qualitative Report, Volume 3, Number 2, July, 1997
  (http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html"

• 11 Jan 10
  

  Noah Ullmann

  Descrip

  thesis casestudy

• 22 Nov 09
  

  Vicki McGarvey

  case_study

• 18 Nov 09
  

  Diana Dell

  casestudies research

• 11 Oct 09
  

  Norma Scagnoli

  case-study

• 04 Oct 09
  

  David Peter

  method research methodology qualitative case-study studies case casestudy introduction

  • Yin (1994) identified five components of research design that are important for case studies:

      
     
    • A study's questions  
    • Its propositions, if any  
    • Its unit(s) of analysis  
    • The logic linking the data to the propositions  
    • The criteria for interpreting the findings (Yin, 1994, p. 20). 
  • Case studies can be either single or multiple-case designs. Single cases are used to confirm or challenge a theory, or to represent a unique or extreme case (Yin, 1994). Single-case studies are also ideal for revelatory cases where an observer may have access to a phenomenon that was previously inaccessible. Single-case designs require careful investigation to avoid misrepresentation and to maximize the investigator's access to the evidence. These studies can be holistic or embedded, the latter occurring when the same case study involves more than one unit of analysis. Multiple-case studies follow a replication logic. This is not to be confused with sampling logic where a selection is made out of a population, for inclusion in the study. This type of sample selection is improper in a case study. Each individual case study consists of a "whole" study, in which facts are gathered from various sources and conclusions drawn on those facts.

  • Stake (1995), and Yin (1994) identified at least six sources of evidence in case studies. The following is not an ordered list, but reflects the research of both Yin (1994) and Stake (1995):

      
     
    • Documents  
    • Archival records  
    • Interviews  
    • Direct observation  
    • Participant-observation  
    • Physical artifacts 

  1 more annotation...

• 26 Sep 09
  

  leocasey

  qualitative_research case_study

• 17 Jul 09
  

  jon mannion

  methodology case-study qualitative methods research Davis

• 06 Mar 09
  

  Joy Harris

  casestudy methods methodology qualitative research

• 28 Nov 08
  
• 16 Oct 08
  

  Theresa Butori

  • Yin (1994) recommended the use of case-study  protocol as part of a carefully designed research project that would include the  following sections:

     
     
    • Overview of the project (project objectives and case study issues)  
    • Field procedures (credentials and access to sites)  
    • Questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during  data collection)  
    • Guide for the report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p. 64)
     

    The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards  a holistic understanding of cultural systems of action (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1990). Cultural  systems of action refer to sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the  actors in a social situation. The case studies must always have boundaries (Stake, 1995). Case study research is not sampling  research, which is a fact asserted by all the major researchers in the field,  including Yin, Stake, Feagin and others. However, selecting cases must be done  so as to maximize what can be learned, in the period of time available for the  study

  • Yin (1994) encouraged researchers to make  every effort to produce an analysis of the highest quality. In order to  accomplish this, he presented four principles that should attract the  researcher's attention:

     
     
    • Show that the analysis relied on all the relevant evidence  
    • Include all major rival interpretations in the analysis  
    • Address the most significant aspect of the case study  
    • Use the researcher's prior, expert knowledge to further the analysis  

  • Yin (1994) identified five components of  research design that are important for case studies:

     
     
    • A study's questions  
    • Its propositions, if any  
    • Its unit(s) of analysis  
    • The logic linking the data to the propositions  
    • The criteria for interpreting the findings (Yin, 1994, p. 20).
     

    The study's questions are most likely to be "how" and "why" questions, and  their definition is the first task of the researcher
  • The goal of the study should establish the parameters, and then should be  applied to all research. In this way, even a single case could be considered  acceptable, provided it met the established objective.

  • Stake (1995), and Yin (1994) identified at least six sources of  evidence in case studies. The following is not an ordered list, but reflects the  research of both Yin (1994) and Stake (1995):

     
     
    • Documents  
    • Archival records  
    • Interviews  
    • Direct observation  
    • Participant-observation  
    • Physical artifacts
  • typicality
  • pattern-matching"
  • causal (explanatory) cases
  • inferences" in case studies, and can be dealt with using pattern-matching,
  • Single cases are used to confirm or challenge a theory
  • • An overview of the case study project (objectives, issues, topics being  investigated)  
    • Field procedures (credentials and access to sites, sources of information)  
    • Case study questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in  mind during data collection)  
    • A guide for case study report (outline, format for the narrative)
  • The overview should communicate to the reader the general topic of inquiry and  the purpose of the case study. The field procedures mostly involve data  collection issues and must be properly designed. The investigator does not  control the data collection environment (Yin,  1994) as in other research strategies; hence the procedures become all the more  important. During interviews, which by nature are open ended, the subject's  schedule must dictate the activity (Stake,  1995). Gaining access to the subject organization, having sufficient resources  while in the field, clearly scheduling data collection activities, and providing  for unanticipated events, must all be planned for.
  • start data collection before the study questions have been defined and finalized

  11 more annotations...

• 25 Sep 08
  

  Dennis Bayeng

  delicious

• 02 Sep 08
  

  todd warnecke

  casestudies

• 02 Aug 08
  

  Ronald Buelow

  writing study research methods methodology casestudy casestudies case_study qualitative reference nsu dissertation

• 30 Jun 08
  

  Anica Petkoska

  case studies

• 22 May 08
  

  Clark Gawletz

  research

• 09 Mar 08
  

  Cindy Dean

  case studies

• 31 Jan 08
  

  rmosvold

  This appears to be a thorough and good introduction to case-study research!
  
  

  research methodology qualitative case-study

• 18 Jan 08
  

  john lee

  research methods

• 24 Oct 07
  

  Stan Skrabut

  case_studies ITEC_5510

• 23 Sep 07
  

  Jana Ulrich

  EdD caseStudy

• 26 Jun 07
  

  Nick Bowskill

  case study research

• 20 May 07
  

  Donna DesRoches

  research

• 15 Apr 07
  

  Siya Li
  • Yin (1993) presented Giddens' view that considered case methodology "microscopic" because it "lacked a sufficient number" of cases.
  • Explanatory cases are suitable for doing causal studies. In very complex and multivariate cases, the analysis can make use of pattern-matching techniques.
  • used a funded research project as the unit of analysis,
  • The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards a holistic understanding of cultural systems of action (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1990). Cultural systems of action refer to sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the actors in a social situation. The case studies must always have boundaries (Stake, 1995). Case study research is not sampling research, which is a fact asserted by all the major researchers in the field, including Yin, Stake, Feagin and others. However, selecting cases must be done so as to maximize what can be learned, in the period of time available for the study.
  • Case studies are multi-perspectival analyses. This means that the researcher considers not just the voice and perspective of the actors, but also of the relevant groups of actors and the interaction between them. This one aspect is a salient point in the characteristic that case studies possess. They give a voice to the powerless and voiceless. When sociological studies present many studies of the homeless and powerless, they do so from the viewpoint of the "elite" (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991).
  • criteria
  • A study's questions
  • unit(s) of analysis
  • focused interview
  • Multiple-case studies follow a replication logic. This is not to be confused with sampling logic where a selection is made out of a population, for inclusion in the study.

  8 more annotations...

• 04 Mar 07
  

  case studies

• 09 Nov 06
  

  vanesa

  4c case-study imported:del.icio.us research

• 12 Sep 06
  

  Ole C Brudvik

  casestudy research_design

  • In exploratory case studies, fieldwork, and data collection may be undertaken prior to definition of the research questions and hypotheses. This type of study has been considered as a prelude to some social research. However, the framework of the study must be created ahead of time. Pilot projects are very useful in determining the final protocols that will be used. Survey questions may be dropped or added based on the outcome of the pilot study. Selecting cases is a difficult process, but the literature provides guidance in this area (Yin, 1989a). Stake (1995) recommended that the selection offers the opportunity to maximize what can be learned, knowing that time is limited. Hence the cases that are selected should be easy and willing subjects. A good instrumental case does not have to defend its typicality.
  • Explanatory cases are suitable for doing causal studies. In very complex and multivariate cases, the analysis can make use of pattern-matching techniques. Yin and Moore (1988) conducted a study to examine the reason why some research findings get into practical use. They used a funded research project as the unit of analysis, where the topic was constant but the project varied. The utilization outcomes were explained by three rival theories: a knowledge-driven theory, a problem-solving theory, and a social-interaction theory.
  • Descriptive cases require that the investigator begin with a descriptive theory, or face the possibility that problems will occur during the project. Pyecha (1988) used this methodology to study special education, using a pattern-matching procedure. Several states were studied and the data about each state's activities were compared to another, with idealized theoretic patterns. Thus what is implied in this type of study is the formation of hypotheses of cause-effect relationships. Hence the descriptive theory must cover the depth and scope of the case under study. The selection of cases and the unit of analysis is developed in the same manner as the other types of case studies.

  • Yin (1994) recommended the use of case-study protocol as part of a carefully designed research project that would include the following sections:

      
     
    • Overview of the project (project objectives and case study issues)  
    • Field procedures (credentials and access to sites)  
    • Questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection)  
    • Guide for the report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p. 64) 
      

    The quintessential characteristic of case studies is that they strive towards a holistic understanding of cultural systems of action (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1990). Cultural systems of action refer to sets of interrelated activities engaged in by the actors in a social situation. The case studies must always have boundaries (Stake, 1995). Case study research is not sampling research, which is a fact asserted by all the major researchers in the field, including Yin, Stake, Feagin and others. However, selecting cases must be done so as to maximize what can be learned, in the period of time available for the study.

      

    The unit of analysis is a critical factor in the case study. It is typically a system of action rather than an individual or group of individuals. Case studies tend to be selective, focusing on one or two issues that are fundamental to understanding the system being examined.

      

    Case studies are multi-perspectival analyses. This means that the researcher considers not just the voice and perspective of the actors, but also of the relevant groups of actors and the interaction between them. This one aspect is a salient point in the characteristic that case studies possess. They give a voice to the powerless and voiceless. When sociological studies present many studies of the homeless and powerless, they do so from the viewpoint of the "elite" (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991).

      

    Case study is known as a triangulated research strategy. Snow and Anderson (cited in Feagin, Orum
  •  Case study is known as a triangulated research strategy. Snow and   Anderson (cited in  Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991) asserted that triangulation can occur with data, investigators, theories, and even methodologies. Stake (1995) stated that the protocols that are used to ensure accuracy and alternative explanations are called triangulation. The need for triangulation arises from the ethical need to confirm the validity of the processes. In case studies, this could be done by using multiple sources of data (Yin, 1984). The problem in case studies is to establish meaning rather than location.

  • Yin (1994) identified five components of research design that are important for case studies:

      
     
    • A study's questions  
    • Its propositions, if any  
    • Its unit(s) of analysis  
    • The logic linking the data to the propositions  
    • The criteria for interpreting the findings (Yin, 1994, p. 20).
  • The study's questions are most likely to be "how" and "why" questions, and their definition is the first task of the researcher. The study's propositions sometimes derive from the "how" and "why" questions, and are helpful in focusing the study's goals. Not all studies need to have propositions. An exploratory study, rather than having propositions, would have a stated purpose or criteria on which the success will be judged. The unit of analysis defines what the case is. This could be groups, organizations or countries, but it is the primary unit of analysis. Linking the data to propositions and the criteria for interpreting the findings are the least developed aspects in case studies (Yin, 1994).
  • Campbell (1975) described "pattern-matching" as a useful technique for linking data to the propositions.  Campbell (1975) asserted that pattern-matching is a situation where several pieces of information from the same case may be related to some theoretical proposition. His study showed, through pattern-matching, that the observed drop in the level of traffic fatalities in Connecticut was not related to the lowering of the speed limit. His study also illustrated some of the difficulties in establishing the criteria for interpreting the findings.
  • Construct validity is especially problematic in case study research. It has been a source of criticism because of potential investigator subjectivity. Yin (1994) proposed three remedies to counteract this: using multiple sources of evidence, establishing a chain of evidence, and having a draft case study report reviewed by key informants. Internal validity is a concern only in causal (explanatory) cases. This is usually a problem of "inferences" in case studies, and can be dealt with using pattern-matching, which has been described above. External validity deals with knowing whether the results are generalizable beyond the immediate case. Some of the criticism against case studies in this area relate to single-case studies. However, that criticism is directed at the statistical and not the analytical generalization that is the basis of case studies. Reliability is achieved in many ways in a case study. One of the most important methods is the development of the case study protocol.
  • Case studies can be either single or multiple-case designs. Single cases are used to confirm or challenge a theory, or to represent a unique or extreme case (Yin, 1994). Single-case studies are also ideal for revelatory cases where an observer may have access to a phenomenon that was previously inaccessible. Single-case designs require careful investigation to avoid misrepresentation and to maximize the investigator's access to the evidence. These studies can be holistic or embedded, the latter occurring when the same case study involves more than one unit of analysis. Multiple-case studies follow a replication logic. This is not to be confused with sampling logic where a selection is made out of a population, for inclusion in the study. This type of sample selection is improper in a case study. Each individual case study consists of a "whole" study, in which facts are gathered from various sources and conclusions drawn on those facts.

  • A case study protocol contains more than the survey instrument, it should also contain procedures and general rules that should be followed in using the instrument. It is to be created prior to the data collection phase. It is essential in a multiple-case study, and desirable in a single-case study. Yin (1994) presented the protocol as a major component in asserting the reliability of the case study research. A typical protocol should have the following sections:

      
     
    • An overview of the case study project (objectives, issues, topics being investigated)  
    • Field procedures (credentials and access to sites, sources of information)  
    • Case study questions (specific questions that the investigator must keep in mind during data collection)  
    • A guide for case study report (outline, format for the narrative) (Yin, 1994, p. 64).
  • The overview should communicate to the reader the general topic of inquiry and the purpose of the case study. The field procedures mostly involve data collection issues and must be properly designed. The investigator does not control the data collection environment (Yin, 1994) as in other research strategies; hence the procedures become all the more important. During interviews, which by nature are open ended, the subject's schedule must dictate the activity (Stake, 1995). Gaining access to the subject organization, having sufficient resources while in the field, clearly scheduling data collection activities, and providing for unanticipated events, must all be planned for.
  • Case study questions are posed to the investigator, and must serve to remind that person of the data to be collected and its possible sources. The guide for the case study report is often neglected, but case studies do not have the uniform outline, as do other research reports. It is essential to plan this report as the case develops, to avoid problems at the end.
  • Case studies can be single or multiple-case designs, where a multiple design must follow a replication rather than sampling logic. When no other cases are available for replication, the researcher is limited to single-case designs. Yin (1994) pointed out that generalization of results, from either single or multiple designs, is made to theory and not to populations. Multiple cases strengthen the results by replicating the pattern-matching, thus increasing confidence in the robustness of the theory. Applications of case study methodology have been carried out in High-Risk Youth Programs (Yin, 1993) by several researchers.
  • There are several examples of the use of case methodology in the literature. Yin (1993) listed several examples along with the appropriate research design in each case. There were suggestions for a general approach to designing case studies, and also recommendations for exploratory, explanatory, and descriptive case studies. Each of those three approaches can be either single or multiple-case studies, where multiple-case studies are replicatory, not sampled cases. There were also specific examples in education, and management information systems. Education has embraced the case method for instructional use. Some of the applications are reviewed in this paper.

  13 more annotations...

• 22 Jun 05
  

  Constantin Basturea

  Available: http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-2/tellis1.html

  casestudies theory academia articles

• 08 Feb 05
  

  Patricia Rosen

  scroll down for section on analyzing case studies

  case study analsis studies

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