Zahra Amelia Djuhair's List: Case study

contextual analysis

Social scientists, in particular, have made wide use of this qualitative
research method to examine contemporary real-life situations and provide the basis
for the application of ideas and extension of methods

Researcher Robert K. Yin
defines the case study research method as an empirical inquiry that investigates
a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context; when the boundaries between
phenomenon and context are not clearly evident; and in which multiple sources
of evidence are used (Yin, 1984, p. 23)

Critics of the case study method
believe that the study of a small number of cases can offer no grounds for establishing
reliability or generality of findings. Others feel that the intense exposure to
study of the case biases the findings. Some dismiss case study research as useful
only as an exploratory tool. Yet researchers continue to use the case study research
method with success in carefully planned and crafted studies of real-life situations,
issues, and problems. Reports on case studies from many disciplines are widely
available in the literature.

an example case study project designed to
examine how one set of users, non-profit organizations, make use of an electronic
community network

The study examines the issue of whether or not the electronic
community network is beneficial in some way to non-profit organizations and what
those benefits might be

Robert
E. Stake, Helen Simons, and Robert K. Yin have written about case study research
and suggested techniques for organizing and conducting the research successfully

six
steps

Determine and define the research questions

Select the cases and determine data gathering and analysis techniques