Case Study

Case study is an ideal methodology when a holistic, in-depth investigation is needed (Feagin, Orum, & Sjoberg, 1991).

Case studies, on the other hand, are designed to bring out the details from the viewpoint of the participants by using multiple sources of data.

Case study is known as a triangulated research strategy.

Types of Case Study

• Descriptive - Descriptive cases require a descriptive theory to be developed before starting the project.

• Exploratory - Exploratory cases are sometimes considered as a prelude to social research.

• Explanatory - Explanatory case studies may be used for doing causal investigations. 

Steps Use in Case Study Step 1. Determine and Define the

Research Questions Step 2. Select the Cases and

Determine Data Gathering and Analysis Techniques

Step 3. Prepare to Collect the Data Step 4. Collect Data in the Field Step 5. Evaluate and Analyze the

Data Step 6 Prepare the Report

Strengths of Case Studies

• Comparatively flexible — emphasize exploration rather than prescription or prediction.

• Inclusive — allows researchers to begin with broad questions and try different methods in order to narrow their focus as their experiment

• Emphasis on Context — specialize in “deep data” or “thick description”

• Vividness and concreteness — carry a powerful intellectual and emotional impact on the reader.

Weaknesses of Case Studies

• Inherent subjectivity — can be stereotyped as the weak sibling among social science methods. “Investigators who do case studies are often regarded as having deviated from their academic disciplines, and their investigations as having insufficient precision, objectivity and rigor” (yin 1989).

• Time consuming — take time to include different research methods in order to get an inclusive case study.

• High investment — involve learning more about the subjects being tested since it emphasize on “deep data”, it can take a budget of $10,000 to examine 200 subjects.

• Ethical consideration — the personal integrity, sensitivity, and possible prejudices and biases of the investigators

• Common complaint — investigators change direction during the course of the study unaware that their original research design was inadequate for the revised investigation.

General characteristics

• Guba and Lincoln (1981) — “thick” description, grounded, holistic and lifelike, conversation-style format, illuminates meaning, builds on tacit knowledge

• Helmstadter (1970) — can be used to remedy or improve practice, results are hypotheses, design is flexible, can be applied to troubled situations

• Wilson (1979) — particularistic, longitudinal, qualitative

• Stake (1981) — inductive, multiplicity of data, descriptive, specific, heuristic

Designing Case Study

• a single-case design are ideal for studying unique or extreme cases, to confirm or challenge a theory or for cases where the researcher did not have access to before. However, the researcher should be careful not to misrepresent what was observed.

• Multiple-case designs are more suited when the researcher is interested in using more than one case to gather data from various sources and draw conclusions from the facts. They serve to confirm or corroborate evidence which enhances validity of the study. Multiple-design cases may require more than one investigator and training may be required covering aspects such as the reason for the study, the type of evidence to collect and what variations might be expected.

THANK YOU !!! Rachelle F. Batomalaque

Marie Cris B. Pruel