CASE STUDY I Chapter 1

By: Robert K. Yin, (2009)

How to Know Whether and When to Use Case Studies as a Research Method.
Presented By: Lina Caroline Kitosi 112sis12

Introduction
The case study is but one of the several ways of doing social science research. Other ways include but are not limited to experiments, surveys, histories and economic and epidemiologic research. It is meant to provide a description of an actual situation, commonly involving a decision or set of decisions, a challenge, a problem or an issue faced by an individual, group, organization, social, political or related phenomena. Its a common research method in psychology, sociology, political science, anthropology, social work, business education e.t.c. In international studies it is normally done by government.

Definition of a Case Study

A case study can be defined as an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident.

The Case study as a research method

Explain and show how is devoted to follow this rigorous methodological path
Investigator need to

Understand and openly acknowledge the strength and limitations of the case study research.

Application of case study

Case study favor qualitative research Its unique strength is its ability to deal with a full variety of evidence ---direct observations, interviews, documents and artifacts.

1. Explain
The presumed causal links in real life interventions that are too complex for the survey or experiment.

2. Describe
An intervention and the real life context in which it occurred

3. Illustrate
Certain topics within an evaluation in a descriptive mode.

4. Enlighten
Situations in which the intervention being evaluated has no clear, single set of outcomes.

Plan for conducting a case study

1
Identify research questions or other rationale for doing a case study

2
Make a decision to use a case study method, compared to other methods

3
Understand its

Title in here strength and

limitations

The more questions seek to explain some present circumstance the more that the case study method will be relevant.

The more relevant the method is, the more that your questions require an extensive and in depth description of some social phenomenon.

Important conditions that distinguish the 3 methods

Exploratory 1 2
Control of behavioral events

3
Contemporary events

CEO Form of research question

Explanatory Experiment Case study Descriptive History Archival Analysis Survey
How, why? How, why? How, why? Who, what, where, how many, how much? Who, what, where, how many, how much?

or

Distinction between case study and alternative research methods

Uses How or Why questions

The investigator has a little control over the events

Focus is on contemporary phenomena in a really life context.

How does the logic of design differentiate Case Study from other methods
C a s e S t u d y

Cope with the technically distinctive situations;

Relies on multiple sources of evidence; Develop theoretical preposition to guide data collection and analysis. Surveys History
Deal with noncontemporary events; Context investigation is extremely limited.

Experiment
Divorces a phenomenon from its context; Context is typically controlled by the laboratory environment

Variation within Case Study as a Research Method

Includes both single and multiple case studies Can include, and even limited to, quantitative evidence.

Case Study

Have a distinctive place in evaluation research

Can be conducted and written with many different motives

How to analyze a single case study and multiple case study.

Case studies can cover multiple cases and then draw a single set of cross-case conclusion.
Single cases Separate cases, different authors and different chapter. Multiple case Specific cases that do not appear as separate, individual chapters

Common strong evidence, vary in focus

Specific case.

Generalizable conclusions that could apply to many other programs

Numerous generalization based on the case studies

Criticisms of Case Study Method

Lack of rigor

Provide little basis for Scientific generalization Take too long, and they result in massive, unreadable documents Can not directly address causal relationships.
Response to criticism

Can offer important evidence to complement experiments.

Conclusion
 Case study research provide a way of investigating an empirical study by following a set of procedures. However, it has been recognized as being remarkably hard technique, although it is more analytic and has clear research design. Therefore, in choosing which type of research method to use researchers need to identify some situations in which all research methods might be relevant.  Thus, the importance of knowing how and when question is being asked about, contemporary set of events which have little or no control should be taken into consideration.

Discussion questions
Given the fact that case studies emphasize on skills possession in order to conduct it, how can a person who conduct a research in the first place adjust and overcome problems of using this type of research method?

How can an investigator substitute a survey study into case study and vice versa?

Thank You!
For your attention!