The case study approach allows indepth, multifaceted explorations of complex. Case study method definition is a method of research used especially in sociology by which accumulated case histories are analyzed with a view toward formulating general principles. The method of generalisation for case studies is not. It includes a detailed written description of a stimulated or real life decision making scenario.
Its aim is to give a detailed description of a case study its definition, some classifications, and several advantages. Providing a complete portal to the world of case study research, the fifth edition of robert k. For example, a case study in medicine may examine a specific patient a doctor treated, and a case study in business might study a particular businesss strategy. Its aim is to give a detailed description of a case study its definition, some classifications, and several advantages and disadvantages in order to provide a better understanding of this. Like all excellent teaching, it is an art, not a science. Descriptive research is defined as a research method that describes the characteristics of the population or phenomenon that is being studied.
This study mainly focuses on ib and case study research literature, but some ideas from management, logistics, and marketing are also included. Learn case study psychology research methods with free interactive flashcards. The case study method research method originated in clinical medicine the case history, i. Case studies may differ in length, depth of research and market situation, but great case studies share similarities. The case study research design have evolved over the past few years as a useful tool for investigating trends and specific situations in many scientific disciplines. Aug 26, 2014 case study research method m e t h o d o l o g y r e v i e w prof. Collective case study involves more than one case, which may or may not be physically colocated with other cases. The case study method is a very popular form of qualitative analysis and involves a careful and complete observation of a social unit, be that unit a person, a family, an institution, a cultural group or even the entire community. Explains when case study can be used, research design, data collection and data analysis, offering suggestions for drawing on the evidence in writing a report or dissertation. In most cases, a case study method selects a small geograph ical area or a very li mited number. In order to make clear to which type of case study the. A system of instruction or study of law focused upon the analysis of court opinions rather than lectures and textbooks.
This method of study is especially useful for trying to test theoretical models by. Case study research has grown in reputation as an effective methodology to investigate and understand complex issues in real world settings. Case study is but one qualitative methodology, the output of which is the case study. Furthermore, the literature on case study is scattered across many disciplines, and much time can be wasted searching for selections that address ones specific questions. Definition of a case study a case study is a holistic inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its. The case study method is a popular research method that is particularly appealing for applied disciplines since processes, problems, andor programs can be studied to engender understanding that can improve practice. An exploratory case study is a preliminary project that will be the precursor to a larger study in the future. The case study research method originated in clinical medicine the case history, i. A case study is a research method that relies on a single case rather than a population or sample.
Trainees are expected to solve the problems stated in the case using their decision making ability complemented with. What case study is different forms of qualitative traditions exist and the design of research within each has distinct features cresswell, 98. Many definitions of mixed methods are available in the literature e. The fifth edition has been updated with nine new case. Casestudy method definition, the teaching or elucidation of a subject or issue through analysis and discussion of actual cases, as in business education. Insights from an overview of the methods literature abstract the methods literature regarding sampling in qualitative research is characterized by important inconsistencies and ambiguities, which can be problematic for students and researchers seeking a clear and coherent understanding. The case study has been especially used in social science, psychology, anthropology and ecology. Aug 03, 2015 a case study can be a couple of paragraphs or 20 pages or more. It developed during the course of the twentiethcentury from its origins in the casebook method of teaching law pioneered by harvard legal scholar christopher c. The longitudinal examination provides a systematic way of observing the events, collecting data, analysing information, and reporting the results over a long period of time.
Define the main principles, and analyse the advantages and limitations of one of the following research methods. The aim is that to find out the influencing factors of a social unit and the relationship between these factors and a social unit. Case study is a comprehensive study of a social unit, be it a person, a group of persons, an institution, a. Recommendations for using the case study method in. Yin, merriam, and stake abstract case study methodology has long been a contested terrain in social sciences research which is characterized by varying, sometimes opposing, approaches espoused by many research methodologists. In most cases, a case study method selects a small geographical area or a very limited number of individuals as the subjects of study. Instead of facultyled lectures, the case study method encourages interaction and class discussion in order to develop solutions to a set case study, which are written by faculty experts at top business schools, often working with businesses to ensure that they reflect the. Case studies are based on an indepth investigation of a single individual, group or event to explore the causes of underlying principles. Generalisation of the case study so that it contributes to theory is important. Draws heavily on previous established research in an attempt to distil the key aspects of case study research in such a way as to encourage new researchers to grapple with and apply these. Indian battery industry, work study, time study, plant layout cite this article. Its aim is to give a detailed description of a case study its definition, some.
Case study method in research methodology in research. Addiction is no more and no less than a particular psychological mechanism, identical at its core to other psychological compulsions, and is therefore best understood and reported by this method that explores the mind in. A case study is a story about something unique, special, or interestingstories can be about individuals, organizations, processes, programs, neighborhoods, institutions, and even events. The case study method requires a small sample size for it to yield an effective amount of data to be analyzed. Pdf the case study as a type of qualitative research. Pdf the case study as a type of qualitative research researchgate. Renu susan thomas, little flower college of nursing, angamaly 2. It is important to clarify the definition of these cases as they may be subjective, e. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext.
Analysis of case control studies the odds ratio or is used in case control studies to estimate the strength of the association between exposure and outcome. A definition of the case study is presented in section 1. Pdf using case studies in research semantic scholar. The book offers a clear definition of the case study method as well as discussion of design and analysis techniques. The approach of data collection is different for different fields of study, depending on the required information. Table 1 example of a case study investigating the reasons for differences in recruitment rates of minority ethnic. In business research, four common case study approaches are distinguished. Case study method definition of case study method by. The case study places more emphasis on the full analysis of a limited number of events or conditions.
A case study may consist of one scenario or several, and it may take many forms, from a traditional paperbased document to films, videos or audio recordings. The case study method has been essential in psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy, since it is the only way to describe and explore the deepest levels of the human psyche. Depending on the rigor of the analysis, states then determine the weight to assign to these results in the rate setting process. Case study and qualitative methods introduction to graduate students and researchers unfamiliar with case study methodology, there is often misunderstanding about what a case study is and how it, as a form of. Jan 14, 2017 when relying much on case studies, there is a tendency to imitate rather than to inspire which is a dangerous situation to be. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, university of maryland. It is a method of study in depth rather than breadth. Generalisation can only be performed if the case study design has been appropriately informed by theory, and can therefore be seen to add to the established theory. Definitions of qualitative case study research case study research is an investigation and analysis of a single or collective case, intended to capture the. Yins bestselling text offers comprehensive coverage of the design and use of the case study method as a valid research tool. Thus, it is important to remember that the nature of the study case control or cohort depends on the sampling method. Although a common definition of case studies exists, one may encounter various types of case studies see table 2. Singh and hemant yadav, improvement in process industries by using work study methods.
Case study is a research methodology, typically seen in social and life sciences. For purposes of this discussion, mixed methods research will be defined as a research approach or. Case study research forum qualitative sozialforschung forum. Choose from 500 different sets of case study psychology research methods flashcards on quizlet. Pdf case studies are used in design research to analyze a phenomenon, to generate hypotheses, and to validate a method. The case study method is a style of learning used on many mba courses which focuses on the student as decision maker. Definition of case study case study method enables a researcher to closely examine the data within a specific context. A case study focuses attention on a single unit thoroughly. Sociologists using these methods typically reject positivism and adopt a form of interpretive sociology. The case study document may be as short as two pages or as long as thirty.
The advantages and limitations of single case study analysis. In the social and life sciences, a case study is a research method involving an upclose, indepth, and detailed examination of a particular case. The case study method often involves simply observing what happens to, or reconstructing the case history of a single participant or group of individuals such as a school class or a specific social group, i. Chapter 3 research design, research method and population 3. A person who investigates begins with the general, main idea and start using research as a. Explore the research methods terrain, read definitions of key terminology.
A descriptive case study is one that is focused and detailed, in which propositions and questions about a phenomenon are carefully scrutinized and articulated at the outset. Case study method definition, characteristics, stages. Three approaches to case study methods in education. This paper aims to clarify the meaning, and explain the utility, of the case study method, a method often practiced but little understood. A case study is a research strategy and an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its reallife context. Case studies are indepth investigations of a single person, group, event or community. One type of qualitative research involves doing case studies, or examining the relationship between a phenomenon and a single person or. A case study is a descriptive and exploratory analysis of a person, group or event. Explanatory research is usually held for those ones that were researched not so good, or demands priorities, generates operational definitions and provides a betterresearched model. The most critical objective of data collection is ensuring that informationrich and reliable data is collected for statistical analysis so that datadriven decisions can be made for research. The case method is a teaching approach that uses decisionforcing cases to put students in the role of people who were faced with difficult decisions at some point in the past.
Typically, data are gathered from a variety of sources and by using several different methods e. When researchers focus on a single case, they can make detailed observations over a long period of time, something that cannot be done with large samples without costing a lot of money. For instance, studies on child language development can be conducted using this longitudinal case study method. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, university of maryland, college park. It is one of the various types of research that is focused on details. The common view that good case study research lacks a method is unwarranted.
Learn more about the characteristics, methods, examples and disadvantages of descriptive research. A collective case study may be conducted at one site e. Once the study is complete, a larger study could be done on whichever method was most effective. Guidance for the design of qualitative case study evaluation. If there are different demographics involved with the entity, or there are different needs which must be examined, then the case study method becomes very inefficient. Case study example introduction craniosacral therapy is a gentle, handson form of manual therapy which addresses dysfunction within the craniosacral system, which follows the movement and flow of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain, the dural tube, and the central nervous system surrounding the spinal and cranial nerves. Case study designs have been used across a number of disciplines, particularly the social sciences, education, business, law, and health, to address a wide range of research questions. The case method in legal education was invented by christopher columbus langdell, dean of harvard law school from 1870 to 1895. The definition of a case study is, according to merrian webster 2010, a published report about a person, group, or situation that has been. Robertson a, cresswell k, takian a, petrakaki d, crowe s, cornford t, et al. Here are 10 compelling characteristics of great case studies. The second type of research design is about gaps and holes, following robert k. I argue that for method ological purposes a case study is best defined as an indepth study of a single unit a relatively bounded phenomenon where the scholars aim is to elucidate features of a larger class of similar phenomena. The case study is a method used as a part of, offthejob managerial training and development.
Something that hasnt been brought up yet are case studies. If we sample the study participants based on exposure and move towards the outcome, it is a cohort study. The popular point of view that a case study is characterised by a holistic approach is explained and discussed in. Case definition in the original study time 1 ritvo et al. It outlines the background of various qualitative evaluation methods used in outcomes assessment e. Case study research design how to conduct a case study. Case study research has a long history within the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, dating back to the early 1920s. States may want to use the same method of estimating costs for all ages of children, or they may find it more informative to use a different method for schoolage. Christopher columbus langdell, a law professor, often receives credit for inventing the case method although historians have found evidence that. To call case study a method a term commonly confused with methodology would imply that case study is a technique, procedure, or means for gathering evidence or collecting data. Case studies and their impact on teaching and learning. Case study method enables a researcher to closely examine the data within a specific context. Case studies are appropriate when there is a unique or interesting story to be told. This article presents the case study as a type of qualitative research.
Case study methodology has long been a contested terrain in social sciences research which is characterized by varying, sometimes opposing, approaches espoused by many research methodologists. Finally, several opportunities for increasing the contribution of case studies are brought out. Given the expansive literature and limited space, i focus on comparative and case study. The case study is often accompanied by a set of teaching notes, one to several pages long. It is easy to get confused between the case study method and the case method, particularly as it applies to legal education. The case study approach bmc medical research biomed central. A case study can only be on one person at a time, but researches should be careful not to use one case study to generalize too much of the population. The popular point of view that a case study is characterised by a holistic approach is explained and discussed in section 1. So, presenting a case without formal study might just be the inspiration that people require to apply their own ideas and observations compared to relying on the analysis of other people. This pdf has been generated from sage research methods. A detailed analysis of a person or group, especially as a model of medical, psychiatric, psychological, or social phenomena.