Case Studies Defined: : Case Studies Defined: Case studies are detailed investigations of individuals, groups, institutions or other social units. The essence of case studies is their central premise to illuminate a decision or set of decisions...specifically why they were made, how they were implemented and with what results.
Polit and Hungler (1997)
What Makes a Case Study Unique? : What Makes a Case Study Unique? The major difference between a case study and other types of research studies is that in a case study the study focuses on a specific case and not on an entire population of cases.
By studying a case in a bounded system under a normal environment the system can be understood in a natural state
(Stake, 1993).
Characteristics of Case Studies : Characteristics of Case Studies Particular focus using a variety of techniques
Can be qualitative, quantitative or mixed method.
Generally conducted over a lengthy period of time.
Good design for practical problems such as intriguing questions, situations, or puzzling occurrences arising from everyday practice.
(Merriam, 1998).
Case Studies Are… : Case Studies Are… Descriptive
Holistic
Hueristic
Inductive
Context dependent
(Kennedy, 1979)
Case Study Evaluations : Case Study Evaluations Case studies are the research technique of choice where broad, complex, multi-layered questions have to be addressed in complex circumstances.
The strength of case studies is their reliance on details and their complexity.
Case studies use multiple sources to obtain a variety of perspectives.
"Critical case studies are grounded in a critique of existing social structures and patterns. They assume theoretically that oppression and domination characterize the setting and seek to uncover how patterns of action perpetuate the status
quo"
(Rossman & Rallis, 2003, p. 106).
References : References Kennedy, M. (1979). Generalizing from Single Case Studies. Evaluation Quarterly, 3, 661-679.
Merriam, S.B. (1998). Qualitative research and case study applications in education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Polit, D. & Hungler, B. (1997) Essentials of Nursing Research : Methods, Appraisal, and Utilization 4th Edition. Sarasota Springs, NY: Humanalysis, Inc.
Rossman & Rallis (Kevin’s)
Stake, W.(1997). The Art of Case Study Research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.