Case Study Research
PRESENTATION COMPILED BY:
RAMESH ADHIKARI
CJMC, KATHMANDU, NEPAL
ORIGINAL TEXT FROM: ‘INSIDE
THE RESEARCHERS’ TOOLBOX’
PROFESSIONAL LECTURE SERIES
DR JOSEPHINE MUIR
JOMUIR@INJAZ.COM.AU
Definition: Case Study Research
 “An empirical enquiry that:
 investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its
real-life context, especially when the boundaries
between phenomenon and context are not clearly
evident; and uses multiple sources of evidence”
(Yin,1984:23)
Key Features
 Qualitative research technique
 Means of investigating complex phenomenon
 Anchored in real-life situations
 Intensive and descriptive
 Contextual analysis
Why so Wishy-Washy?
 Dubious (uncertain) historical beginnings
 multiple and conflicting definitions
 no standard methodological package
 is it a method, a methodology, a paradigm or an
approach?
 common parlance (jargon)
Study or Case Study?
 Is your thesis a case study of a particular
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
phenomenon or is it a study of a particular
phenomenon?
What is the working title of your thesis?
In one sentence, what is your thesis about?
In one sentence, what are you really interested in
finding out about your particular subject?
Is it a case study or study???
Study or Case Study?
Case Study
Study
It will not mention the specific area,
topic or case in the aim of your
thesis
It will mention the specific area,
topic or case in the aim of your
thesis.
It will not mention the specific area,
topic or case in the title of your
thesis
It will mention the particular
phenomena you are studying in the
title of your thesis.
It will use your discussion and
conclusion chapters to generalise
the findings of your research to a
broader context.
It will be limited significantly in its
ability to generalise the findings.
Title: Communicating campaign messages effectively.
Title: A communications audit of the 1998 Australian
Federal Election
Aim: to analyse effective communication strategies during
election campaigns
Aim: to analyse how effective politicians were in
communicating their messages to voters during the 1998
campaign
Study or Case Study?
Case Study
Study
Background: describe campaign communication
strategies; review best practice internationally.
Background: describe and track key campaign messages
used by John Howard and Kim Beazley during the
campaign
Method: Hypothesis is that commercial strategies used
by pollies to communicate; select case study method;
select 1998 AFE (may be select another case?)
Method: demonstrate HOW key campaign messages were
traced – speeches to media to voters.
Results: List key campaign messages – their media
coverage and the extent to which voters considered these
agendas salient.
Results: list key campaign messages – their media
coverage and the extent to which voters considered these
agenda salient
Discussion: generalise findings; develop list of effective
communication strategies
Discussion: lessons learned from the 1998 AFE campaign
- what worked and what didn’t?
How to Conduct Case Study
Research?
1. Determine and define the research questions
2. Select the cases and determine data gathering and
analysis techniques
3. Prepare to collect the data
4. Collect data in the field (look at Merriam for field
note tips - Merriam, S. B. “Qualitative Research and
Case Study Applications in Education”. Jossey-Bass,
San Francisco: 1998.
5. Evaluate and analyse the data
6. Prepare the report
What does it look like?
Analysis Goals
 ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions
 Triangulation
 original findings
 accurate and reliable
 systematic method for deliberately sorting data
 cross check and verify data
Analysis Techniques
 Holistic interpretation or coding
 Coding = labels to classify, categorize and assign
meaning to your data
 Initial and focused coding
 Qualitative software or by hand
 Master coding sheet
Good case studies?
“.. case studies should be evaluated in terms of the
adequacy of the theoretical inferences that can be
generated. The aim is not to infer findings from
a sample to a population, but to engender
patterns and linkages of theoretical
importance.”
Source: Bryman (1989:173)
Critical Issues in Case Study Research
 Reliability
 Construct validity
 Internal validity
 External validity
 Extent to which findings can be extrapolated and
generalized
Westgren’s Burden of Proof?
 is the technique you have used appropriate to the
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
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research question?
have you applied the technique properly?
does your analysis follow the conventions of the
technique in your field, or in other social science
fields?
have you provided a "chain of evidence" in obtaining
and archiving data?
is your case study tied to appropriate theory?
Sources of Evidence
Stake and Yin indentified the following 6 sources of
Evidence in Case Studies:
1. Documents
2. Archival Records
3. Interviews
4. Direct Observation
5. Participant Observation
6. Physical Artifacts
THANK YOU