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Case Study Methodology
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About: Case Studies
WHAT IS A CASE STUDY?
from Ameena Payne
Case study is an empirical inquiry that
investigates by addressing the how or
why concerning the phenomenon.
"Cases are bound by time and activity,
and researchers collect detailed
information using a variety of data
collection procedures over a sustained
02:04
period of time" (Stake, 1995; Yin, 2009,
2012, 2014, as cited in Creswell &
Creswell, 2018, p. 14).
What is a case? A conceptual map
1. Researchers see cases as “empirically real and bounded, but specific” (Becker
& Ragin, 1992, p. 9). Merriam may view cases in this way.
2. In addition to #1, there is no need to verify bounds or existence; cases are
general and typical Stake would perceive cases in this way
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ABOUT | Case Study Approach
general and typical. Stake would perceive cases in this way.
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3. Researchers see cases as “specific constructs which coalesce over the course
of the research” (Becker & Ragin, 1992, p. 10)
4. Researchers, like Yin, view constructions as the products of scholarly work
(Becker & Ragin, 1992, p. 10), as well-defined and well-structured research
methodology.
According to Stake (2005; p. 445-448) there are (3) types of case study:
Intrinsic
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Instrumental
Collective
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Key Theories, Theorists, and Authors | Case Study Approach
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Key Theories and
Theorists
"Yin, Stake and Merriam are seen as three foundational methodologists in
the area of case study research whose methodological suggestions largely
impact educational researchers’ decisions concerning case study design"
(Yazan, 2015, p. 134)
As a constructivist researcher, Stake insists that context is clarified, and must be
connected to the theme of the case (Ridder, 2020). In his 1995 book, The Art of Case
Study Research, Stake quotes Finnish philosopher Georg Henrik von Wright ‘s (1971)
text “Explanation and Understanding” to make the point that a distinction between
what knowledge is sought is what separates quantitative and qualitative inquiry (p.
37).
“Understanding is...connected with intentionality in a way that explanation is not”
(von Wright, 1971).
Von Wright goes on to acknowledge that although explanations are “intended to
promote understanding, and understanding is sometimes expressed in terms of
explanation – the two aims are epistemologically quite different” (Stake, 1995; p. 38).
Stake posits that although qualitative researchers place high priorities on direct
interpretation of events, which will be influenced by the researchers own ontology,
case study researchers are noninterventionists. Subjectivity is seen as an essential
element of understanding
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When it comes to analysis and interpretation of case study research results, Stake and
“All research is a search for
patterns, for consistencies”
(Stake, 1995, p. 44)
Trumbull (1982) put forward the notion of “naturalistic generalization”. Stake (1995)
argues that people learn by receiving generalizations, and form generalizations from
their experiences. These naturalistic generalizations are conclusions “arrived at
through personal engagement in life’s affairs” (p. 85). Case study researchers need to
provide vicarious experience opportunities for readers, perhaps through narrative
accounts or personalistic descriptions.
Merriam notes that the unit of analysis, not the topic of investigation, characterizes a
case study (Merriam & Tisdell, 2015). The phenomenon that the researcher is
interested in studying needs to be intrinsically bounded for it to be a case. Merriam
argues that this sets the case study approach apart from other types of qualitative
research, which are defined by the focus of the study, not the unit of analysis.
Furthermore, Merriam states that particular philosophical assumptions that lend
themselves to qualitative approaches also foreground the case study methodology.
For example, the view that reality is constructed by individuals interacting with their
social worlds (1998, p. 6). She continues to define the case study approach as
looking at what is is not – it is not casework, case method, case history, or case
record (p. 32). She views the case study as a suitable design if as a researcher you
are interested in process, which can be viewed in two ways. The first – monitoring;
describing the context, investigating the extent to which a program or treatment has
Sharan B. Merriam
been implemented, and providing immediate feedback. The second – causal
explanations; “discovering or confirming the process by which the treatment had
the effect that it did” (p. 33). Finally, Merriam argues, a case study might be chosen
for its uniqueness. Unique, or atypical, cases can provide us access to the range of
the human experience, that might otherwise be silenced as an outlier in a
“{theory}...determines
what we do not see, do not
quantitative approach.
Merriam (1998) states that all aspects of the case study are affected by its theoretical
ask, and do not attend to”
framework (p.47). Quoting Schwandt (1993, p. 7), Merriam notes “Atheoretical
(Merriam, 1998, p. 48).
question being asked, and the manner in which the question is phrased and formed
research is impossible”. No research study could be designed without some
into a problem statement will reflect a theoretical orientation.
As a positivist researcher Yin (2009) describes analytic processes in case study
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Key Theories, Theorists, and Authors | Case Study Approach
As a positivist researcher, Yin (2009) describes analytic processes in case study
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builder.
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today. assumptions
Start Now including the role of
research
design,
stemming
epistemological
the researcher in revealing scientific and true theories. In practice, Yin identifies “five
components of a research design” for case study (p. 27), as well as the use of a
“case study protocol” (p. 80-81).
The five components of a research design include:
a study’s questions
its propositions, if any
its units of analysis
the logic linking the data to the propositions; and
the criteria for interpreting the findings
The case study protocol, Yin notes, is much more than a questionnaire or an
instrument, rather, it contains the instrument in addition to the procedures and rules
to be followed in using the protocol. Yin argues that this greatly increases the
Ro bert K. Yin
reliability of case study research.
Yin notes the importance of the case study researcher having a thorough
understanding of theories potentially applicable to their field of study – including
“The simple goal is to have
a sufficient blueprint for
individual, group, organizational, and societal theories (p. 37). In turn, the five
components of a research design embody a “theory” of what is being studied.
your study, and this
requires theoretical
propositions” (Yin, 2009, p.
36).
Other Key Authors
In addition to the three foundational
theorists
mentioned
above,
we
have
compiled a list of additional resources
from key authors in the case study
methodology field.
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Key Theories, Theorists, and Authors | Case Study Approach
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Helen Simons (2009) Case
Study Research in Practice
View publications
Becker & Ragin (1992)
What is a case? Exploring
the Foundations of Social
Inquiry
Start Now
Creswell & Creswell (2017)
Research Design
View text
Flyvbjerg (2006)
Five Misunderstandings
about Case-Study Research
View text
View text
Gerring (2007)
Case Study Research:
Principles and Practices
Saville Kushner (2009)
Program Evaluation and
Case Study
View publications
View text
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Epistemology and Ontology | Case Study Approach
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Epistemology and
Ontology
Ontology
"What exists in the human world that we can
acquire knowledge about?"
Epistemology
"How do we create knowledge?"
Realism
One reality exists
Relativism
Multiple realities exist
Naive realism
Structural realism
Critical realism
Objectivism
Constructionism
"Meaning exists within an object; an objective
reality exists in an object independent of the
subject"
"Meaning created from interplay between the
subject and the object; subject constructs
reality of object
Subjectivism
Bounded relativism
Relativism
"Meaning exists within the subject; subject
imposes meaning on an object"
Paradigm
"What is the philosophical orientation of the
researcher that guides their research?"
application: to understand
application: to predict
(Social) constructivism
Sharan Merriam
Robert Stake
Positivism
Robert K. Yin
Post-positivism
Interpretivism
Structuralism
Hermeneutics
Phenomenology
Symbolic interactionism
adapted fro m Mo o n and Blackman (2014)
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Epistemology and Ontology | Case Study Approach
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How we believe the world exists (our ontology) will be
interwoven with how we see knowledge being created
and finding suitable means of understanding it (our
epistemology) - Burton and Bartlett (2009, p. 17)
In this short podcast episode, Lara Varpio, Associate
Professor and Associate Director of Research, Graduate
Programs in Health Professions Education at
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in
Bethesda, MD, gets listeners up to speed with
qualitative research approaches. The first resource she
points us to is this article which explains research
paradigms clearly and effectively for early career
researchers.
KEYLIME
Ayiro (2012; p. 63) defines epistemology as the philosophy of knowledge, or how we come to know. It poses the following questions:
What is the relationship between the knower and what is known?
How we do we know what we know?
What counts as knowledge?
Researchers can approach cases from various epistemological locations. Various definitions of case studies highlight different roles for
researchers and share an emphasis on making sense of localized experienced by focusing on a case or a particular. For example,
understanding activity (Stake, 1995), creating “empirical descriptions” (Eisenhardt & Graebner, 2007), and critiquing and interpreting
evidence (Stenhouse, 1978) (Compton-Lilly, 2012).
The dominant paradigms in case study methodology:
Positivist – the object of study is independent of researchers (YIN)
Constructivist – knowledge is established through the meanings attached to the phenomena studied, and inquiry changes both researcher
and subject. All research takes place within a paradigm – said or unsaid. (STAKE; MERRIAM)
Ridder (2020, p. 131) argues case studies are conducive to a constructivist perspective because they provide a more holistic, contextualised
story for the audience to engage with and connect to.
Yin (2009) describes analytic processes in case study research design, stemming from epistemological assumptions including the role of
the researcher in revealing scientific and true theories. Crotty (1998) notes three fundamental positivistic notions in research, including
objectivity, validity, and generalizability. Yazan (2015) identifies Yin’s epistemological orientation through his commitment to these
concepts.
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Epistemology and Ontology | Case Study Approach
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Ontology is concerned with the philosophy of existence – what assumptions and beliefs do we as researchers hold about the nature of
being? These beliefs can be organised along a spectrum from realism (one reality exists) to relativism (many realities exist), and it is along
this spectrum of ontology that three key theorists, Yin, Stake, and Merriam, place themselves and their ontological assumptions.
As noted in Harrison, Birks, Franklin and Mills (2017), Yin (2014) describes his approach to case study as using a “realist perspective” (2014,
p. 17). His focus on maintaining objectivity through rigorous empirical methods is embedded in his adherence to several tactics to employ
validity and reliability in the case study approach. Towards the other end of the ontology spectrum sits Stake (1995). Stake acknowledges
that knowledge generated from the case study process is multiple and subjective, placing emphasis on the researcher capturing their
interpreted reality of the case (1995). Brown (2008) places Merriam in the centre of the continuum as she draws on elements of both
pragmaticism and constructivism – acknowledging that Merriam’s approach is “informed by the rigor of Yin and enriched by the creative
interpretation described by Stake (p. 9)”.
“An ontology is the answer one would give to the question: What kind of things are there in the world?” (Benton & Craib, 2004, p. 4).
Burton and Bartlett (2009) suggest that researchers may see the world as fixed and clear, with set social structures that we each belong to,
or we may see the world, and our position in it, as fluid and changing (p. 17).
Positivist
Interpretivist
Critical theor y
Deconstructivist
reality is objective and 'found'
trust is one
reality is subjective and
reality is subjective and
reality is ultimately
constructed
constructed on the basis of
unknowable
'truths' are socially
discourse is structured and
truth is many
issues of power
transparent, reflecting reality
discourse is dialogic and
truth is many
constructured
what is true? what can we
creates reality
discourse is embedded in and
discourse is by nature
inseparable from its subject
know?
what is heuristic? what can we
controlled by rhetorical and
communication as
understand?
political purpose
is there a truth?
transmission
communication as transaction
what is just?
critique the world
communication as decision
communication as challenging
making
the nature of communication
dynamic, action-oriented
absence or denial of colour
natural, symbolic of
cool scientific - "objective"
growth
adapted fro m L at her, L . 2006, p. 38
EDX712 Theory and Methodology in Education Research
Deakin University
Emily Mischlewski | Ameena Payne | Leah Van Keulen
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Practical examples of
case study research
Events, situations, and extreme cases
All Posts
paynea4
4 days ago
1 min read
Interpret in context: Generalizing from the
single case in evaluation
Helen Simons
University of Southampton, UK
Abstract
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ThisThis
article
presents
an with
argument
for
how
to generalize
from
single today.
case study
evaluation
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designed
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Now
of a social programme or policy, focusing on two essential elements of case study – context
and particularity. Taking an interpretivist perspective and drawing on artistic and humanistic
ways of understanding, it examines both different ways of generalizing from the case that
retain a connection with the context in which they first arose and how we generalize by direct
encounter with the particular. This argument is not new. It has its origins in earlier centuries
and, in contemporary evaluation, dating back to the 1970s. However, in a political climate
that privileges evaluation approaches stemming from large sample studies and experimental
designs, it seems timely to restate the value of generalizing from the single case. Grounded
in the reality of programme experience and retaining that connection with context and
particulars in the case facilitates the use of evaluation knowledge.
Simons, H. (2015). Interpret in context: Generalizing from the single case in evaluation.
Evaluation, 21(2), 173–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356389015577512
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ejardine35
Dec 8, 2020
1 min read
Panopticon - it's as creepy as it sounds
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The Architecture of Surveillance: The Panopticon Prison
Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon. via Wikimedia Commons
The panopticon is an architectural design for a prison, used by Foucault (1977), a French
social historian, to explore how discipline was utilised by the state in mid-nineteenth-century
France (Hope, 2013; Flyvberg, 2006). Foucault (1977) drew upon the design, originally
published by Jeremy Bentham in 1791, as a powerful model for social analysis, suggesting
that constant surveillance could encourage individuals to monitor and adjust their own
behavior. Foucault discusses surveillance as only one aspect of panopticism, as part of a
much wider discourse of “disciplinary technology”, regimes of control, labelling of
individuals, and keeping of records.
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1 min read
The Wolfman - Sigmund Freud
Freud (1856-1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, who, in
1918, wrote an in-depth, longitudinal case study about a patient – Sergei Pankejeff, aka, The
Wolfman (From the History of an Infantile Neurosis). Freud had developed a theory that the
unconscious is the largest part of our minds and therefore has the greatest influence on our
development. This particular case study informed more specifically the development of his
theory of psychosexual development. He used case studies, gathering data from
psychoanalytic sessions with patients to try to uncover unconscious wishes, thoughts,
desires, and fears. Much of Freud’s analysis of The Wolfman centred on a dream that the
patient had as a young child, a representation of which Pankejeff sketched.
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Sergei Pankejeff, 1965. © Freud Museum London
View The Wolf Man’s Dream by Sergei Pankejeff
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Benefits and Challenges | Case Study Approach
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Benefits and Challenges
There are a great deal of
We have discussed some of
benefits and challenges to be
the most prominently
aware of when choosing case
encountered benefits and
study as your methodology.
challenges, to help prepare
you for your research journey.
Flexibility
Context
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Validity
Generalisability
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Objectivity
Reputation &
Unique Strengths
Consistency
Flexibility:
Case studies allow for a great range of flexibility in regard to the purpose, scope of the research and methods employed.
Ridder (2020) notes that case studies are commonly categorised as a purely explanatory tool, however in reality it has a far greater
range of applications and these are defined differently by experts in the field:
Robert E Stake
Robert K Yin
Sharan Merriam
(2015)
(2014)
(1998)
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This
wasisdesigned
Intrinsic
– site
a case
studied with the
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website –
builder.
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Nowthat
Exploratory
initialCreate your website today.
Descriptive
– one
out of a desire to learn more
research, seeking to find what
presents a detailed account of
about a phenomenon
is there
the phenomenon under study
Instrumental – a case is
Descriptive – has an objective
(e.g. a historical case)
conducted to build on and
and sets out to provide a
Evaluative – involves
explore an existing study or
thorough account of a
description, explanation, and
area of interest
particular phenomena
judgement
Collective - a study is
Explanatory – attempts to
Interpretive – descriptive but
conducted from more than
identify factors that
then used to develop
one case. For example,
contribute to the phenomena
conceptual categories, or to
several cases may be
illustrate, support, or
observed at different schools,
challenge theoretical
and they are then studied
assumptions held prior to
collectively
data collection
Case studies can be designed different ways, depending on their purpose
Single case holistic designs
Single case embedded designs
Multiple case holistic designs
Multiple case embedded designs
(Yin, 2009, p. 39-53)
Case studies can utilize many forms of data collection, including both quantitative and qualitative methods.. Yin lists six possible
sources as:
Documents
Archival records
Interviews
Direct Observations
Participant observation
Physical Artefacts
(Yin, 2003, p. 98)
Context:
Unlike many other forms of research that present a narrow scope of data, case studies can provide a great deal of context for the issue/s
being represented (Miles, 2015). Case studies allow researchers to collect authentic data from the source of the subject, in its natural
environment (Willis, 2007, p. 239). Longhofer, Floersch and Hartmann (2017) argue that this authenticity captures what it really means to
be human whilst experiencing the studied phenomenon. It illustrates our fallibility, our capacity to let emotion rather than logic dictate
our choices and the nuances that influence every outcome.
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Accessibility:
Stories of experiences are relatable and engaging to an audience, being able to connect to the context can allow for greater depth of
understanding (Miles, 2015). “Case studies often contain a substantial element of narrative. Good narratives typically approach the
complexities and contradictions of real life” (Flyvbjerg, 2006, p. 237). This context provides a depth and breadth of data that contributes
to an observer's ability to understand and make connections to the experiences being examined. Stake (2009) explains that case studies
provide vicarious opportunities that allow the audience to benefit as they might had they lived the experience. As such, case studies lend
themselves well to the domains of social, education and medical research, where they are well utilised to simulate contextualised
phenomena to inspire reflection, discourse and professional development.
Unique Strengths:
Validity:
'Validity and reliability have been widely used as criteria for determining the quality of
qualitative research (Yin, 2003). Validity is concerned with the question of whether the
researcher is studying the phenomenon they purport to be studying and reliability is
concerned with the question of whether the researcher is obtaining data on which she or he
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can rely.'
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(McKinnon,
p. 36)
Case study research has been criticised as lacking academic rigour (Gerring, 2007). Inherently, there are limitations in case study research,
particularly related to validity and reliability. Whilst it may not be possible to eliminate such limitations in full, we can certainly minimise
the impact of such limitations by adopting certain strategies and tactics. Yin (2009) encourages meticulous design to ensure the integrity
of the research. He proposes that the following design tests will help to ensure that case studies meet the standards of scientific research,
providing ‘trustworthiness, credibility, confirmability and data dependability’ (Yin, 2014, p. 51)
Construct validity:
This test safeguards credibility by demonstrating that the
researcher has defined specific parameters of the
operational measures. Being explicit about the concepts to
be examined and the data that will be used to measure them,
will substantiate impartiality (Yin, 2014, p. 52).
Flyvbjerg’s Strategies for the Selection of Samples and Cases (2006) provides some useful considerations to help achieve validity and
reliability.
Learn More
However, it is worth noting that not all experts agree with this approach. Stake (1995) holds that rigid design stifles research that ought to
be responsive to unforeseeable elements. Merriam (2015) argues that flexibility improves a qualitative study, for example, data analysis is
optimised if done concurrently with the data collection. This allows the research to be reflexive and adapt future data collection to try to
ensure that all relevant and useful data will be gathered
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Generalisability:
Another common challenge to the credibility of a case study is the assumption that data collected from a single case cannot be broadly
applied and generalised (Miles, 2015 p. 309). Stake (1995) admits that case studies are not optimal for generalisations, when compared to
certain other forms of research. However, he also notes that case studies have the capacity to uncover nuance, to identify detailed
patterns that can serve to enhance understandings and contribute to generalisations (Stake, 1995, pp. 7-8). Ultimately, the discussion on
generalisations in case study research is as deep and broad as the complex variety of case studies out there. So much depends on the
individual study, the researcher, chosen methods, objectives. Creswell (2014) argues that the vivid illustration formed by a case study
allows for the audience to make their own connections and generalisations, while Gerring (2007) posits that every case study has an
element of both particularising and generalising to varying degrees. For more information on generalisability, please see Helen Simons
(2009) article, 'Interpret in context: Generalizing from the single case in evaluation'
So the particularizing/generalizing distinction is rightly understood as a
continuum, not a dichotomy. Case studies typically partake of both worlds.
They are studies both of something particular and of something more
general. (Gerring, 2007, p. 76)
Objectivity:
In a research methodology that requires human interpretation of a complex set of data, a certain amount of inferential bias is inescapable
(Maoz 2014). Concern has been expressed, that that the quantity of data requiring interpretation in case studies, creates greater
opportunities for bias toward verification of the researcher’s preconceived notions (Flyvbjerg, 2006, p. 234).
Maoz (2014) asserts that all aspects of a case study must be transparent to secure the credibility of the research. From initial choices,
design and data analysis process, the audience must be able to read the research with an awareness of the authors’ position, in order to
maintain a critical lens and to allow for replication. One could argue that these conditions ought to be met in all research
methodologies, as subjectivism is an issue that concerns all research designs, qualitative and otherwise (Flyvbjerg, 2006, p. 235).
Yin’s (2014) reliability test offers a solution that would work to counter this quandary and sate Moaz’s expectations.
Through use of a case study database or detailed record, the researcher's choices and inferences can be clearly
documented, thus allowing the audience to make an informed analysis.
Reputation & Consistency:
Those who take the time to understand the nature and
complexity of case studies are aware that this methodology
has the rigour to stand beside other respected forms of
research. Nevertheless, various misconceptions about
Yin (2018) notes that the aforementioned fallacious beliefs
can cause case study research to be viewed as less
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Benefits and Challenges | Case Study Approach
its academic adequacy
persists
withwith
some
(Gerring,
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2004).
this by being ready to defend their choice, but it is a
potential challenge that is worth noting when selecting this
methodology.
The varied approaches and lack of consensus on
case study protocols are likely to contribute to
some misunderstandings and scepticism in the
broader academic community (Yazan, 2015).
Robert Yin (2003, p. 102) provides strengths and weaknesses of data collection methods.
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Suitability | Case Study Approach
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Suitability
Suitability (Introduction)
00:00 / 01:16
Suitable questions
All research is undertaken to uncover patterns (Stake, 1995, p. 44) and describe and explain variance in
the world. Research questions for a case study can be both quantitative and qualitative, as empirical
units or theoretical constructs but often use terms that are conceptual. Quantitative researchers grasp
phenomenon in terms of descriptive variables, measurements and calibrations (i.e., numbers).
Conversely, “to sharpen the search for understanding, qualitative researchers perceive what is happening
in terms of key variables or testimonies and represent happenings with their own direct interpretation
and stories (i.e., narratives)” (Stake, 1995, p. 40).
Case study method has a distinct advantage when the researcher is looking at the ‘how’, about a contemporary set of events,
over which the researcher has little or no control (Yin, 2004 p. 13). According to Flyvbjerg (2006), case studies are misjudged
to be most useful for hypothesis generation rather than hypothesis testing and theory building. The misunderstanding is
based on the misconception that generalisations cannot be made based on individual cases. Flyvbjerg (2006) believes that
we can revise and correct the misunderstanding, and “case study is useful for both generating and testing of hypotheses but
is not limited to these research activities alone” (p. 229).
"Good research questions are especially important for case studies because case and context are infinitely complex and the
phenomena are fluid and elusive (Stake, 1995, p. 33). The best suited research questions for case study are “sharpened or
evolved issue questions that will help structure the observation, interviews, and document review” (Stake, 1995, p. 20). Issues
are abstruse; they are intricately weaved within historical, political, social and personal contexts. Issue questions may be
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statements such as cause and effect relationships (Stake, 1995, p. 18).
WARNING: This video may potentially trigger seizures for people
with photosensitive epilepsy. Viewer discretion is advised.
Issues questions serve to provide a conceptual structure in the organisation of the case study. This case/narrative
approach allows for the case to be fundamentally reconstructed (Becker & Ragin, 1992, p. 63). It is vital for researchers to
be open to the development and evolution of their question as issues evolve and “emic issues emerge” (Stake, 1995, p.
20). An emic perspective serves to provide descriptive in-depth reports about how 'insiders’ understand their practices.
“Qualitative research uses these narratives to optimize the opportunity of the reader to gain an experiential
understanding of the case” (Stake, 1995, p. 40). The language of variables becomes less appropriate in the
case/narrative approach. A case study has a story to tell.
Suitable Methods
Suitable Methods
00:00 / 02:49
Transcript
In standard positivist analysis, population/analytic views applied to cases may accomplish very little (Becker &
Ragin, 1992, p. 62). Such case studies may investigate several hypotheses through analytic narrative statements
where the variables act as subjects (Becker & Ragin, 1992, p. 57). An example is Halaby and Weakliem’s (1989)
Worker Control and Attachment to the Firm. In these narratives, the subjects ‘do something’ (thought to be
causality). Perhaps it is unexpected; thus, the steps (and variables) in the narrative chain rise; however,
methodological restrictions allow only one narrative “which must cover the stories of all the cases, although the
search for alternate variables betokens a covert assumption that causality is logically dependent on narration”
(Becker & Ragin, 1992, p. 57). The case contributes little beyond poor information and limited decision-making. In
contrast, the case/narrative approach “can mix demographic and (variable-type) analytic happenings in ways
forbidden by the case concept implicit in the population/analytic studies” (Becker & Ragin, 1992, p. 63). In singlecase studies such as Shaw’s (1930) Stanley the Jack Roller narrative is involved The first step in single case
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case studies, such as Shaw s (1930) Stanley the Jack Roller, narrative is involved. The first step in single-case
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‘Case study research allows challenging research
questions to be addressed using multiple sources of
data or evidence’ (Remenyi, 2004, p. 16).
Six (6) common sources of evidence in conducting case studies (Yin, 2014):
Direct
observations
Documents
Interviews
Archival records
Participant
observations
Physical artifacts
Each source has strengths and weaknesses. More information in Benefits and Challenges.
Flyvbjerg (2006, p. 229) has outlined strategies for the selection of
samples and cases.
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Restrictions and Ethics | Case Study Approach
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Restrictions and Ethics
Restrictions
Ethics
Transparency & wellbeing
Participant privacy
Case study research is often conducted on site, in
Another important consideration for case study
education this usually means in schools. Entering these
researchers is how to manage the sensitive information
spaces with the intent to observe necessitates an
gathered. Researchers are likely to be exposed to and
invasion of personal space and privacy It is important
collect many detailed accounts of the research subject
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invasion of personal space and privacy. It is important
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all such
data needs
to be handled
with care and
transparent account of the study, so that participants
confidentiality. This would likely include striking a
and people responsible for those spaces are able to give
balance between maintaining all pertinent data, omitting
informed consent (Stake, 1995, pp. 57-58). In relation to
or de-identifying other data where possible and
children or vulnerable people in particular, not only is a
prioritising the privacy agreements made with all
higher level of ethical approval needed for the study, but
relevant parties (Roller & Lavrakas, 2015, pp. 304-305).
parental/guardian consent is also required in most
situations. Roller & Lavrakas (2015, p. 305) note that
some researchers might be hesitant to divulge details of
the research plan as to avoid influencing the participants
and compromising the authenticity of the data. They go
on to stress that the wellbeing of the participants much
be the first priority for the researcher. Honestly is a key
factor in research ethics and so any planned deception
relating to the research purpose would require a solid
justification to succeed in the complex ethics approval
Be alert to evolving situations
Researchers ought to be aware of the potential
relationships that can build between themselves and any
participants over the course of the study. This is
especially important when the participants may have
chosen to share vulnerabilities or have developed an
process that it would need to go through.
emotional investment in the project. Roller & Lavrakas
(2015, pp. 305-306) recommend a scheduled debriefing
session at the end of the data collection phase, to allow
all parties to share how they are feeling, for the
participants to ask questions and for the researchers to
ensure that the participants feel adequately supported.
Awareness of bias
Yin (2014, p. 90) warns that it is imperative for case
study researchers to be aware their own bias whilst
conducting a study, in order to avoid consciously or
subconsciously attempting to validate preconceived
notions. He goes on to explain that it is a researcher's
ethical responsibility to avoid bias insofar as is possible
within all stages of the project.
Academic integrity
Above and beyond all specific and technical
requirements that must be met, to maintain high ethical
standards, a researcher should act with integrity and
academic scholarship. This includes demonstrating
respect and consideration for all participants, peers and
utilised research that has been authored by other
academics (Yin, 2014, p. 92).
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References
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Publications.
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PRACTICAL APPLICATION
Emily is an early childhood
teacher with a background in
Psychology, living and working on
Wurundjeri Woi wurrung land.
She is currently training to
become a child-centered play
therapist and has research
interests in trauma, traumainformed practice, neurodiversity,
attachment and resilience.
Currently working towards a
Graduate Certi cate of Education
Research, Emily is working with
Professor Andrea Nolan to
produce a minor thesis on
trauma-aware practice in
Australian early childhood
services.
Email:
emily@mischlewski.com
GROUP
Ameena is an educator within
the disciplines of Education and
Business in both online higher
education and vocational
education. She holds a Graduate
Certi cate in Learning and
Teaching (Higher Education),
Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration and a Certi cate
IV in Training & Assessment.
She is a Fellow of Advance
Higher Education (AdvanceHE),
an Associate Fellow of Higher
Education Research and
Development Society of
Australasia (HERD).
Currently working towards a
Master of Education, Ameena is
working with co-supervisors Dr.
Jessica Holloway and A/Prof Rola
Ajjawi toward a minor thesis on
the intersections of dialogic
feedback, technology-mediated
feedback practice and feedback
literacy of teaching sta .
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Leah Van Keulen worked in a
range of industries before
undertaking a Bachelor of
Education P-12. She worked for
several years as a classroom
teacher in a IB PYP school, and
most recently has been
employed as a higher education
sessional academic teaching BEd
students. Leah is very excited to
be joining the Berry Street team
as a classroom teacher in 2021.
Currently working towards a
Master of Specialist and
Inclusive Education, Leah is
constructing a minor thesis with
a focus on Trauma Informed
Practice (TIP) in education. She
is passionate about social justice
and believes education is the key
to a more inclusive and equitable
society.
Email:
lvankeulen@deakin.edu.au
Email:
paynea@deakin.edu.au
Ameena Payne on ResearchGate
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