Social Research
Methods
Case Studies
1
What is a Case Study?

“A strategy for doing research which involves an empirical
investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon within
its real life context using multiple sources of evidence”
(Robson, 1993, p. 146)

A Case Study may be…




Descriptive
Exploratory
Explanatory
Focussed on


Process - how was it done?
Outcome - does it work?
2
Types of Case Study

Individual Case Study


Set of individual case studies


Outsiders - Becker on Marijuana smokers and musicians
Studies of organizations and institutions


Family and Kinship in East London, The Azande in the
Sudan
Social Group Studies


Three general practice surgeries compared
Community Studies


Stanley, the ‘jack-roller’ - Shaw.
Working for Ford - Benyon; National Front - Fielding
Studies of events, roles and relationships

Housewife - Oakley; Cuban Missile Crisis
3
How to plan a case study
Think about…
 Conceptual Framework
 Research Questions
 Research Design
 Sampling/replication strategy
 Methods and Instruments
 Analysis of Data
4
Conceptual Framework









Displays the important features of a case study
Shows relationships between features
Makes assumptions explicit
Selective
Iterative
Based on theory
Takes account of previous research
Includes personal orientation
Includes overlaps and inconsistencies
5
Research Questions





Consistent with conceptual framework
Covers conceptual framework thoroughly
Structured and focussed
Answerable
Forms basis for data collection
6
Basic Types of Case Study
Design
Cases
One
Several
Many
Spatial Variation
Temporal Variation
No
Yes
None
1
2 Single case study –
diachronic
Within case
3 Single case study –
synchronic
4 Single case study –
synchronic & diachronic
Cross-case & withincase
5 Comparative
Method
6 Comparative Historical
Cross-case
7 Cross sectional
8 Time-series crosssectional
Cross-case & withincase
9 Hierarchical
10 Hierarchical time-series
Shaded cells are case study research designs
From Gerring, John (2007) Case Study Research. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 28.
7
Replication Strategy
(sometimes called sampling strategy)
Literal vs. theoretical replications
 Literal = more of the same
 Theoretical = different, identified according to a
theoretical standpoint.


Must be linked to research questions
Determines the extent to which generalisation is possible
(N.B. Theoretical not statistical generalisation.)
8
Theoretical Replication
Choose:

Actors


Settings


E.g. different companies, different branches of political party,
range of local authorities.
Events


E.g. Men and women, MEPs from different countries, members
of different pressure groups
E.g. Elections, selection meetings, budget group meetings,
demonstrations.
Processes

E.g. Negotiating new laws, developing media strategies.
9
Why select a single case?

Critical case (test case)


Extreme or unique case


Theory well developed. Case will confirm or refute
theory. E.g. Festinger et al. When Prophesy Fails
Common in clinical cases. E.g. Fielding - National
Front
Representative or typical case

Capture the circumstances of the everyday. E.g. Lynd
& Lynd - Middletown study.
10
Methods and Instruments

Observation




Interview




Participant observation
Ethnography
Systematic observation
Open-ended
Focussed/semi-structured
Structured
Documents/Records
E.g. minutes of meetings, patient records, diaries…

Etc.
11
Analysis of Data




Prepare (lots of data)
May start during data collection
How will the data be organised?
What analysis strategy will you use?


Follow theoretical propositions
Develop descriptive framework
12
Problems for Validity




Unreliable self-report data
Unsubstantiated observations
Post-hoc, unsystematic summaries
Speculation and overgeneralization
13
Common pitfalls



Token literature review
Premature theorizing
Phase slippage
14