case studies
number of studies employing case studies dramatically
increased 1980s 1990s
1.
the complexity of the unit is studied
intensively
2.
definition: description of a particular
situation or event
serves as a learning tool providing a formal framework for
discussion
research: case study is defined as a reach search study
focused on a single case or set of cases.
Research approach case study
11 characteristics
1 the phenomena is examined in a natural setting
2 data are collected by multiple means
3 one or a few entities (person, group, or organization) are
examined.
4 the complexity of the unit is studied intensively
5 case studies are more suitable for the exploration,
classification, and hypothesis development stages of the knowledge – building
process; the investigator should have a receptive attitude toward exploration
6 no experimental controls or manipulation are involved
7 the investigator may not specify the set of independent
and dependent variables in advance
8 the results derived depend heavily on the integrative
powers of the investigator
9 changes in site selection and data collection methods
could take place as the investigator develops new hypothesis
10 case research is useful in the study of why and how
questions because these deal with operational links to be traced over time
rather than with frequency or incidence new 11 the focus is on contemporary
events
most often case
studies are qualitative and conducted in the field
don’t ignore multimethod aspects of case study research –
evidence collected in case studies may be qualitative or quantitative or both
combination of both types could contribute to validity of method
research procedures should only be changed after careful
consideration because changing could decrease the rigor of the study
when she case studies
be used
1.
does the phenomena of interest and have to be
studied in a natural setting
2.
does the phenomena of interest focus on
contemporary events new line is a research question aim to answer how and why
questions new I
3.
does the phenomena of interest include a variety
of factors in relationships that can be directly observed
used in exploratory studies – defined phenomena worth studying
example: relationship between information search strategies
and personal development theory
case study of a single person – interviewing and observing
information seeking on the Internet.
Can be used as a pilot study – for trying out particular
data collection methods specific context or become more familiar with the phenomena in a specific context
follow up on exploratory study conducted with another method
examine roles of librarians and remote access – impact on
quality and effectiveness of the research process
open-ended interviews – Case study protocol was used to
follow up – can be used on a preliminary study/weakness is its lack of
generalizability.
Can also be used it is the descriptive research to depict
comprehensively the phenomena of interest
over a seven-year period – case study method allowed an
investigator to describe different aspects of the restructuring, including
chronological, operational, and role-based
Facilitate evaluation research – specific organizational
context – natural cases: is well suited to understanding the interactions
between information technology related innovations and organizational contexts
can be directly applied to the improvement of information
and library practice
Summary case studies useful in many different types of
research: exploratory and confirmatory, descriptive and evaluative
ideal when a how or why question asked about a contemporary
set of events over which researcher has no control
Designing a case study
first step clearly define your research question
theoretical and empirical literature may provide a sketchy
foundation
literature review will be your first step – other critical
steps
identifying your unit of analysis
selecting a case
or cases that will be the focus of your study/planning your
data collection procedures
Identifying the unit of analysis
major entity that you are analyzing in your study – focused
on individuals as a unit of analysis/aggregate entities like groups or
organizations
primary defining characteristic – focuses on a single instance
of the unit of analysis
multiple perspectives by gathering data – multiple units of
analysis – aggregate to understand case that is focus of the study
Selecting a case
strategically select a case or several – theoretical
purposes and the relevance of its case to these
theoretical sampling – replicate or extend an emergent
theory
statistical sampling – focuses on selecting study
participants representative of population
focus on single/compared to – in depth investigation/rich
detail
five possible reasons for selecting a particular case
1.
representative
2.
critical case – essential for testing a well
formulated theory
3.
three extreme or unique case
4.
revelatory case – eliminates previously
inaccessible knowledge
5.
longitudinal study – repeatedly studied at
different points in time
Multiple case studies called comparative case studies –
combination of two or more single case studies
literal replication – similar
theoretical replication – cases that differ
collecting data
multiple methods of data collection – analysis of existing
documentation, archival records, interviews, direct observation, participant
observation and examination of physical artifacts, quantitative methods
(questionnaires)
direct observation most frequently used – equate with field
studies/not limited to direct observation
results combined through triangulation – process of using
multiple perceptions to clarify types of triangulation
1. Data triangulation – combining data from different
sources
2. Investigator triangulation – combining data multiple
researchers
3. Methodological triangulation
– combining data collected via different methods
4. theory triangulation – combining data collected from
multiple theoretical perspectives
data triangulation – data from several sources: cataloging
staff, executive staff, policy and procedures manual, and Web server
transaction log
Methodological l triangulation – direct observation of
workplace, interviews, content analysis and transaction log analysis comparison
of the findings – and share findings are valid
Strengths and weaknesses
of case studies
lack of generalizability of study findings is the weakness –
no basis for generalizing the findings beyond the setting in which he was
conducted
particularization, not generalization – rich nests with
which a particular setting or phenomena can be described
results from case studies are generalizable to theoretical
propositions
theory can be tested through case study research
single case can be used to test a theory against a
particular set of empirical circumstances
cannot be treated as a representative sample from population
four classes of criteria relevant to the quality of a case
study research report
1. resonance criteria – degree to which the report fits,
overlaps with, or reinforces selected theoretical framework
2. rhetorical criteria – deal with the form structure and
presentational characteristics of the report/unity, overall organization,
simplicity or clarity and craftsmanship
3. empowerment criteria – ability to evoke and facilitate
action, empowerment related characteristics include fairness, educative newness
and action ability
4. applicability criteria – feasibility of making inferences
from the case study applying them in the readers context or situation. Transfer
findings from one context to another, the relevant characteristics of both
should be the same
Conclusion
how and why – examining contemporary events in a natural
setting
single case – define a general conceptual category of
property
multiple cases – confirm the definition
strength: flexibility of this research strategy, rich array
of data collection techniques.
Triangulation of multiple data sources and data collection
methods – support theory testing and development, describe the phenomena of
interest. Go to sleep
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