To Case Study
or
Not to Case Study,
That is the Question.
COM 304 Research & Writing Methods
Dr. Feigenbaum
Week 5
A Valentine’s Day Themed Lecture
Lecture Summary
1. What is a case study?
2. Is a case study right for me?
3. How do I select a case study?
Performing a case study
is like shining a spotlight
on an individual person,
group or object
“Case studies focus
on one (or just a few)
instances of a
particular
phenomenon.”
(p 52)
“[They provide] an indepth account of events,
relationships, experiences
or processes occurring in
that particular instance.”
(p 52)
“[A case] can be based on
things like an individual,
an organization, an
industry, a workplace, an
educational programme, a
policy or a country.”
(p 52)
A case study illuminates
the general by looking at
the particular.
Mass Study vs. Case Study
Mass Study vs. Case Study
Focus on a particular case
Register as a
user and do
participantobservation
Conduct a
visual and
textual
analysis of the
website
Interview a
small sample
of site users
Create a
questionnaire
targeted at site
users
Gather
background stats
and available user
data
Register as a
user and do
ethnographic
research
Multiple Methods help
Magnify Processes,
Relationships and Experiences
Is Case Study right
for me?
“The case study
approach works best
when the researcher
wants to investigate an
issue in depth and
provide an explanation
that can cope with the
complexity and subtlety
of real life situations.”
A Case Study is a
serious commitment
to an individual (unit
of analysis).
Is Case Study right
for me?
•Do I want to be able to use and develop
multiple methods?
•Am I ready to focus and work on one
thing in-depth?
•Would I like to learn a lot about a
specific example?
•Can I deal with the complexities that will
arise?
•Will I get excited to discover the
subtleties?
Choosing Mr. Right Case Study
Requires a conscious and deliberate choice.
Should be based on specific attributes the
researcher wants to investigate.
Is NOT randomly selected.
Needs to have clear and distinct boundaries.
You must have explicit reasons why you’ve chosen
this case.
Choosing a particular case
Typical Instance
Extreme Instance
Test-site for theory
Testing a Theory:
People are most likely to
be attracted to and
enter a committed
relationship with
partners that are
ethnically and culturally
similar to themselves.
Test-site for theory
Test-site for theory (least likely instance)
Is this Case Study
right for me?
PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS
A matter of convenience (Mr. Right now)
Intrinsically Interesting (BFF)
The study is part of commissioned
research (arranged marriage)
There are unique opportunities (gold
digger)
Going from the particular
to the general
From particular to general
• Identify significant features on which
comparison with others in the same set of
examples can be made.
• Show how the case compares with others in
the set of examples in terms of significant
features.
How do you relate the case?
1. Physical attributes
(style, representations, images,
features)
2. Historical attributes
(developments and changes)
3. Institution attributes
(organizations, policies,
procedures)
Case Study Speed Dating