prepared and presented by: maureen berman vikki lorusso wayne loper

15
Case Study Research A Qualitative Approach to Inquiry Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Upload: scot-beasley

Post on 22-Dec-2015

213 views

Category:

Documents


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study ResearchA Qualitative Approach to Inquiry

Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Page 2: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research Definition

Case Study Research

• involves the study of an issue explored through one or more cases within a bounded system (i.e., a setting, a context.)

• a methodology, a type of design in qualitative research, or an object of study, as well as a product of the inquiry.

(Creswell, 2007, p. 73)

Page 3: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d) Case Study Research includes

In-depth Study of a Single Case or Collective Case Bounded System – the ‘case’ selected for study has

boundaries often bounded by time and place Multiple Sources of Information – the use of many

different sources of information to prove ‘depth’ to the case Case Description – stating the “facts about the case as

recorded by the investigator. This is the first step of analysis of data in a qualitative case study.

Case Based Themes - the researcher analyzes the data for specific theme’s, aggregating information into large clusters of ideas and providing details that support the themes.

(Creswell, 2007, p. 73)

Page 4: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d)

Bounded System •Time—6 months of data collection•Place—situated on a single campus•Single Case—campus community•The reactions of the groups on campus

Multiple Sources of Information

•Initial Interviews Campus administrators, students, newspaper reporters•Expanded Interviews Campus informants and gathered observational data, documents and audio visual materials

Case Description •Narrative structure to describe details including edited quotes from the informants and stating the interviewers interpretations of the events•Considerable time describing the setting for the case

Case Based Themes •Denial•Fear•Safety•Retriggering•Campus planning (Preparedness)

(Creswell, 2007, pp.357-374)

Page 5: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d) Types of Case Studies (Creswell, 2007, p. 74)

Distinguished by the size of the bounded case Does the case involve:

• An individual• Several individuals • A group• An entire program• An activity

Distinguished by the intent of the case analysis• Single Instrumental Case Study –the focus is on the

specific issue and a bounded case is selected to illustrate the issue. (i.e., the gunman case study) (Stake, 1995, as cited in Creswell, 2007, p. 74)

• Collective Case Study –the focus is on an issue but multiple case studies are examined to illustrate the issue

• Intrinsic Case Study –the focus is on the case because it presents an unusual or unique situation (Stake, 1995, as cited in Creswell, 2007, p. 74)

Page 6: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d) Procedures for Conducting a Case Study (Stake, 1995, Creswell, 2007,

pp. 74-75) Determine appropriateness

• clearly definable boundaries that seeks to provide an in depth understanding of the case(s)

Identify the case or cases • single or collective, multi-sited or with-in site,

Data collection• very extensive, drawing on multiple sources of information (observations,

interviews, documents, audiovisual materials) Type of data analysis

• Holistic Analysis – examine the entire case and present the description, themes, and interpretations related to the whole case (Yin, 2003, as cited in Creswell, 2007, p. 75)

• Embedded Analysis – select one analytic aspect of the case for presentation (i. e., The gunman case study involved tracing the campus response to a gunman for two weeks immediately following the near tragedy on campus.) (Stake, 1995, as cited in Creswell, 2007, p. 75)

• Detailed Description – stating the facts as recorded by the investigator (Stake, 1995, as cited in Creswell, 2007, p. 75)

• Analysis of Themes - analyzes the data for specific themes aggregating information into large clusters of ideas and providing details that support the themes not to generalize about the case but to better understand the complexity of the case (Yin, 2003, as cited in Creswell, 2007, p. 75)

Page 7: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d) Procedures for Conducting a Case Study (Cont’d)

Interpretive phase: Identifying the meaning of the case• Direct Interpretation - look at a single instance and draw meaning

from it without looking for multiple instances of it: pulling the data apart (analysis) and putting it back together (synthesis) in a meaningful way

• Establish Patterns – establish patterns and looks for a correspondence between two or more categories which can be displayed in a table format to establish a small number of categories

• Develop Naturalistic Generalizations – from analyzing the data, generalizations that people can learn from the case either for themselves or to apply to a population of cases an investigator undertakes a case study to make the case understandable

(Stake, 1995, as stated in Creswell, 2007, p. 163)

Page 8: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d)

• Identifying the Case or Issue

• Is the Issue Worth Studying?• Has the Issue any Value?• What Type of Case Study Will You Conduct?

• Single or Multiple Cases?

• What Is the Most Useful and Promising?

• Data Collection • Establish a Rationale• Is Enough Information Available?

• Boundaries • How Will You Bound Your Case Study?

Challenges in Developing a Case Study

(Creswell, 2007, pp. 75-76)

Page 9: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d)

• What Is the Intent of Your Study?

• Will it Generate Theory? • Will it Be Analytic in Nature? • Will it Display Cross Case Comparisons? • Will it Display Within Case Comparisons?

Challenges in Developing a Case Study

(Creswell, 2007, pp. 75-76)

Page 10: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Case Study Research (Cont’d)

• Overall Rhetorical Structure

• Short Descriptive Opening Statement• Identify the Issue, Purpose and Method• Extensive Body of Uncontested Data• Presentation of Key Ideas• Investigation of the Issues• Assertions• Closing Statement

• Embedded Rhetorical Structure

• What Specific Structures Does the Researcher Use to Present the Study? Approach Proper Balance

Case Study Structure

(Stake, 1995, as cited in Creswell, 2007, pp. 195-196)

Page 11: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

A Case Study Versus a Narrative Study (Creswell, 2007, pp. 225-226)

Case Study Narrative Study

Research Approach

Clearly Identifiable Case is Examined often Illustrating the Complexity of an Issue

The Life of a Single Individual

Purpose Statement

Bounded, Single or Collective Case, Event, Process, Program, Individual

Stories, Epiphanies, Lived Experiences, Chronology

Questions What Happened? Differing Approaches, Intents and Structures

What Stories Can be Told and What Theories Relate to this Individual’s Life

Data Collection

Documents, Records, Interviews, Observationand Artifacts

Documents, Interviews, Observations and Archived Materials

Data Analysis and Representation

Describe the Case and Context, Establish Themes and Patterns, Develop Naturalistic Generalizations

Describe Experiences, Identify Stories, and Interpret the Larger Meaning

Written Report Present In-Depth Picture Using Narrative, Tables, and Figures

Present Narration Focusing on Process, Theories, and Features of the Life

Research Approach Comparison

Page 12: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Research Approach Comparison A Case Study Versus a Phenomenological Study

(Creswell, 2007, pp. 225-227)

Case Study Phenomenological Study

Research Approach

Clearly Identifiable Case is Examined often Illustrating the Complexity of an Issue

Examine a psychological concept, a phenomenon.

Purpose Statement

Bounded, Single or Collective Case, Event, Process, Program, Individual

Describe; Experiences; Meaning; Essence

Questions What Happened? Differing Approaches, Intents and Structures

What was experienced? How did they experience it? What meaning did they ascribe to it?

Data Collection

Documents, Records, Interviews, Observationand Artifacts

Extensive interviews with five to twenty-five people. Often, multiple interviews with the same individuals.

Data Analysis and Representation

Describe the Case and Context, Establish Themes and Patterns, Develop Naturalistic Generalizations

Analyze for significant meanings and statements. Look for significant statements or quotes about their meanings.

Written Report

Present In-Depth Picture Using Narrative, Tables, and Figures

Cluster into broader theme. Describe what (textual) they experienced; how (structural) they experienced. Combine the two to describe the essence of their experience.

Page 13: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Research Approach Comparison A Case Study Versus a Grounded Theory Study

(Creswell, 2007, pp. 225-, 227-228)

Case Study Grounded Theory Study

Research Problem

Clearly Identifiable Case is Examined often Illustrating the Complexity of an Issue

Moves beyond a description of a phenomenon, develops a theory of practice

Purpose Statement

Bounded, Single or Collective Case, Event, Process, Program, Individual

Generate; Develop; Propositions; Process; Substantive theory

Questions What Happened? Differing Approaches, Intents and Structures

What theory explains the phenomenon? What were those experiences? What caused them? What strategies did they use to cope with them? What were the consequences of their strategies? What specific interaction issues and larger conditions influenced their strategies?

Data Collection

Documents, Records, Interviews, Observationand Artifacts

Conduct interviews with between 20-30 people.

Data Analysis and Representation

Describe the Case and Context, Establish Themes and Patterns, Develop Naturalistic Generalizations

Procedure for developing categories of info (open coding); interconnecting the categories (axial coding); building a story that connects the categories (selective coding); ends with a discursive set of theoretical propositions.(Strauss & Corbin, 1990, as cited in Creswell, p. 228)

Written Report

Present In-Depth Picture Using Narrative, Tables, and Figures

Discusses the relationship of the theory to other existing knowledge and implications of the theory for future research and practice.(May, 1986, as cited in Creswell, p. 190)

Page 14: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

Research Approach Comparison A Case Study Versus an Ethnographical Study

(Creswell, 2007, pp. 225, 228-229)

Case Study Ethnographical Study

Research Problem

Clearly Identifiable Case is Examined often Illustrating the Complexity of an Issue

Generating a theory grounded in the data.

Purpose Statement

Bounded, Single or Collective Case, Event, Process, Program, Individual

Culture-sharing group; Culture behavior and language; Culture portrait; Cultural themes

Questions What Happened? Differing Approaches, Intents and Structures

How did this incident produce predictable role performance within affected groups?

Data Collection Documents, Records, Interviews, Observationand Artifacts

Extended time interviews and observations. 1) Build rapport with community participation; 2) Observe over time predictable activities, behavior of roles 3) rely on interview, observations, newspaper accounts.

Data Analysis and Representation

Describe the Case and Context, Establish Themes and Patterns, Develop Naturalistic Generalizations

Interpret and make sense of the findings to see how the culture works. Then present narrative presentation enhanced with tables, figures and sketches.

Written Report Present In-Depth Picture Using Narrative, Tables, and Figures

The report is a summary of the analysis and interpretation.

Page 15: Prepared and Presented by: Maureen Berman Vikki LoRusso Wayne Loper

ReferencesCohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2007). Research methods in

education (6th ed.). New York: Routledge. Creswell, J. W. (2007). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing

among five approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.