The purpose of this article is to discuss the case study method and the tools used in conducting a case study.
Every researcher conducts a case study as part of his or her research activities. It may be conducted as an independent research project, as a repeated activity to check out certain hypotheses and propositions and for other purposes, and it will also form a very important component of some research designs. The case study method has been used in many disciplines and it provides an insight into the phenomena under investigation and helps identify explanatory factors. Case studies involve the collection and recording of data on a phenomenon or individual case through qualitative or quantitative methods of data collection such as observation, questionnaires, interviews, flow charts, etc. The case study may serve different purposes but its main purpose will always be to describe and explain the phenomena under investigation.
A case study design is useful in presenting, analyzing, and interpreting data on specific events or situations. A researcher conducting a case study aims at describing the characteristics of an event or situation; exploring the causal factors (if any) of the phenomena under investigation; and discovering the reasons or reasons for a particular event or situation. The case study design provides a general approach to a problem and this method is, therefore, useful where there is no previous experience, no relevant literature on which to base the study, and when causal factors are not known or unclear.
What Is A Case Study?
Case studies are used for a variety of purposes. These include describing the characteristics of an event or situation, exploring causal factors, testing theories, etc. The case study method can be employed in both quantitative and qualitative research designs to attain these aims. A case study is also being employed by some political scientists as a technique to collect data on group behavior. These case studies could be observational a help determine and the researcher may use questionnaires and interviews to collect data.
The case study method can also be used when a hypothesis has been formed but it does not have an immediate bearing on the subject under investigation (Miles and Huberman 1994). Case study research may help in generating hypotheses to further explain or predict the phenomena under investigation.
Case Study Definition And Its Purpose
A case study is carried out for different purposes. The main aim of a case study may be to determine whether something exists or identify why it exists. Case studies are also used to find causal relationships between variables when detailed information on these variables is not available, or where hypotheses have been formed but have no immediate bearing on the subject under investigation.
Application Of Case Study Method
The case study method may be applied to many disciplines because it provides important information on individual cases which can then be used to draw conclusions or infer generalizations about that particular group of cases. The case study design is useful in collecting data where there is no previous experience, no relevant literature on which to base the study, and where causal factors are not known or unclear.
Case study research can be carried out at different levels of data collection but the level will depend on the expertise and experience of researchers, available resources, time constraints, etc. Researchers with no expertise in qualitative research may conduct case studies using observation techniques to collect data. Researchers who have some degree of expertise with qualitative research methodologies may choose to conduct case studies using interviews and questionnaires in addition to observation techniques.
The case study method can be employed in both quantitative and qualitative research designs to attain various aims. The case study design is useful in collecting data when there is no previous experience, no relevant literature on which to base the study, and where causal factors are not known or unclear. However, case control study will be helpful in determining if there will be an outcome.
How To Write A Case Shelp determineddy?
Since case study design can be employed in both qualitative and quantitative research designs, it is important to decide on the specific aim of a study before selecting a suitable design for data collection. For example, a researcher may want to test a hypothesis in a quantitative research design but the same hypothesis is likely to affect several units (i.e. cases). In such a situation, using a case study design may be more appropriate than using a quantitative research design because the same hypothesis can be tested on all these units (cases) at one time instead of repeating the hypothesis generation and testing procedure for each unit (case).
The use of case studies in both qualitative and quantitative research designs should be determined by the primary objective of a study. Case studies and surveys are both techniques for collecting data about the population from which the cases have been selected.
You can look into Venngage and check its case study examples for better ideas!
Conclusion
As a researcher, it is important to be aware of the different methods and tools that are available for conducting case studies. Without this awareness, it becomes difficult to set up proper controls to evaluate findings.
