Success Case Method

The success case method (SCM) is a type of qualitative research used by evaluators to achieve an in-depth understanding of a phenomenon—a program, person, place, or other entity. The modifier “success” means that the entity has met objectives or attained an appropriate accomplishment. The in-depth nature of case studies provides detailed textual description that can inspire or motivate readers in ways that more “simple” quantitative indicators cannot do, by exploring the particularity and complexity of a single instance of success. A case might also be described as a vignette, a story, or an example and can vary in length from a paragraph to hundreds of pages. There are many different ways to conduct case study evaluation, but of critical importance is the need to accurately ...