Depth of Data

Depth and Breadth of Data

Characteristically, case study research draws from an extensive and varied array of data resources to bring depth of understanding about a well-defined, narrowly focused, and clearly bounded case. Researchers may face a trade-off between depth and breadth in gathering and presenting data for a case study. Although it is essential for case study researchers to seek out extensive evidence to develop a comprehensive understanding of the case, choices must be made about how much of that evidence can be presented directly in any case study report. Researchers must consider publishers' requirements and readers' needs in judging the amount and depth of data that can be presented.

The challenges of gathering and presenting sufficient depth of data in a case study report are particularly acute for collective and comparative case study research, where there is a need to consider information from multiple cases. It is not uncommon for cross-case studies to be criticized as thin, reflecting insufficient depth about any individual case. At the same time, collective and comparative case studies are valuable because the emphasis on similarities and differences across cases can provide breadth of understanding about the phenomenon of interest that extends beyond one individual case.

Depth of Data Affects Credibility and Applicability

Case study researchers establish depth of data through triangulation and thick description, both strategies that contribute to credibility of data.

Through triangulation, comparing and contrasting across multiple data resources, case study researchers uncover consistencies and inconsistencies, thereby providing evidence from multiple perspectives and incorporating assessments about the veracity of the evidence presented. In this way, researchers can build robust understandings about [Page 287]the case under investigation that are likely to be judged as credible.

Case study reports typically include thick description; that is, they go beyond mere facts and surface features of the case to include details, context, circumstances, meanings, significance, motivations, emotions, social relations, history, and other such descriptive and interpretive elements of the case. Thick description that is well supported by evidence will be perceived as credible. This level of detail brings the case to life for readers so that they are more likely to make positive judgments about the credibility of the case and its potential applicability in other contexts.

Thick description in a case study report provides extensive information that readers can use to understand the case. At the same time, this thick description provides an evidence base for readers to make comparisons with other situations and make predictions about how well the conclusions about the reported case might apply in these new situations. Without thick description, readers are left with insufficient information to understand the reported case or to apply that case to other situations, thereby substantively undermining the value of the case study.

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