Case Study Method

Defining Characteristics of Case Studies

A review of case studies reported in the literature yields several defining characteristics:

• Clear boundaries—The researcher begins by identifying a specific case or set of cases to be studied. Each case is an entity that is described within certain parameters, such as a specific time frame, place, event, and process. Hence, the case becomes a bounded system. Typically, case study researchers analyze the real-life cases that are currently in progress so that they can gather accurate information that is not lost by time.
• Purposeful sampling—Selecting the case requires that the researcher define the unit of analysis and establish a rationale for why the particular case was selected in terms of purpose and intended use, why the specific boundaries were chosen to surround the case, and why specific categories of information were sought.
• Design flexibility—Reliance on a single source of data is typically not sufficient to develop the necessary in-depth understanding and insights. Many forms of qualitative data are therefore collected, including interview, direct observations, participant observation, and physical artifacts (audiovisual materials, documents, and archival records). In addition, some quantitative data, including survey and/or census information, may be collected to augment the qualitative data.
• Thick narrative description—Key to understanding the data is that the report provides thick narrative description of the case, including the current context, history, chronology of events, and a day-to-day rendering of the activities of the case. This description enables deeper understanding on the part of the reader.
• Thematic analysis—In addition to description, the researcher seeks to identify topics or issues that emanate from the findings and that shed [Page 237]light on understanding the complexity of the case. When multiple cases are selected, a typical format includes a detailed description of each case as well as reports of themes within each case (within-case analysis) followed by thematic analysis across cases (cross-case analysis). Themes aggregate information into larger clusters of ideas and illustrate similarities and differences. Themes can also be presented as a theoretical or conceptual model.
• Transferability—One myth about case study research is that findings cannot be applied beyond the cases studied. This viewpoint is based on statistical generalization, which relies on the use of representative random samples in order to extrapolate findings to a larger general population. Gaining a complex and rich understanding of the data through intense in-depth exploration means that the findings from just one case may hold a wealth of transferable information and knowledge that can be applied in other similar contexts, settings, and conditions. As such, transferability, rather than generalizability, becomes the goal of the case study method.

Types of Case Study Methodologies