The Story Behind Case Study Research
There have been some disputes about the validity and relevancy of case study research, this writing is an attempt to give a brief background on case study research. As with all classifications of research there are advantages and disadvantages found in using this method of research. Although this writing may not solve the disputes surrounding case study research. The goal is to outline the possibilities that this research can be instrumental in giving some insight into the problems that plague the human condition. Thereby, giving way to new alternatives to possibly providing solutions to these problems.
Case Study: What is it?
Case study is the process of intensive observation of a person, animal, or situation …show more content…
A few pros and cons of case study research will be discussed in this section. I major pro for this kind of research is that it is good at investigating rare and unusual phenomena, as it is a very detailed method of research. “Case studies provide us with unique opportunities to better understand situations that we could not study experimentally.” (Crawford, 2016). Although, these may be great advantages of case studies, there are still the cons. An example of a disadvantage in using case studies is there are times when we cannot know the exact reason behind a behavior, we must use information gathered from interviews and old records. Individuals memories may not always be exactly accurate, and records can be can have missing information, or information that is not relevant. This leaves it up to the researcher to choose what information is relevant, leading to bias. Even with that, the case study is still an important part of the research process. It will continue to gain ground in being a primary method of …show more content…
“When developing your plan for data collection, you will have to bear in mind the number of cases in the study. You should aim to have similar methods of data collection across all your cases, so that you can make comparisons and/or observe differences based on similar data sources.” (Farquhar, 2012). Personal interviews, surveys, direct observations are some primary methods used to gather data for case studies. Another method used along with the aforementioned methods, is archival research, using the information gathered previously by other researchers. As you may have noted some methods of gathering information are qualitative, while others are quantitative. With that being said case study research utilizes both types of research, therefore making case study a very relevant method of research.
A Final Word
Conclusion
When deciding to use the case study method ofresearch, bee sure to explore every aspect of what you will need to conduct this method of research, you will want to be sure to follow every step to the letter if you want your study to be taken seriously. There will of course always be individuals who will not give this method of research the respect it deserves, however, as long as the study is done with integrity and with the utmost respect for the rules of research. It will be a work that will stand the test of time and
There have been some disputes about the validity and relevancy of case study research, this writing is an attempt to give a brief background on case study research. As with all classifications of research there are advantages and disadvantages found in using this method of research. Although this writing may not solve the disputes surrounding case study research. The goal is to outline the possibilities that this research can be instrumental in giving some insight into the problems that plague the human condition. Thereby, giving way to new alternatives to possibly providing solutions to these problems.
Case Study: What is it?
Case study is the process of intensive observation of a person, animal, or situation …show more content…
A few pros and cons of case study research will be discussed in this section. I major pro for this kind of research is that it is good at investigating rare and unusual phenomena, as it is a very detailed method of research. “Case studies provide us with unique opportunities to better understand situations that we could not study experimentally.” (Crawford, 2016). Although, these may be great advantages of case studies, there are still the cons. An example of a disadvantage in using case studies is there are times when we cannot know the exact reason behind a behavior, we must use information gathered from interviews and old records. Individuals memories may not always be exactly accurate, and records can be can have missing information, or information that is not relevant. This leaves it up to the researcher to choose what information is relevant, leading to bias. Even with that, the case study is still an important part of the research process. It will continue to gain ground in being a primary method of …show more content…
“When developing your plan for data collection, you will have to bear in mind the number of cases in the study. You should aim to have similar methods of data collection across all your cases, so that you can make comparisons and/or observe differences based on similar data sources.” (Farquhar, 2012). Personal interviews, surveys, direct observations are some primary methods used to gather data for case studies. Another method used along with the aforementioned methods, is archival research, using the information gathered previously by other researchers. As you may have noted some methods of gathering information are qualitative, while others are quantitative. With that being said case study research utilizes both types of research, therefore making case study a very relevant method of research.
A Final Word
Conclusion
When deciding to use the case study method ofresearch, bee sure to explore every aspect of what you will need to conduct this method of research, you will want to be sure to follow every step to the letter if you want your study to be taken seriously. There will of course always be individuals who will not give this method of research the respect it deserves, however, as long as the study is done with integrity and with the utmost respect for the rules of research. It will be a work that will stand the test of time and