Case Study according to Ebneyamini

Process description

Case research, also called case study, is a method of intensively studying a phenomenon over time within its natural setting in one or a few sites. Multiple methods of data collection, such as interviews, observations, prerecorded documents, and secondary data, may be employed and inferences about the phenomenon of interest tend to be rich, detailed, and contextualized. Case research can be employed in a positivist manner for the purpose of theory testing or in an interpretive manner for theory building. This method is more popular in business research than in other social science disciplines.

There are different ideas about what a case study is. If we try to find a common denominator that case study researchers might agree on, it would be something along the following lines: The case study should have a “case” which is the object of study. The case should be a complex functioning unit, be investigated in its natural context with a multitude of methods, and be contemporary. (Johansson, 2003) Nevertheless, the case study researchers mentioned above emphasize different features. Stake points out that crucial to case study research are not the methods of investigation, but that the object of study is a case: “As a form of research, the case study is defined by the interest in individual cases, not by the methods of inquiry used.” Other researchers, such as Yin (1994), place more emphasis on the method and the techniques that constitute a case study (Johansson, 2003).

Purpose of Case Study Research

Description

Researchers have different ideas, but many agree on what is the purpose of doing research using a case study research strategy. We try to provide an overview of those here. First, we have to decide whether a case study can help us to achieve our research goal or not. There are three factors that determine the best research methodology: The types of questions to be answered, the extent of control over behavioral events, and the degree of focus on contemporary as opposed to historical events.

Case study research is appropriate to be used for researches with “how” and “why” questions. Yin (1994) also presented at least four applications for a case study

1. to explain complex causal links in real-life interventions
2. to describe the real-life context in which the intervention has occurred
3. to describe the intervention itself
4. to explore those situations in which the intervention being evaluated has no clear set of outcomes.

Meredith (1998) noted that there are three outstanding strengths of case study research:

1. The phenomenon can be studied in its natural setting and meaningful, relevant theory generated from the understanding gained through observing actual practice
2. The case method allows the questions of why, what, and how, to be answered with a relatively full understanding of the nature and complexity of the complete phenomenon
3. The case method lends itself to early, exploratory investigations where variables are still unknown and the phenomenon not at all understood

Voss and his colleagues (2002) have mentioned that the purpose of the case study is:

1. exploration to uncover areas for research and theory development
2. theory building to identify/describe key variables, identifying linkages between variables and identifying “why” these relationships exist
3. theory testing to test the theories developed in the previous stages or predict future outcomes
4. theory extension/refinement to better structure the theories in the light of the observed results

Dul and Hak (2008) noted that most of the researchers consider case study research as a useful research strategy (A) when the topic is broad and highly complex, (B) when there is not a lot of theory available, and (C) when “context” is very important. So they consider using case study for theory building, theory testing, hypothesis building, hypothesis testing, and description..

Examples

Theory oriented, practice oriented

Further Readings

Ebneyamini, Shiva & Moghadam, Mohammad. (2018). Toward Developing a Framework for Conducting Case Study Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 17. 160940691881795. 10.1177/1609406918817954.

Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). "The Case Research Strategy in Studies of Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (11:3), 369-386.

Bhattacherjee, Anol, "Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" (2012). Textbooks Collection. 3. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3.

Yin, R. K. (2002), Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Reasons to Use Case Study Research

Examples

Theory extension/refinement, theory building, hypothesis testing

Further Readings

Ebneyamini, Shiva & Moghadam, Mohammad. (2018). Toward Developing a Framework for Conducting Case Study Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 17. 160940691881795. 10.1177/1609406918817954.

Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). "The Case Research Strategy in Studies of Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (11:3), 369-386.

Bhattacherjee, Anol, "Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" (2012). Textbooks Collection. 3. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3.

Yin, R. K. (2002), Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Types of Case Study Research

Examples

Comparative case study, longitudinal case study, single case study

Further Readings

Ebneyamini, Shiva & Moghadam, Mohammad. (2018). Toward Developing a Framework for Conducting Case Study Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 17. 160940691881795. 10.1177/1609406918817954.

Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). "The Case Research Strategy in Studies of Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (11:3), 369-386.

Bhattacherjee, Anol, "Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" (2012). Textbooks Collection. 3. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3.

Yin, R. K. (2002), Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Methods of Gathering Data

Examples

Structured

interview, semistructured interview, in-depth interview, archival data, meetings, informal meetings, observation

Further Readings

Ebneyamini, Shiva & Moghadam, Mohammad. (2018). Toward Developing a Framework for Conducting Case Study Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 17. 160940691881795. 10.1177/1609406918817954.

Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). "The Case Research Strategy in Studies of Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (11:3), 369-386.

Bhattacherjee, Anol, "Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" (2012). Textbooks Collection. 3. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3.

Yin, R. K. (2002), Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Data Analysis

Examples

Within-case analysis, cross-case analysis, compare the narratives of informants, pattern matching, writing individual case histories by using archival data, using repertory grid method, data reduction (open coding), visual inspection

Further Readings

Ebneyamini, Shiva & Moghadam, Mohammad. (2018). Toward Developing a Framework for Conducting Case Study Research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods. 17. 160940691881795. 10.1177/1609406918817954.

Benbasat, I., Goldstein, D. K., and Mead, M. (1987). "The Case Research Strategy in Studies of Information Systems," MIS Quarterly (11:3), 369-386.

Bhattacherjee, Anol, "Social Science Research: Principles, Methods, and Practices" (2012). Textbooks Collection. 3. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/oa_textbooks/3.

Yin, R. K. (2002), Case Study Research: Design and Methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.