THE CASE STUDY AS A RESEARCH STRATEGY

Definition

A case study is an empirical inquiry that:

investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context

relies on multiple sources of evidence

looks intensely and deeply at the phenomenon under investigation

Sources of Evidence1. documents and archival records

e.g.

2. interview

letters diaries calendars progress

reports

memoranda administrative

documents

newspaper clippings

organizational records

minutes of meetings

direct observation

participant observation

3. observation

4. questionnaire

5. psychological tests

6. physical artifacts

Case Study Designs

1. Single-Case Designs

Rationales for a Single Case:

a. single case represents a critical test of a significant theory

b. case represents an extreme or unique case

c. revelatory case

2. Multiple-Case Designs

multiple cases are multiple experiments

vs.

multiple respondents

The Stresses and Coping Reactions of Separated Women: An Exploratory Study

by Edelvina S. Relucio

Statement of the Problem

1. What are the problems, stresses, and needs of the separated woman? What matters preoccupy her? What are her concerns?

2. What are the ways by which the separated woman copes with her marital separation? How does she respond to the problems and stresses? How does she adapt to her separation? What are the effects of the separation on her? What are her insights and learnings?

3. What are the phases or stages that she goes through as she faces all these problems and stresses? What are the significant time points in the process of marital separation?

Sample

7 separated women who have children

Measures/Sources of Evidence

1. Interview Schedule (open-ended questions)

2. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

3. Focus Group Discussion

4. Genogram

A Multiple Case Study of the Dynamics of Five Filipino Families with Adolescent Suicide

by Charina G. Cordova

Statement of the Problem

1. What multigenerational patterns exist within Filipino families with adolescent suicide?

2. What structures exist within Filipino families with adolescent suicide?

3. How do the members of the Filipino families with adolescent suicide communicate with one another?

4. How do the members of the Filipino families with adolescent suicide manage conflict?

5. What other factors are involved in the dynamics of Filipino families with adolescent suicide?

Sample

5 Filipino families, 2 members per family

Measures

1. Genogram

2. Interview Schedule (open-ended questions)

e.g. Tell me about your family.

What are the significant/key events that took place in your family?

A Multiple Case Study of the Process and Factors Involved in Women’s Decision to Stay or

Leave Abusive Relationships

by Rosalie Ann R. Reyes

Statement of the Problem

1. How do battered women respond to the abusive relationship? Is there a stage-like process that women go through in the way they respond to the battering?

2. Is the process experienced as predicted by the Modified Stages of Engagement Theory?

3. What are the factors influencing the decision to stay or leave an abusive relationship?

Sample

10 battered women

Measures

1. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

2. Interview Schedule (with the Genogram)

How will you analyze the data?

How will you organize and write up your results?

How will you integrate your findings?

You should be guided by:1. Statement of the problem

2. Measures

qualitative data (interrater reliability)

quantitative data

3. Theoretical Framework

EXAMPLE 1

Statement of the Problem

What is the process of survivorship like for cancer survivors?

Reason for Hope: A Multiple Case Study on the Process of Surviving

Cancerby Ma. Fiona Ella M.

Gorospe

Sample

11 cancer survivors

Measures

1. Remarkable Recovery Registry (Information Sheet)

2. Informal Story-telling or Kuwentuhan

How were you diagnosed?

What did you do and how did you feel when you found out you had cancer?

How and why did you survive?

3. Survivor Attribution Checklist

4. Practices Checklist

5. Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Data Analysis and Write-up of ResultsA. The Survivor’s Subjective Experience

(individual case write-up)

(Remarkable Recovery Registry, Kuwentuhan, TAT)

Survivor 1:

(name)

case write-up

TAT themes

process of survivorship

immediately after diagnosisreintegrating back into the worldmidway into survivorship

practices for maintenance Survivor

2 Survivor 11

B. The Patterns of Survivorship (group analysis; quantitative)

(Practices Checklist, Survivor Attribution Checklist, TAT)

Attributions for Recovery

Coping Styles and Coping Effectiveness

Practices

Statement of the Problem

Does the founder permit his children to grow within the company, to make their own decisions, and to commit inevitable mistakes?

Individuation:

EXAMPLE 2

The Psychological Dynamics of Successful

Family Corporationsby Queena N. Lee

Who is the power in the family? How is this power exercised?

Power:

How do the siblings relate to each other? Is there any hint of sibling rivalry?

Sibling Relationships:

How are in-laws treated by the family?

In-Laws and other Extended Family Relationships:

How are outsiders treated by the family? Are professionals hired into the family business?

Professionals and Other Non-Family Relationships:

Sample

8 families, all running successful business

Measures

1. Demographic Questionnaire

2. Interview Schedule

3. Genogram

4. Beavers’ Self-Report Family Inventory

5. Beavers’ Interactional Scale of Family Competence and Style

6. Family Business Organizational Charts

Data Analysis and Write-up of ResultsA. Family Dynamics: An Overview

Individuation

Power Sibling Relations and Other

Nuclear Family Alliances In-Laws and Other Extended Family

Relationships

Professionals and Other Non-Family Relationships

Global Functioning

Family 1 - The Hernandez Family: Quality Shoes Genogram

Organization Background

Family 2 Family 8

B. Write-Up Per Family

Individuation PowerSibling Relations and Other Nuclear

Family Alliances In-Laws and Other Extended Family

RelationshipsProfessionals and Other Non-Family

RelationshipsGlobal Functioning

C. Comparative Analyses and Conclusions

Background

Individuation

Power

Sibling Relations and Other Nuclear Family Alliances

In-Laws and Other Extended Family Relationships

Professionals and Other Non-Family Relationships

Global Functioning

1. it allows the researcher to answer “how” and “why” questions

2. it uses multiple sources of evidence, thus, it enables the researcher to understand a phenomenon in a more in-depth way

3. probably the best strategy for understanding the phenomenology or subjective world of the participant

4. it can combine qualitative and quantitative data

1. lacks rigor

2. takes too long and results in massive documents

3. can only be used for clinical cases

4. can only be used for exploratory purposes

5. usually confused with “qualitative research”

essence of qualitative research consists of two conditions

a. the use of close-up, detailed observation of the natural world by the investigator (as in participant observation)

b. the attempt to avoid prior

commitment to any theoretical model

6. provides very little basis for scientific generalization

Generalize to the population

vs.

Statistical Generalization

Analytic Generalization

Generalize to theoretical propositions