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Case Study Research Method

Case study research allows for an in-depth exploration of complex issues within their real-world context. It is particularly useful when a holistic understanding is required or when addressing questions of "how" or "why". While case studies provide rich, detailed data about a specific case, their findings have limited generalizability and the research process can be time-consuming. Overall, case studies are a valuable method for gaining insights into real-world problems through flexible, contextualized investigations of social phenomena.

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Capt. M. .Baig
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53 views2 pages

Case Study Research Method

Case study research allows for an in-depth exploration of complex issues within their real-world context. It is particularly useful when a holistic understanding is required or when addressing questions of "how" or "why". While case studies provide rich, detailed data about a specific case, their findings have limited generalizability and the research process can be time-consuming. Overall, case studies are a valuable method for gaining insights into real-world problems through flexible, contextualized investigations of social phenomena.

Uploaded by

Capt. M. .Baig
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CASE STUDY RESEARCH METHOD

- Mirza M.Baig

Case study research, through reports of past studies, allows the exploration and
understanding of complex issues. It can be considered a robust research method particularly when
a holistic, in-depth investigation is required. Recognized as a tool in many social science studies,
the role of case study method in research becomes more prominent when issues with regard to
education (Gulsecen & Kubat, 2006), sociology and community-based problems (Johnson, 2006).
One of the reasons for the recognition of case study as a research method is that researchers were
becoming more concerned about the limitations of quantitative methods in providing holistic and
in-depth explanations of the social and behavioral problems in question.

When to use Case Study Approach?

So when should you use a case study approach? According to Yin (1994) a case study
design should be considered when:

(a) The focus of the study is to answer “how” and “why” questions;

(b) You cannot manipulate the behaviour of those involved in the study;

(c) You want to cover contextual conditions because you believe they are relevant to the
phenomenon under study;

(d) The boundaries are not clear between the phenomenon and context.

Advantages:

1. Rich Data: Case studies provide detailed and comprehensive information about a
specific case, offering a holistic view of the subject under investigation.
2. Contextual Understanding: They allow researchers to explore and understand a
phenomenon within its real-world context, considering various factors that may influence
the case.
3. Exploratory Research: Case studies are valuable for exploring new or complex issues
where little is known. They are particularly useful in generating hypotheses for further
research.
4. Flexibility: The method is flexible and adaptable to different research designs, including
single or multiple cases, longitudinal studies, and cross-case comparisons.
5. Real-Life Application: Findings from case studies can be directly applicable to practical
situations, making them relevant for addressing real-world problems.
Disadvantages:
1. Limited Generalization: One of the main criticisms is that findings from a case
study may not be easily generalized to a broader population due to the unique nature
of each case.

2. Subjectivity and Bias: Case studies are susceptible to researcher bias, as the
interpretation of data is influenced by the researcher's perspective. This can affect the
objectivity of the study.

3. Time-Consuming: Conducting a thorough case study is a time-consuming process,


and it may not be suitable for researchers with time constraints.

4. Resource Intensive: Case studies often require a significant investment in terms of


resources, including time, money, and personnel.

5. Lack of Replication: Unlike experimental designs, case studies are not easily
replicable, making it challenging to validate findings through repetition.

CONCLUSION

Case study research is more than simply conducting research on a single individual or
situation. This approach has the potential to deal with simple through complex situations. It enables
the researcher to answer “how” and “why” type questions, while taking into consideration how a
phenomenon is influenced by the context within which it is situated. For the novice research a case
study is an excellent opportunity to gain tremendous insight into a case. It enables the researcher
to gather data from a variety of sources and to converge the data to illuminate the case. Case study
method has always been criticised for its lack of rigor and the tendency for a researcher to have a
biased interpretation of the data. Grounds for establishing reliability and generality are also
subjected to skepticism when a small sampling is deployed. Often time, case study research is
dismissed as useful only as an exploratory tool. Despite these criticisms, researchers continue to
deploy the case study method particularly in studies of real-life situations governing social issues
and problems. Case studies from various disciplines and domains are widely reported in the
literature.

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