GROUP A - LEAN

CASE STUDY RESEARCH

A summary of Robert K. Yin's work.
By Lao Li
Something to point out...
Google's Ngram Viewer had provided data on the frequency of appearance
of the term in publications from 1980 to 2008, compared with the
appearance of three alternatives: "survey research," "experimental designs,"
and "random assignment." The frequency of "Case Study Research" follows
an upward trend, as opposed to the other three terms.
From: Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications:
Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.

In order to conduct case study research, we must recognize the existence of a foundational trilogy. There is
nothing unusual about this trilogy, so there is no need for in-depth reflection. For example, other types of social
science research may also involve trilogies: Experimental Research (Mode), Experiments (Method), and Subjects
(Units); or Survey Research (Mode), Surveys (Method), and Respondents (Units). Notwithstanding the possible
parallels among all these modes, methods, and units, the case study trilogy highlights two pairs of internal
relationships: between case study and case study research, and between case study and case.

CASE STUDY
CASE STUDY CASE
RESEARCH
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chapter 1: How to know whether and when to use the

case study as a research method.
You might favor choosing case study research, compared with other research methods,
when your main research questions are “how” or “why” questions, you have little control
over behavioral events, and your focus of study is a contemporary phenomenon (a case).

A common misconception is that the various

research methods should be arrayed
hierarchically. This view reinforces the idea
that case study research is only a preliminary
mode of inquiry. However, case studies are far
from being only an exploratory method. Every
research method can be used for all three
purposes – exploratory, descriptive, and
explanatory studies.
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Defining the research question is the most important step to be

taken in a research study.
The key is to understand that the research question has both substance (What is my study about?) and
form (am I asking a who, what, where, how or why question?). To determine the questions that are the
most pressing on a topic, as well as to gain some precision in formulating these questions, requires
much preparation. One way is to review the literature on the topic.

Ok, but... What is a Case Study?

A Case Study is an empirical method that investigates

a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its
real-world context, especially when the boundaries
between phenomenon and context may not be clearly
evident. This method copes with the technically
distinctive situation in which there will be many more
variables of interest than data points.
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Chapter 2: Identifying the Case and Establishing the

Logic of Your Case Study
The design is the logical sequence that connects the empirical data to a study´s initial research questions and,
ultimately, to its conclusions. The design´s main purpose is to avoid the situation in which the evidence does not
address the research questions.

Something to point out...

Components of a Research Design:
A research design link the data to A case study´s questions
be collected (and the conclusions its propositions, if any
to be drawn) to the initial
its case
questions of study. Every type of
the logic linking the data to the propositions
empirical research study has an
implicit, if not explicit, research The criteria for interpreting the findings.
design.
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The initial task is to clarify precisely the nature of your study

questions in this regard. Many students take an initial stab, only
to be discouraged when they find the same question already well
covered by previous research. Other less desirable questions
focus on too trivial or minor parts of an issue.

A helpful hit is to move in three stages:

First, try to use the literature to narrow your interest to
a key topic.
Second, examine closely a few key studies on your topic
of interest. Identify the questions in those few studies and
whether they conclude with new questions or loose
ends for future research.
Third, examine another set of studies on the same topic.
They may reinforce the relevant and importance of your
potential questions or even suggest ways of sharpening
them. In absence of defining your research questions, you
could start with some fieldwork first.
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You can strengthen case study designs by articulating a “theory” about what is to be
learned. Critical to the design will be to define the “case” to be studied and to set some
limits or bounds to the case.

We can examine the quality of the emerging design in relation to four tests commonly used
in social science research:
Construct validity: Identify correct operational measures for the concepts being studied.
Internal validity (for explanatory or casual studies only): seeking to establish a causal
relationship, whereby certain conditions are believed to lead to other conditions, as
distinguished from spurious relationships.
External validity: showing whether and how a case study´s finding can be generalized.
Reliability: demonstrating that the operations of a study (such as its data collection
procedures) can be repeated, with the same results.
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Chapter 3: Preparing to Collect Case Study Evidence. What

you Need to Do Before Starting to Collect Case Study

It is necessary to feel comfortable in addressing a host of

procedural uncertainties that might arise. Desirable research
skills are the ability to ask good questions, to listen, to be
adaptive, to have a firm grasp of the issues being studied, and
to know how to bring high ethical standards to the research.

Before starting to collect data:

Something to point out...
First will be to obtain the needed institutional approval
The most important part of the training will cover the
of your procedures for protecting the human subjects
development of a case study protocol, to guide the actual
in your case study. data collection.
Second will be the implementation of an intensively As a general matter, a case study protocol should have four
sections:
designed training for the entire case study team.
Section A: an overview of the case study
Third will be the screening of the candidate cases to Section B: data collection procedures
be part of the case study. Section C: protocol questions
Section D: a tentative outline for the case study report.
Fourth will be conduct of a pilot case study.
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Chapter 4: Collecting Case Study Evidence – The Principles

in Working With Six Source of Evidence
Case study evidence can come from at least six sources: documents, archival records, interviews, direct
observations, participant-observation, and physical artifacts. The procedures can follow either realist or
relativist perspectives – that is by aiming to collect data about actual human events and behavior or trying
to capture the distinctive perspectives of the case study participants.

To appreciating how to work with the six sources, four overriding

principles are important to any data collection effort in doing
case study research:
Use multiple sources of evidence
Create a case study database
Cover your sensitivity in maintaining a chain of evidence
Exercising care when using social media as a proxy for the six
sources.
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Documentation Direct Observations

Strength: Stable, unobtrusive, specific, broad. Strength: Covers actions in real time, contextual
Weeakness: Retrievability, biased selectivity, reporting Weakness: Time-consuming, selectivity, reflexivity,
bias, access may be deliberately withheld cost-hours needed by human observers
Archival Records Participant-observation
Strength: Stable, unobtrusive, specific, broad, precise Strength: Covers actions in real time, contextual,
and usually quantitative. insightful into interpersonal behavior and motives.
Weakness: Retrievability, biased selectivity, reporting Weakness: Time-consuming, selectivity, reflexivity,
bias, accessibility due to privacy reasons. cost-hours needed, bias due to participant-observer´s
Interviews manipulation of events.
Strength: Can focus directly on case study topics, Physical artifacts
provides explanations as well as personal views. Strength: Insightful into cultural features and
Weakness: Bias due to poorly articulated questions, technical operations
response bias, inaccuracies, reflexivity Weakness: Selectivity, availability.
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Chapter 5: How to start your analysis, your analytic

choices and how they work
Kin recommends to start your own case study analysis
by “playing” with the data and searching for promising
patterns, insights, or concepts – the goal being to define
your priorities for what to analyze and why. A analysis
also can get started by pursuing for other general
strategies: relying on theoretical propositions, working
your data from the beggining, developing a case
description and examining rival explanations.
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You can adapt any of these general strategies in

practicing five specific techniques for analyzing case
studies:
Pattern matching
Explanation building
Time-series analysis
Logic models and cross-case synthesis.

So... How do I start analyzing my case study data?

Start with questions rather that with the data. Start with a small question first and then identify your
evidence that addresses the question. Draw a tentative conclusion based on the weight of the
evidence, also asking how you should display the evidence so that readers can check your
assessment. Continue to a larger question and repeat the procedure. Keep going until you think you
addressed your main research question.
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Chapter 6: Reporting Case Studies – How and What to

Compose
Sharing the conclusions from a case study, whether in writing You might considerer six alternative
or orally, means bringing its results and findings to closure. compositional structures:
Steps that underlie the sharing process include identifying your Linear-analytic
audience, defining your case study´s format, and having drafts Comparative
reviewed by others. Chronological
Theory-building
Suspense
Something to point out... Unsequenced structures.
Composing a case study is one of the most rewarding
Each one can shape your entire substantive
aspects of case study research. The best general advice is
composition. You will need to describe your case
to set your sights high by aiming for an exemplary case
study methodology.
study – one that is significant and complete as well as one
that considers alternative perspectives, displays sufficient
evidence, and is composed in an engaging manner. Your
goal is to seduce the reader´s eye.
 Conclusions

As detailed throughout the presentation, the research question fully defines

the research methodology and characteristics.
It is emphasized that the research team needs to be prepared prior to the
collection of data. A better understanding of what data will be useful and what
precautions need to be taken during data collection can be gained by
conducting a research protocol and pilot study.
Rival explanation is a very useful method when it comes to selling your
research. The quality of the presentation is improved by being able to prepare
results that strengthen the research based on the information collected.
When presenting case study research, it is necessary to explain it in a way that
is understandable even to those who are not experts in the field.
 References
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and
methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.