Designing research with case study methods
by Janet Salmons, PhD, Research Community Manager for Sage Research Methods Community
Research design is the focus for the first quarter of 2023. Find the unfolding series of posts here.
What is case study methodology?
Case study methodology is both unique, and uniquely confusing. It is unique given one characteristic: case studies draw from more than one data source. Case studies are inherently multimodal or mixed methods because this they use either more than one form of data within a research paradigm, or more than one form of data from different paradigms.
A case study inquiry could include:
multiple forms of quantitative data sources, such as Big Data + a survey
multiple forms of qualitative data sources, such as interviews + observations
multiple forms of quantitative and qualitative data sources, such as Big Data + interviews
The term case study is confusing because the same term is used multiple ways.
It can refer to the methodology, that is, a system of frameworks used to design a study, or the methods used to conduct it. Or, case study can refer to a type of academic writing that typically delves into a problem, process, or situation.
Case study methodology can entail the study of one or more "cases," that could be described as instances, examples, or settings where the problem or phenomenon can be examined. The researcher is tasked with defining the parameters of the case, that is, what is included and excluded. This process is called bounding the case, or setting boundaries.
Case study can be combined with other methodologies, such as ethnography, grounded theory, or phenomenology. In such studies the research on the case uses another framework to further define the study and refine the approach.
Case study is also described as a method, given particular approaches used to collect and analyze data. Case study research is conducted by almost every social science discipline: business, education, sociology, psychology. Case study research, with its reliance on multiple sources, is also a natural choice for researchers interested in trans-, inter-, or cross-disciplinary studies.
The Encyclopedia of case study research provides an overview:
The purpose of case study research is twofold: (1) to provide descriptive information and (2) to suggest theoretical relevance. Rich description enables an in-depth or sharpened understanding of the case.
Robert Yin, methodologist most associated with case study research, differentiates between descriptive, exploratory and explanatory case studies:
Descriptive: A case study whose purpose is to describe a phenomenon.
Explanatory: A case study whose purpose is to explain how or why some condition came to be, or why some sequence of events occurred or did not occur.
Exploratory: A case study whose purpose is to identify the research questions or procedures to be used in a subsequent study.
You can read the preface and Chapter 1 of Yin's book here. See the open-access articles below for some published examples of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods case study research.
References
Mills, A. J., Durepos, G., & Wiebe, E. (2010). Encyclopedia of case study research (Vols. 1-0). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc. doi: 10.4135/9781412957397
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
SAGE Books about Case Study Research
Want to learn more about designing a case study? These books are useful, whether you are a student or an experienced researcher ready to try a new research approach. The open-access preview or instructional site materials give explanations that will help you determine whether case methods will fit your proposed study. Use the code MSPACEQ123 for a 20% discount when you order them from SAGE Publishing.
Case Study Research for Business by Jillian Dawes Farquhar
This 2012 text, while focused on the business context, provides a general overview useful to new researchers. See Chapter 1: What Is Case Study Research?Using Case Study in Education Research by Lorna Hamilton and Connie Corbett-Whittier
This 2012 book will help you design case studies in the field of education. Preview materials include Chapter 1 and learning activities and templates.Conducting Case Study Research for Business and Management Students by Bill Lee and Mark N. K. Saunders
This 2017 book will help you design case studies in business and management disciplines. Read Chapter 2 - Understanding Case Studies.Case Study Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy by John McLeod
This 2010 book is relevant for researchers who plan to conduct studies in counselling or therapy. See Chapter 1: The role of case studies in the development of theory and practice in counselling and psychotherapy.
Single-Case Research Methods for the Behavioral and Health Sciences by David L. Morgan and Robin K. Morgan
This 2008 book will help you design case studies in health-related fields. Preview materials include Chapters 2, 4, and 6.
Case Study Research: What, Why and How? by Peter Swanborn
This 2010 book provides an overview of the basics for case methods. Find Chapter 1 here.
How to Do Your Case Study by Gary Thomas
The third edition was published in 2021. Find open-access resources related to case study designs here.Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods by Robert Yin
The sixth edition was published in 2017. You can read the preface and Chapter 1 by following the link. Also see Yin’s 2011 Applications of Case Study Research. Yin’s work is comprehensive, and offers detailed guidance from proposal to analysis stages.
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