Lesson 5 CLO4: Conduct a qualitative

• Fundamentals of Case Study Approach, research study and write a report.

Topic 8 • Steps in Conducting Qualitative Case
Qualitative Study Approach
Research • Reporting Qualitative Case Study
Approach 1: Research
Qualitative Case • Examples of Case Study Research
Study Research

Why This Lesson

This lesson focuses on the Qualitative Research Approach. Specifically, it deals with Qualitative Case Study.
At the end of the lesson, you will be able to:

• Explain the fundamentals of Case Study Research

• Discuss the steps in conducting Case Study Research
• Discuss Reporting in Qualitative Case Study Research
• Evaluate an example of a Qualitative Case Study Research

Fundamentals of Case Study Approach

What is a Case?

Stake (2005) mentions that a case “may be simple or complex. It may be a child or a classroom of children
or an event, a happening such as a mobilization of professionals to study a childhood condition. It is one
among among others. In any given study, we will concentrate on the one. The time we may spend
concentrating our inquiry on the one my be long or short, but while we so concentrate, we are engaged in
case study”.

It is
• A phenomenon;
• a complex entity which operates within a number of contexts;
• a bounded system: its has working parts, and it is an integrated system.
• singular, but it has sub-sections; many are so complex that at best they can only be sampled
• specific, a complete functioning thing: a child, a classroom of children or particular mobilization of
professionals to study childhood conditions (Stake, 2005)

What is a Case Study Research?

A case study research is an umbrella term for a family of research methods which focus on particularisation
i.e., an inquiry around an [Link] is a concentrated inquiry into a single case, and it is both the process of

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learning about the case and the product of learning on the case (Stake, 1995). It evolves around an in-depth
study of a single case, event or a series of linked cases or events of a period of time (Stake, 2005).

Yin (1994) mentions that the case study is “but one of the several ways of doing social science research”. It is
an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its life context. It is a qualitative
research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted and understanding of a complex issue in
its real-life context, especially when the boundaries that existed between the phenomenon and its context are
not clearly evident.

It is a preferred strategy among practitioners when

• the focus is on a contemporary phenomenon within some real-life contexts.
• “how’ or ‘why questions’ are being explored, and
• the researcher has little control over events.

The essence of the case study research is to catch the complexity of a single case (Mohd Sofi, 2008)

Case study research is

• an established research design that is used extensively in a wide variety of disciplines, particularly in
the social sciences
• a research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of a complex
issue in its real-life context. Its central tenet being the need to explore an event or phenomenon in
depth and in its natural context
• a "naturalistic" design; this is in contrast to an "experimental" design (such as a randomised controlled
trial) in which the investigator seeks to exert control over and manipulate the variable(s) of interest.

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Types of Case Study Research

Stake (2005) describes three main types of case studies: intrinsic, instrumental and multiple:
• Intrinsic Case Study: An intrinsic case study is undertaken, fist and last, one wants a better
understanding of this particular case. The purpose is not theory building. It is undertaken because of an
intrinsic interest in it.

• Instrumental Case Study: The instrumental case study uses a particular case and it is examined mainly
to provide insight into or to redraw generalisation. The case is a secondary interest; it plays a
supportive role, and its facilitates our understanding of something else. The case is still looked at in
depth; its context scrutinised and its ordinary activities detailed , but all because this help us pursue
external interest. The case may seen as typical of other cases or not. Here the choice of case is to
advance understanding of that other interest.

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 • Multiple/Collective Case Study:

When there is even less interest in one particular case, a number of cases can be studied jointly to
investigate a phenomenon, population, or general condition. It is instrumental study extended to several
cases. They are chosen because it is believed that understanding them will lead to better
understanding, and perhaps better therisin, about a still large collection of cases (p.445).

Main Characteristics of Case Study Research

The following are the common characteristis of case studies:

• The number of units to be studied is small; the smallest is one.

• It studies a social unit deeply and thoroughly
• It is qualitative as well as quantitative
• It covers a sufficient wide cycle of time
• The data collection is extensive and draws could be drawn from multiple sources e.g.
interviews, observations, and documents.
• Data could be analysed and interpreted through content analysis, thematic analysis,
• discourse analysis, narrative analysis or phenomenological analysis

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Why Case Study Research

Case study research is widely used in education; it isan intensive, systematic analysis of a single case in which
the researcher examines in-depth data within its real-life contexts. It provides “a close-up account, a thick
description of an instance within its realistic context, and the instance was studied as it was” (Mohd Sofi Ali,
2008).

The general purpose of a case study is to describe an individual situation (case), e.g. a person, business,
organisation, or institution, in detail; identify the key issues of the case (your assignment question should tell
you what to focus on); analyse the case using relevant theoretical concepts from your unit
([Link]

Case studies can be used to explain, describe or explore events or phenomena in the everyday contexts in
which they occur (Yin,1994).

The extract below illustrates the importance of case studies.

• “Understand complex issues: Even after you conduct a significant amount of market research, you
might have a difficult time understanding exactly what it means. While you might have the basics down,
conducting a case study can help you see how that information is applied. Then, when you see how the
information can make a difference in business decisions, it could make it easier to understand complex
issues.

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 • Collect data: A case study can also help with data tracking. A case study is a data collection method
that can help you describe the information that you have available to you. Then, you can present that
information in a way the reader can understand.
• Conduct evaluations: As you learn more about how to write a case study, remember that you can also
use a case study to conduct evaluations of a specific situation. A case study is a great way to learn
more about complex situations, and you can evaluate how various people responded in that situation.
By conducting a case study evaluation, you can learn more about what has worked well, what has not,
and what you might want to change in the future.
• Identify potential solutions: A case study can also help you identify solutions to potential problems. If
you have an issue in your business that you are trying to solve, you may be able to take a look at a
case study where someone has dealt with a similar situation in the past. For example, you may
uncover data bias in a specific solution that you would like to address when you tackle the issue on
your own. If you need help solving a difficult problem, a case study may be able to help you”
([Link]

Steps in Conducting Case Study Research

Creswell and Gueterman (2021) suggest the following six steps for case study research:

Step 1: Determine and define clearly the research question.

The research question for case studies generally starts with a “How” or “Why.”
Step 2: Choose the case and state how data is to be gathered and which techniques for analysis to
be used in the study.
Step 3: Prepare to collect the data. Consider how the researcher will deal with large sets of data in order to
avoid becoming overwhelmed once the study is underway. Multiple collection methods will strengthen the
study.
Step 4: Collect and organize the data: There are multiple methods to collect data in a case study. The goal is
to obtain as detailed an understanding of the case and its meaning as possible by concentrating on qualitative
data using techniques such as interviews, observations and analyses of primary and secondary sources.
Step 5: Analyze the collected data: Analysing process required longer time and the researcher needs
to be meticulous and analytic when writing the analysis.
Step 6: Prepare the report. The final stage is to prepare and write the report. In a case study report, the
researcher is required to provide as full picture of the topic in his report.

Data Collection in Case Study Research

Stake (1995) describes the data collection in a case study research as follows:

Interviews: “The most common way of gathering data in qualitative case study research is interviews. The
interviews are also the main element of subjectivity and relativity that the constructivist researcher looks for.
Unlike survey, interviews do to not necessarily have a fixed set of questions. They are mostly leading
questions that can help address the study, however these questions evolve during the interview and often
before the next one. Thus, it is essential that the researcher keeps these interviews less structured. Stake
explains: ‘Qualitative case study seldom proceeds as a survey with the same questions asked to each
respondent; rather each interviewee is expected to have had unique experiences, special stories to tell’.

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Observations: Observations are necessary in the whole process of data gathering as the observations provide
those evidences that otherwise remain latent in the interviews. Thus, the observations become the glue, the
connecting dots of the entire study. As he states: ‘During observation, the qualitative case study researcher
keeps a good record of events to provide a relatively incontestable description for further analysis and ultimate
reporting. He or she lets the occasion tell its story, the situation, the problem, resolution or irresolution of the
problem’.

Document Analysis: Another source of data is documents, which could include news articles, internal
organisational documents, annual reports, minutes of meetings, diaries of respondents, etc., Similar to
interviews and observations, sometimes the documents could be too many and the researcher may get lost in
the process; however, the research questions should guide in evaluating the same. While considering any and
every data source, it is absolutely vital to have written consent for the access to data”.

Data Analysis in Case Study Research

Creswell (2013) identifies six steps followed in the process of qualitative data analysis.

Step 1: To organize and prepare the data for analysis through transcribing interviews, optimally scanning
material, and cataloging each visual material among others.

Step 2: To read or look at all the data. The essence of this step is to gain a general sense of the information
and to secure the opportunity to reflect on its overall meaning.

Step 3: To code the data. In this case, a researcher organizes the collected data by categorizing the images
and text and then labeling the categories with a term.

Step 4: The coding process is utilized to come up with a description of the people, setting, or
categories/themes for analysis. The step is essential as it helps to design detailed descriptions for different
forms of research initiatives.

Step 5: The penultimate step mandates the researcher to advance the manner in which themes and
descriptions will be represented in the qualitative narrative. For example, a researcher may opt to use a
narrative passage to confer the outcomes of the analysis.

Step 6: To make an interpretation of the findings or the results. The phase requires a researcher to ask
him/herself about the lessons gained.

Reporting the Case Study Research

Mohd Sofi Ali (2008) mentions the following on writing case study report:
“There are many and different varieties of research reports as there are many and defferent varieties of case
studies and reserachers. It is probably safe to say that the forms of writing ar as many and various as the
purposes of writing (CARE, 1994). There is no one way, a straight jacket formula, a definitive way, in which
casae study reports are written, and that most case study researhers have their own preferred writing style
(CARE, 1994). Caseworkers might opt their own report format which would be based on their own needs,
purposes , interests and contexts”.

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A case study research report examines a person, place, event, condition, phenomenon, or other type of
subject of analysis in order to extrapolate key themes and results that help predict future trends,
illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for
understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. It usually examines a single subject
of analysis, but it can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between
two or more subjects ([Link]

They are organised as typical research papers or thesis, with separate parts or chapters on procedures,
findings and discussions. However, the standard five-section report structure may not be appropriate for a
qualitative study; a qualitative report may include six to eight chapters (Creswell, 2013).

CARE (1994) provides the following guidelines for the qualitative (case study) reporting:

• The chosen style of writing a thesis, though it could be written in a number of ways, must be
appropriate to the purpose and must fully described and justified.
• The role of the researcher must be made explicit, i.e., it is appropriate for the researcher to reflect on
how he has affected the research and what his biases may have been, and whether he has
acknowledged these and he has taken measures to guard against undue effects.
• At the end of the research he may wish to include an account of what he has learned about the process
of research from doing the research. His research is inevitably about him as well as the substantive
area of enquiry.
• The researcher has to ensure that the thought processes in which he is engaged are made explicit to
the readers. He needs to make his thinking clear and the best way is to offer the information about
evidence he has drawnand the analysis he has carried out in reaching his conclusion.

(Note: See Lesson 7 for more information on “Alternative approaches to Qualitative Report Structure”.)

Advantages & Disadvantages of Case Study Research

Advantages of Case Study Research

Case studies provide researchers with several unique advantages, including:

• They allow researchers to observe and record information about rare, impractical, or unethical
conditions and behaviours.
• They provide researchers with new evidence to support psychological theories.
• They help researchers develop hypotheses that others can study or add to in the future.
• They offer researchers additional insights into the phenomenon to gain a better understanding of the
behaviour or event.
• They allow researchers to evaluate conditions or behaviours in a real-world setting that may be difficult
to replicate in a laboratory environment.

Disadvantages of case studies

There are several disadvantages of case studies research, including:

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 • Case study results can be difficult to replicate.
• Case studies can be expensive and time-consuming.
• Researchers can allow their own feelings to influence the case study, known as researcher bias.
• Case studies can lack scientific methods and rigour to protect the accuracy of data collected.
• Researchers can find the volume of data difficult to analyze and apply to a larger population.

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Limitations of Case Study Research

• Research quality is heavily dependent on the individual skills of the researcher and more easily
influenced by the researcher's personal biases and idiosyncrasies.
• Rigor is more difficult to maintain, assess, and demonstrate.
• The volume of data makes analysis and interpretation time consuming.
• It is sometimes not as well understood and accepted as quantitative research within the scientific
community
• The researcher's presence during data gathering, which is often unavoidable in qualitative research,
can affect the subjects' responses.
• Issues of anonymity and confidentiality can present problems when presenting findings
• Findings can be more difficult and time consuming to characterize in a visual way.

([Link]

Example of a Case Study Research

Topic: You’ll Never Be Better Than Your Teachers: The Garden Grove Approach to Human Capital
Development Joel Knudson American Institutes for Research (2013)
This case study considers how Garden Grove, a large urban district in California, implements a comprehensive
system of human capital development using processes for getting great teachers and building teachers’
capacity, including through professional learning.
([Link]

Tutorial Activity
Analyse a qualitative case study research article and discuss the main characteristics of the research design
and approach.

References
CARE, 1994. Coming in Terms with Research. CARE: University of East Anglia, Norwich
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Creswell, J.W. & Guetterman, (2021.) Designing Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 6th Edition. Pearson
Education.
Stake, R.E. (1995) The Arts of Case Study. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publication
Stake, R.E. (2005) Qualitative Case Studies In Denzin, N.K. & Lincoln, Y.S. (Editors) (2005) The Sage
Handbook of Qualitative Research. 3rd Edition. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
Yin, R.K. (1994). Case Study Research: Designs and Methods. Thousand Oaks: SAGE

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Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Merriam, S. (1988). Case
study research in education: A qualitative approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Mohd Sofi Ali (2008). A Case for a Case: A Qualitative Research Experience. UM Publication: Kuala Lumpur
Internet References
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