Lecture 5 - Case study and desk research

Case study

In depth investigation of a single case/ small number of cases within a real world context

What are case study used for ?

Complex, unique and understudied phenomena

What are case study used in ?

• Social science

• business

• public administration

What are case study used to examine ?

• individuals

• groups

• organizations

• events

• policies

What are the suitable situations for case studies

• little theory exist and indicative research

• understudies and new phenomenon

• When the aim is for understanding a complex situation

• Research is applied, evaluative and focused on best practices

• mixed method design

• serve as pilot for large study

• situation of low number of units

• Anomalies : cases that stands out

What are the methodological considerations for case studies

• researchers has no control over the situation + part of it

• Low number of units of study but high number of variables

• For : applied research or commissioned research

• Qualitative data

Validity status of case study

There is a low number of units of study but high number of variable

—> In depth = high on internal study

BUT

—> limited generalizability = low external validity

Method for case study

Triangulation —> collection of qualitative data through different methods (increases credibility)

• interviews

• observations

• document analysis

• questionnaires

Criticism of case study

• less academic

• less systematic

SO less knowledge accumulation

• Can be carried in a sloppy way (decrease validity and reliability)

Counterarguments for criticism of case study

• study in all science

• basis for new knowledge (induction)

• 1 case suffice for falsification

“The laboratories of public administration are the offices of practitioners”

Timney Bailey

Sampling of Case study

Selection of the case is important

—> there is a limited number of cases but study is more in depth

Type of case study

• Exploratory

• Descriptive

• Explanatory

• evaluative

• comparative

exploratory case study

used when little prior research exist on a topic

Descriptive case study

provide a detailed account of specific phenomenon

explanatory case study

examine cause and effect relationship

evaluative case study

assesses the success/ failure of an intervention, policy and strategy

comparative case study

analysis similarities and differences between multiple cases

Types of qualitative research

• Ethnography

• Thick description

• Grounded theory

• Participatory action research

• Aim

Ethnography

• study of cases in real life

• participation by the researcher

Example for Ethnography

living in a community to study how they work

Selection of cases

Chose on theoretical grounds and has to be relevant to the research question

Choice of different combinations of cases

• unique or representative

• single or multiple

• similar or dissimilar

Important rule in case selection

case should vary in independent variables and not select based on dependent variables

Practical issues when selecting case

• access

• contact

• time

• money

Interview

• key method in qualitative and case study research

• used for study experience, motives, interpretation and meanings —> hard to be observed directly

Different types of Interviews

• Open

• Semi structured

• Structured

Open interview

Only the first interview question is fixed & the rest is free

Semi structured interview

Topic list or interview guide with fixed term but open questions

Structured interview

Oral questionnaire (often with closed questions)

Form for groups

• Focus group

• Delphi study

Focus group

• 6-12 respondents

• interviewed by moderator

• open/ semi structured

• group dynamic matter

Delphi study

• Expert as respondents

• multiple rounds of semi structured questions and reports

• aimed for consensus

How is triangulation protecting scientific quality

with several source that give fuller and more reliable reconstruction of the case

Tips for interview (when happening)

• topic list based on operationalization of theoretical variable

• Logical order for the interview —> natural conversation

• build rapport with the respondent

• importance on mix competencies (time management, listening and communicative skills)

• Labour intensive

  • transcribing interviews

• Know what happen to their information

  • taping, anonymity

What to do before interview

pilot (to practice)

desk research

• use of existing data

• efficient and cost effective way

• quantitative & qualitative

• indiction and deduction

Sources’ origin

• actors being studied themselves

• Othere

  • researchers

  • institutions

  • governments

  • organizations

benefits of desk research

• efficient

• validity

efficiency of desk research

re use material and data that is produce and collected by others

validity of desk research

Unobtrusive research, no interference in empirical reality

Avoided invalidity factors

No :

• measurement effect by the researchers’ presence

• interviewer influence

• direct disturbance of the setting

risk of desk research

• important to work systematically

  • protocol, archiving…

• operationalization of desk research

  • existing data is produced for different purposes

Method/ technique for desk research

• content analysis

• secondary analysis

• meta analysis

purpose of Content analysis

reconstruct :

• facts

• opinions

• discourse (text analysis)

how can content analysis be done

quantitative : counts words, themes (scoring)

qualitative : interpret meaning

What for ? (content analysis)

identify themes, patterns, narratives

Meta analysis

Collection of empirical data from previous research

—> enable study effect and question on a larger scale/ sample than before

• systematic literature review (SLR)

Systematic literature review (SLR)

structured and systematic way of reviewing existing research

Desk research often used for

• Policy analysis

• Markey research

• historical research

• meta analysis

• unobtrusive research

Unobtrusive research

without direct interaction with participants by analyzing existing materials