Case study I
Jan Osička
Lecture outline
• Case study theory
• Generalization from case studies
• Exercises: outlining a case study
Case study
• One of the most frequent qualitative methods.
• Supposes detailed analysis of just one/a few cases.
• Large dataset related to just one/a few cases.
• Targets holistic assessment of the complexity of the case.
• Only as good as well focused.
Definitions (Rohlfing)
Definition of ‘case’:
A bounded empirical phenomenon that is an instance of a population of
similar empirical phenomena
Definition of ‘case study’:
Empirical analysis of a small sample of cases
Definition of ‘qualitative case study’:
Empirical analysis of a small sample of cases based on the analysis of a
wide variety of (non-comparable) observations
Defending case study: cases in human
learning
• Common expertise in everyday social, technical, or intellectual
knowledge and skills: cooking, driving, carrying a conversation,
interpreting new information.
• Specialized skill stemming from job or personal life devotion: flying a
fighter jet, playing instrument.
• Common to all expertise: building on intimate knowledge of several
thousand concrete cases.
• In social science, context-independent knowledge make textbooks while
context-dependent knowledge make experts.
The induction problem
What is „The induction problem“?
The induction problem
Poppers‘ „black swan“
The induction problem
= Induced generalization or mere speculation?
• Do we know the extent of the population?
• Do we have access to the data regarding the population?
The solution
• Substantial knowledge (phenomena, cases)
• Focusing of cases
Example:
• Policies of small, democratic states towards regional hegemons
• Small, democratic state vs. black swan
Typology
• According to the study‘s relation to theory
• Atheoretical: exploratory research, case-specific research
• Building hypothesis (theory): generalizing knowledge about certain
class of phenomena
• Modifying hypothesis (theory): sharpening the hypothesis
• Testing hypothesis (theory): deductive approach
Relations to theory
Hypothesis is formed
After
empirical
analysis
Before
empirical
analysis
Existing
theory on
which one
builds
No
Building
hypothesis
-
Yes
Modifying
hypothesis
Hypothesis
testing
Generalization
• Concepts, hypotheses, and theories do emerge from empirical
studies. Case study seems to be the basis of many of them.
• Hypothesis/theory testing is a form of gaining general knowledge.
• Generally possible within population (knowledge applicable across
the class of phenomena)
Exercises
Exercises
• Introduce briefly your area of interest.
• Suggest research topic suitable for a qualitative analysis.
• Identify a case (what is this a case of?) suitable for qualitative case
understanding and focus it.
• Suggest the class of cases for which your outcomes may be generally
valid.