MODULE QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
CASE STUDY
Prof. Dr. Emilija Stoimenova Canevska
.
Malta, 26-27.2022
.
RESEARCH PROPOSAL
STARTING WITH CLEARLY DEFINED RESEARCH QUESTION (from
practice or theory)
ON WHOM WE WILL DO THE RESEARCH or RESEARCH
PARTICIPANTS
CHOSE OF THE APPROPRIATE RESEARCH METHOD
CHOSE THE APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR DATA GATHERING
CHOSE THE APPROPRIATE METHOD FOR DATA ANALYSIS
KEEP IN MIND ETHICAL ASPECT & INFORMED CONSENT – has to be
included
PSYCHOTHERAPY
– PRACTICE OR RESEARCH
PSYCHO SIMILAR or RESEARCH
THERAPY DIFFERENT?
HIERARCHY OF PROOFS
META-
ANALYSIS
EXPERIMENT
QUAZI EXPERIMENT
NATURALISTIC STUDIES
CASE STUDIES & THEORETICAL STUDIES
CASE STUDY
Case study research is a qualitative approach in which the investigator
/researcher / psychotherapist explores:
a bounded system (a case), or multiple bounded systems (cases),
over time through detailed in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of
information:
observations,
interviews,
audiovisual material, and
documents and reports.
CASE STUDY
The case study approach is familiar to social scientists because of its popularity
in psychology (Freud),
medicine (case analysis of a problem),
law (case law), and
political science (case reports).
It has a long history, tracing its origin
from anthropology and sociology.
CASE STUDY
Today the number of published Case studies or Case reports is increasing
In 70’s aprox. 1000 published
In 2010 aprox 7000 published
( Krampen & Krampen, 2016)
CASE STUDY
Research based on Case study may seem similar to Narrative research,
especially when the case chosen is a single individual.
Differences present.
NARATIVE RESEARCH & CASE STUDY
NARRATIVE RESEARCH
NARRATIVE RESEARCH
Seven steps of Narrative research
1. Identifying the phenomenon to explore that address the problem
2. Selecting one or more participants to study
3. Collecting stories from participants / conducting interview
4. Retelling the individual stories
5. Collaborating with the participants
6. Writing the story about the participant's experience / analyzing the story
7. Validating the report’s accuracy / reporting the findings
CASE STUDY
Type of Research Question Qualitative Des-n
Chronological/story-oriented questions: Questions about the life Narrative Research
experiences of an individual and how they unfold over time
In-depth, descriptive questions: Questions about developing an in-depth Case study
understanding about how different cases provide insight into issue or a
unique case
CONTRASTING CHARACTERISTICS OF
NARRATIVE RESEARCH AND CASE STUDY
Characteristics Narrative research Case study
Type of problem When detailed stories helped to When researcher has a case bounded by
best suited for understand problem time or place that can inform the probem
Discipline Humanities Psychology, Medicine, Psychotherapy
Unit of study One or more individuals An event, program, activity, more than one
individual
Data collect. form Interview, documents Interview, documents, observation,
Data analysis Chronology, elements of the story, Description of the case and themes of the
strategies restoring case as well as cross case themes
Structure in Little set structure Some structure
methods
CASE STUDY
Case study research builds an in-depth, contextual understanding of
the case, relying on multiple data sources, rather than on individual
stories as in narrative research.
Many case studies focus on an issue with the case:
individual,
multiple individuals,
program, or activity,
selected to provide insight into the issue.
CASE STUDY
The analytic approach involves a detailed description of the case, the setting
of the case within contextual conditions, and a presentation that may or may
not be chronological.
CASE STUDY DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDING
Case study research is not a methodology but a choice of what is to be
studied (Stake,2005),
Case study as an inquiry strategy, a methodology, or a comprehensive
research strategy (Denzin & Lincoln, 2005; Merriam, 1998; Yin, 2003).
Case study as a methodology, a type of design in qualitative research, an
object of study and a product of the inquiry (Creswell, 2007).
CASE STUDY
The case study as an ‘empirical enquiry to investigate a contemporary
phenomenon in real-life context, especially when the boundaries between
phenomenon and context are not clearly evident’ (Yin, 2003:13).
CASE STUDY
The case study:
Individual : a child, an adult, a student, a teacher, a person’s experience
or phase in life.
Group / collective
Simple
Complex - . case might be in the form of working environment,
campaign program, organization culture, neighborhood, or region.
CASE STUDY
Intrinsic
particular curriculum, classroom, book;
particular experience for a client, specific interventions, change.
Researcher interested in understanding a specific individual or situation
Why? How?
Goal = understand the case in all its parts
Exploratory Research
Instrumental
Multiple or Collective
CASE STUDY
Intrinsic
Instrumental, which provides a base to understand other issues. Usually this
case is a secondary interest of the researcher and used to support other interest.
Researcher interested in understanding something more than just a particular
case
Studies the case only as a means to achieve some larger goal (that is global)
Draws conclusions that apply beyond a particular case
Multiple or Collective
CASE STUDY
Intrinsic
Instrumental
Multiple or Collective - extension of instrumental study.
It consists of several cases in order to explore a certain phenomenon.
The researcher tries to investigate whether there are similarities or differences
among the cases’ characteristics to get better understanding of particular
interests.
Researcher studies multiple cases at the same time
Overall study
CASE STUDY
Patton (2002) classifies some characteristics of a well-constructed case study:
Holistic and Context Sensitive,
Comprehensive, and
Systematic.
CASE STUDY LIMITATIONS
1. The case study researchers do not follow systematic procedures and may have
biased views that probably influence the findings and the conclusions.
Case study researchers should stay in a neutral position in reporting the facts
or at least triangulating the data to ensure that the claims are supported.
2. The researchers may not be able to cover all issues and offer a scientific
generalization because they tend to have limited evidence (not as quantitative R).
The researchers may use multi-case studies approach so the findings will
clarify whether there is similarity or a pattern among cases.
CASE STUDY LIMITATIONS
3. The case studies often rely on subjective data, such as the participants’
statements or the researchers’ observations, because most case studies focus on
human experiences. Consequently, data will vary based on the participant’s
description, opinion, and feeling.
To avoid subjectivity and to increase the objectivity of data, a researcher
should use replicative, falsification and triangulating methods.
CASE STUDY LIMITATIONS
One researcher - the observer and the analyzer
Not all environments are identical
Time needed - extensive research and time
Valid generalizations ?
Conclusion - used to develop a more intense study
CASE STUDY LIMITATIONS
Ethical issues related to a case study
- case study researchers collect data from people as participants or human
subjects.
be aware of participant’s rights, such as keep the participant’s identities and
data confidentially and be ready if the participant refuses to answer certain
questions.
be careful in reporting participant’s experience, opinion, or personal view that
might offend the participant.
CASE STUDY PRACTICAL STEPS
CASE STUDY
Clinical case study
A clinical case study is a narrative report by the therapist of what happened
during a therapy together with the therapist's interpretations of what happened.
It is could use semi-structured assessment instruments (questionnaire,
diagnostic interview)
Empirical case studies
CASE STUDY
Clinical case study
Empirical case studies
- data are gathered from ex:self-report, observation, and there is a research
team involved in the analyses of the data.
The study can be preformed in:
a naturalistic setting (systematic case study) or
a controlled experimental environment (single-case experiment).
CLINICAL CASE STUDY
1. Basic information to include,
2. Clarification of the motivation to select a particular client,
3. Information about informed consent and disguise,
4. Client background and context of referral or self-referral,
5. Client's narrative, therapist's observations and interpretations,
6. Interpretative heuristics,
7. Reflexivity and counter-transference,
8. Leaving room for interpretation, and
9. Answering the research question, and comparison with other cases.
