A Single Case
Single cases are usually used to
confirm or challenge a theory, or to tell the story of a unique or extreme
case.[1]
Single-case studies are also ideal for studying unique situations. They can be of
individuals or organizations like a local church. Single-cases need to be
designed carefully to avoid misrepresentation and to maximize the
investigator's access to the evidence. Each individual case study needs to consist
of a "whole" study, in which facts are gathered from various sources
and conclusions drawn on those facts.
Multiple
Cases
Protocols are essential in a multiple-case study, and
desirable in a single-case study. Yin presented the protocol as a major component in asserting
the reliability of the case study research. A typical protocol should have the
following elements:
- An overview of the case study
(objectives, issues, topics being investigated)
- Field procedures (credentials,
access to sites, and sources of information)
- Case study questions (specific
questions that must be kept in mind during data collection)
- A guide for case study report (outline, format for the narrative)[2]
Stake identified at least six possible sources of evidence in
case studies:
- Documents
- Archival records
- Interviews
- Direct observation
- Participant-observation
- Physical artifacts[3]
Documents could be letters, memoranda, agendas,
administrative documents, newspaper articles, or any document that is germane
to the investigation. The documents serve to verify the evidence from other
sources. They are communications between parties in the study.
Archival documents can be service records, organizational
records, lists of names, survey data, board minutes, and other such records. You
have to be careful. Even if the records
are quantitative, they might still not be accurate.
Interviews are one of the most important sources of case
study information. Several forms of interviews are possible: Open-ended,
Focused, and Structured. An open-ended interview, where respondents are asked
to comment about certain events, is essential when the case study is an
individual, or when opinion is necessary.
Interviews may also corroborate evidence obtained from other
sources. Try to avoid becoming dependent on a single informant, and seek the
same data from other sources to verify its authenticity.
Focused interviews are used in situations where respondent are
usually answering set questions. They are often used to confirm data collected
from another source.
The structured interview or a survey, is used to gather data
in cases such as neighborhood studies. We deal with survey in another module.
Direct observation is used when casual data needs to be
collected or behavior needs to be recorded. This technique provides additional
information for the case study. The reliability is enhanced when you have more
than one observer. Direct
observation must be done unobtrusively.
In participant-observation the researcher becomes an active
participant in the events being studied. This often occurs in studies of
neighborhoods or groups. The technique provides some unusual opportunities for
collecting data, but could also alter the course of events, which might not be
helpful.
Physical artifacts can be tools, instruments, or some other
physical evidence that may be collected during the study. The researcher’s perspective
may be broadened as a result.
It is important to note that not all sources are relevant
for all case studies. Each case will present its own opportunities for data
collection.
Analyzing Case Study Evidence
This part of the case study methodology is the least
developed and the most difficult. Some researchers have suggested that if the
study were more conducive to statistical analysis, it would be easier and more
acceptable. However, not all case studies can be reduced to statistics alone. Miles
and Huberman suggested analytic techniques like
placing the evidence in a matrix of categories, creating flowcharts or data
displays, tabulating the frequency of different events, using means, variances
and cross tabulations to examine the relationships between variables, and other
such techniques to facilitate analysis.[4]
The case study is a valuable method of research, with
distinctive characteristics that make it ideal for many types of
investigations. It can also be used in combination with other methods. Its
reliability should make it more widely used, once its features are better
understood by potential researchers.
A common criticism of case study
method is its dependency on a single case exploration making it difficult to
reach a generalized conclusion. Yin considered case methodology ‘microscopic’
because of the limited sampling cases.
However, setting the parameters and
objectives of the research are far more important in case study method than a
big sample size. Researchers continue to deploy the case study method
particularly in studies of real-life situations governing social issues and
problems.
The use of case studies, in a
broader way, may require greater interview skills, and be too time-intensive
for the kind of research the Church can do. However, the methodology can be of
great help if we wish to study individuals in circumstances you wish to
understand better, community problems, or even the local church.
If you wish to use your church as a
case study, go back to the first days of its existence. Read board meeting
minutes and annual reports, interview older church members and newer members,
compile the church statistics, and use the other six elements mentioned by Stake.
Analyze each facet of the study and compare and contrast them. See if there are
any unifying themes that emerge to give you an understanding of the culture of
that particular local church. Potentially, it also has many uses in assessing various
issues in the church.
[1] Yin, R.
(1993). Applications of Case Study
Research. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publishing.
[4] Miles, Matthew B., & A. Michael Huberman. Qualitative
Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook, 2nd ed. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Publishing, 1994.
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