· Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research. A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing, comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research blogger.comted Reading Time: 5 mins There are some cases when you need to cite someone else's study in your own one – therefore, you need to master how to cite a case study. A case study is like a research paper when it comes to citations. You can cite it like you cite a book, depending on what style you need. Citation Example in MLA Hill, Linda, Tarun Khanna, and Emily A A case study is a research method to gain a better understanding of a subject or process. Also case studies involve in-depth research into a given subject, in order to understand it's Estimated Reading Time: 5 mins
Case Study Research Paper Example - Floss Papers
Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. The case study approach allows in-depth, multi-faceted explorations of complex issues in their real-life settings. The value of the case study approach is well recognised in the fields of business, law and policy, but somewhat less so in health services research.
Based on our experiences of conducting several health-related case studies, we reflect on the different types of case study design, the specific research questions this approach can help answer, the data sources that tend to be used, and the particular advantages and disadvantages of employing this methodological approach.
The paper concludes with key pointers to aid those designing and appraising proposals for conducting case study research, and a checklist to help readers assess the quality of case study reports. The case study approach is particularly useful to employ when there is a need to obtain an in-depth appreciation of an issue, event or phenomenon of interest, in its natural real-life context.
Our aim in writing this piece is to provide insights into when to consider employing this approach and an overview of key methodological considerations in relation to the design, planning, analysis, interpretation and reporting of case studies. The illustrative 'grand round', 'case report' and 'case series' have a long tradition in clinical practice and research.
Presenting detailed critiques, typically of one or more patients, aims to provide insights into aspects of the clinical case and, in doing so, illustrate broader lessons that may be learnt. In case study research paper, the conceptually-related case study approach can be used, for example, to describe in detail a patient's episode of care, explore professional attitudes to and experiences of a new policy initiative or service development or more generally to 'investigate contemporary phenomena within its real-life context' [ 1 ].
Based on our experiences of conducting a range of case studies, we reflect on when to consider using this approach, discuss the key steps involved and illustrate, with examples, some of the practical challenges of attaining an in-depth understanding of a 'case' as an integrated whole. In keeping with previously published work, we acknowledge the importance of theory to underpin the design, selection, conduct and interpretation of case studies[ 2 ].
In so doing, we make passing reference to the different epistemological approaches used in case study research by key theoreticians and methodologists in this field of enquiry. This paper is structured around the following main questions: What is a case study? What are case studies used for? How are case studies conducted? What are the potential pitfalls and how can these be case study research paper Example of a case study investigating the reasons for differences in recruitment rates of minority ethnic people in asthma research[ 3 ].
Example of a case study investigating the process of planning and implementing a service in Primary Care Organisations[ 4 ]. Example of a case study investigating the introduction of the electronic health records[ 5 ]. Example of a case study investigating the formal and informal ways students learn about patient safety[ 6 ].
A case study is a research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context. It is an established research design that is used extensively in a wide variety of disciplines, particularly in the social sciences.
It is for this reason sometimes referred to as 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. Stake's work has been particularly influential in defining the case study approach to scientific enquiry.
He has helpfully characterised three main types of case study: intrinsicinstrumental and collective [ 8 ]. An intrinsic case study is typically undertaken to learn about a unique phenomenon, case study research paper.
The researcher should define the uniqueness of the phenomenon, which distinguishes it from all others, case study research paper. In contrast, the instrumental case study uses a particular case some of which may be better than others to case study research paper a broader appreciation of an issue or phenomenon. The collective case study involves studying multiple cases simultaneously or sequentially in an attempt to generate a still broader appreciation of a particular issue.
These are however not necessarily mutually exclusive categories. According to Yin, case studies can be used to explain, describe or explore events or phenomena in the everyday contexts in which they occur[ 1 ]. In contrast to experimental designs, which seek to test a specific hypothesis through deliberately manipulating the environment like, for example, in a randomised controlled trial giving a new drug to randomly selected individuals and then comparing outcomes with controls ,[ 9 ] the case study approach lends itself well to capturing information on more explanatory ' how ', 'what' and ' why ' questions, such as ' how is the intervention being implemented and received on the ground?
The case study approach can offer additional insights into what gaps exist in its delivery or why one implementation strategy might be chosen over another. Or whether the wish is to obtain a more naturalistic understanding of an issue? The former is ideally studied using a controlled experimental design, whereas the latter is more appropriately studied using a case study design.
Whilst such a schema can be conceptually helpful, case study research paper may be appropriate to draw on more case study research paper one approach in any case study, particularly in the context of conducting health services research.
Doolin has, for example, noted that in the context of undertaking interpretative case studies, researchers can usefully draw on a critical, reflective perspective which seeks to take into account the wider social case study research paper political environment that has shaped the case[ 11 ].
Here, we focus on the main stages of research activity when planning and undertaking a case study; the crucial stages are: defining the case; selecting the case s ; collecting case study research paper analysing the data; interpreting data; and reporting the findings. Carefully formulated research question sinformed by the existing literature and a prior appreciation of the theoretical issues and setting scase study research paper, are all important in appropriately and succinctly defining the case[ 812 ].
Crucially, each case should have a pre-defined boundary which clarifies the nature and time period covered by the case study i. A theory driven approach to defining the case may help generate knowledge that is potentially transferable to a range of clinical contexts and behaviours; using theory is also likely to result in a more informed appreciation of, case study research paper, for example, how and why interventions have succeeded or failed[ 13 ].
Example of a checklist for rating a case study proposal[ 8 ]. Our focus was on how the technology was being implemented. However, case study research paper, if the primary research interest had been on the social and organisational dimensions of implementation, we might have defined our case differently as a grouping of healthcare professionals e. The precise beginning and end of the case may however prove difficult to define, case study research paper. Pursuing this same example, when does the process of implementation and adoption of an electronic health record system really begin or end?
Such judgements will inevitably be influenced by a range of factors, including the research question, case study research paper, theory of interest, the scope and richness of the gathered data and the resources available to the research team. The decision on how to select the case s to study is a very important one that merits some reflection.
In an intrinsic case study, the case is case study research paper on its own merits[ 8 ]. The case is selected not because it is representative of other cases, but because of its uniqueness, which is of genuine interest to the researchers, case study research paper.
In another example of an intrinsic case study, case study research paper, Hellstrom et al. For an instrumental case study, selecting a "typical" case can work well[ 8 ]. In contrast to the intrinsic case study, the particular case which is chosen is of less importance than selecting a case that allows the researcher to investigate an issue or phenomenon.
For example, case study research paper, in order to gain an understanding of doctors' responses to health policy initiatives, Som case study research paper an instrumental case study interviewing clinicians who had a range of responsibilities for clinical governance in one NHS acute hospital trust[ 17 ].
Sampling a "deviant" or "atypical" case may however prove even more informative, potentially enabling the researcher to identify causal processes, generate hypotheses and develop theory. In collective or multiple case studies, a number of cases are carefully selected. Choosing a "typical" case may enable the findings to be generalised to theory i. analytical generalisation or to test theory by replicating the findings in a second or even a third case i.
replication logic [ 1 ]. Yin suggests two or three literal replications i. predicting similar results if the theory is straightforward and five or more if the theory is more subtle. However, critics might argue that selecting 'cases' in this way is insufficiently reflexive and ill-suited to the complexities of contemporary healthcare organisations. The selected case study site s should allow the research team access to the group of individuals, the organisation, the processes or whatever else constitutes the chosen unit of analysis for the study.
Access is therefore a central consideration; the researcher case study research paper to come to know the case study site s well and to work cooperatively with them. Selected cases need to be not only interesting but also hospitable to the inquiry [ 8 ] if they are to be informative and answer the research question s. Case study sites may also be pre-selected for the researcher, with decisions being influenced by case study research paper stakeholders.
This prominent stakeholder had already selected the NHS sites through a competitive bidding process to be early adopters of the electronic health record systems and had negotiated contracts that detailed the deployment timelines. It is also important to consider in advance the likely burden and risks associated with participation for those who or the site s which comprise the case study.
Of particular importance is the obligation for the researcher to think through the ethical implications of the study e. The outcome of providing this information might be that case study research paper emotive burden associated with participation, case study research paper, or the organisational disruption associated with supporting the fieldwork, is considered so high that the individuals or sites decide against participation.
In our example of evaluating implementations of electronic health record systems, given the restricted number of early adopter sites available to us, we sought purposively to select a diverse range of implementation cases among those that were available[ 5 ], case study research paper. We chose a mixture of teaching, case study research paper, non-teaching and Foundation Trust hospitals, and examples of each of the three electronic health record systems procured centrally by the NPfIT.
At case study research paper recruited site, it quickly became apparent that access was problematic because of competing demands on that organisation. Recognising the importance of full access and co-operative working for generating rich data, the research team decided not to pursue work at that site and instead to focus on other recruited sites. In order to develop a thorough understanding of the case, the case study approach usually involves the collection of multiple sources of evidence, using a range of quantitative e.
questionnaires, audits and analysis of routinely collected healthcare data and more commonly qualitative techniques e. interviews, focus groups and observations. The use of multiple sources of data data triangulation has been advocated as a way of increasing the internal validity of a study i. the extent to which the method is appropriate to answer the research question [ 8 case study research paper, 18 - 21 ].
Brazier and colleagues used a mixed-methods case study approach to investigate the impact of a cancer care programme[ 22 ]. Here, quantitative measures were collected with questionnaires before, and five months after, the start of the intervention which did not yield any statistically significant results. Qualitative interviews with patients however helped provide an insight into potentially beneficial process-related aspects of the programme, such as greater, perceived patient involvement in care.
The authors reported how this case study approach provided a number of contextual factors likely to influence the effectiveness of the intervention and which were not likely to have been obtained from quantitative methods alone.
In collective or multiple case studies, data collection needs to be flexible enough to allow a detailed description of each individual case to be developed e. the nature of different cancer care programmescase study research paper, before considering the emerging similarities and differences in cross-case comparisons e. to explore why one programme is more effective than another. It is important that data sources from different cases are, where case study research paper, broadly comparable for this purpose even though they may vary in nature and depth.
Making sense and offering case study research paper coherent interpretation of the typically disparate sources of data whether qualitative alone or together with quantitative is far from straightforward.
Repeated reviewing and sorting of the voluminous and detail-rich data are integral to the process of analysis. In collective case studies, it is helpful to analyse data relating to the individual component cases first, before making comparisons across cases. Attention needs to be paid to variations within each case and, where relevant, the relationship between different causes, case study research paper, effects and outcomes[ 23 ].
Data will case study research paper to be organised and coded to allow the key issues, both derived from the literature and emerging from the dataset, to be easily retrieved at a later stage. An initial coding frame can help capture these issues and can be applied systematically to the whole dataset with the aid of a qualitative data analysis software package.
Theoretical frameworks may also play an important role in integrating different sources of data and examining emerging themes. Case study findings can have implications both for theory development and theory testing.
They may establish, strengthen or weaken historical explanations of a case and, in certain circumstances, allow theoretical as opposed to statistical generalisation beyond the particular cases studied[ 12 ]. These theoretical lenses should not, however, constitute a strait-jacket and the cases should not be "forced to fit" the particular theoretical framework that is being employed.
What is case study and how to conduct case study research
, time: 3:28Case Studies Research Papers - blogger.com
· Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research. A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing, comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research blogger.comted Reading Time: 5 mins The relation between human population growth and land use change is much debated. Here we present a case study from Papua New Guinea where the population has increased from million in to million in Since 85% of the population relies on subsistence agriculture, population growth affects agricultural land use · Case study research paper example. The structure of a good case study just cannot be fit into a single universal pattern or copied directly from a sample case study since case studies differ in topics and writing requirements. Were trusted and chosen by many students all over the blogger.comted Reading Time: 5 mins
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