The Case Study

methodology
 DEFINITION

A case study is an in-depth study of one

person, group, or event. In a case study,
nearly every aspect of the subject's life
and history is analyzed to seek patterns
and causes of behavior. Case studies
can be used in a variety of fields
including psychology, medicine,
education, anthropology, political
science, and social work.
Case Study methodology
• Case studies looks intensely at an individual or small participant
pool, drawing conclusions only about that participant or group
and only in that specific context.
• Case studies typically examine the interplay of all variables in
order to provide as complete an understanding of an event or
situation as possible.
• Unlike more statistically-based studies which search for
quantifiable data, the goal of a case study is to offer new variables
and questions for further methodology.
Case Study methodology
• A case study approach is often used to build up a rich picture of an
entity, using different kinds of data collection and gathering the
views, perceptions, experiences and ideas of diverse individuals
relating to the case.
• Case studies provide what is termed ‘rich data’.
Trangulation

• Using more than 2 data forms of collection.

• Provides fuller and more robust picture of the case.
Case Study methodology
• methodologyer Robert K. Yin
defines the case study methodology
method:
• ....an empirical inquiry that
investigates a contemporary
phenomenon within its real-life
context; when the boundaries
between phenomenon and context
are not clearly evident; and in
which multiple sources of evidence
are used (Yin, 2009).
 Case Study methodology

Organizational strategy for performing a case study (Yin, 2009).

Plan the Study!
 Types of Case Studies
• Illustrative Case Studies
These are primarily descriptive studies. They typically utilize one
or two instances of an event to show what a situation is like.
• Exploratory (or pilot) Case Studies
These are condensed case studies performed before
implementing a large scale investigation.
• Cumulative Case Studies
These serve to aggregate information from several sites collected
at different times.
• Critical Instance Case Studies
These examine one or more sites. This method is useful for
answering cause and effect questions.
Design the Study!
Prepare for Action!
Collect the Data!
 Data Types
• There are six types of data collected in case studies:
• Documents.
• Archival records.
• Interviews.
• Direct observation.
• Participant observation.
• Artifacts.
 Data
•Examples of what can be utilized:
•Personal Information:
•Interviews
•Clinical Records
•Background and Statistical Information about the person
•Life History Profile
•Things that person has produced (diaries, photos, writings,
paintings, etc.)
•Personality or other test results
•Program level information:
•Program Documents
•Statistical Profiles,
•Program Reports
•Proposals
•Interviews with program participants and staff
•Observations of Program
•Program Histories
Analyze the results!
Communicate your findings!
 Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths:
• case studies produce much more detailed information than what is
available through a statistical analysis
• methodologyers are comparatively freer to discover and address
issues as they arise in their experiments
• case studies specialize in "deep data," or "thick description"

Weaknesses:
• opportunities for subjectivity in the implementation, presentation,
and evaluation of case study methodology
• High investment - A budget request of $10,000 to examine 200
subjects sounds more efficient than a similar request to examine
four subjects.
Examples of case studies
Example 1: nurses’ pediatric pain management practices
One of the authors has used a case study approach to explore nurses’ pediatric pain
management practices. This involved collecting several datasets:

1.Observational data to gain a picture about actual pain management practices.

2.Questionnaire data about nurses’ knowledge about pediatric pain management
practices and how well they felt they managed pain in children.
3.Questionnaire data about how critical nurses perceived pain management tasks
to be.

These datasets were analyzed separately and then compared and demonstrated

that nurses’ level of theoretical did not impact on the quality of their pain
management practices.7 Nor did individual nurse’s perceptions of how critical a task
was effect the likelihood of them carrying out this task in practice.8 There was also a
difference in self-reported and observed practices9; actual (observed) practices did
not confirm to best practice guidelines, whereas self-reported practices tended to.
Conclusion
These examples illustrate how collecting data about a single case or
multiple cases helps us to better understand the phenomenon in
question. Case study methodology serves to provide a framework
for evaluation and analysis of complex issues. It shines a light on the
holistic nature of nursing practice and offers a perspective that
informs improved patient care.