LECTURER: JOHN DOE

ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS

TOPIC OUTLINE

Theoretical Background: Social Science and Research Paradigms 1

Case Study Research: The Idiographic Approach 2

Specific Topics of Qualitative Research 3

Advanced Issues of Quantitative Research Conceptualization and Data

4
Analysis
Underlying Assumptions of Quantitative Research: Concept and
5
Consequences

Evaluation Research 6
UNIT 2

CASE STUDY RESEARCH: THE IDIOGRAPHIC APPROACH

STUDY GOALS

On completion of this unit, you will have learned …

- what case study research is.
- how to design case study research.
- how to implement a case study as a research design.
- how to analyze case studies.
EXPLAIN SIMPLY

1. What is an ex post facto case?

2. Name the three types of reliability.
3. Explain the difference between internal and external
research validity.
DEFINITION OF CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Case study = “the collection and presentation of detailed information about a

particular participant or small group, frequently including the accounts of subjects
themselves”.
Examples:
- Case studies used in law
- Case studies in medicine
- Case studies in teaching, particularly in the area of psychology
- Cases in business when focus is on organizations

à Case study research does not seek to produce findings which are generally or
universally representative.

Source of the text: University of Colorado, 1993, p. 1.

DEFINITION OF CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Purposes:
- Study limited events located within a broad field
- Study phenomena in its natural setting – qualitative research
- Test existing theories collecting data from multiple sources
- Build new theories, models, and paradigms to fill knowledge
gaps
- Analyze cause-effect impacts and relationships
- Examine interventions and how these interventions improve
understanding of the research problem at hand
Source of the text: Yin, 2018.
TYPES OF CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Classical case
- Holistic approach is followed to include all of the following types of data: biographical
information; psychological evidence, evidence on satisfaction levels, economic, social and political
considerations, management and leadership characteristics and impacts; physical location,
language and cultural information, historical data and so forth.

Ex post facto case

- Researcher investigates the solution to a problem that has emanated from research already
conducted.

Critical incident
- Researcher investigates and studies a critical incident, or event to gather data for their research in
order to solve the research problem; the researcher studies the incident or event to extract
patterns, causes, impacts, rationale, motivation that precipitated that particular event or incident.
MAINTAINING QUALITY IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Research reliability
Inter-rater or inter-observer reliability
- is used to ensure that different raters or observers are able to give consistent feedback on the
same phenomenon or variable.

Test-retest reliability
- is maintained mainly in quantitative research. The researcher must ensure that the measure
(through the data collection tool questionnaire) is consistent over duration of time especially
if the circumstances and the environment of the research context remains the same.

Parallel-forms reliability
- means, the researcher divides the sample population into two. The same survey is conducted
on both groups of samples. There must be consistency in the results.
MAINTAINING QUALITY IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Research validity

Internal External

- Validity is the measure of accuracy - Validity is concerned with the extent

of an experiment. It measures to which findings in case study
whether the manipulation of the research can be generalized across
independent variables actually situations, contexts, and people.
caused the effects on the dependent - Validity concerns the extent to
variable (in cause-effect which similar findings and results
relationships). will emanate when the same study
is duplicated or replicated with the
same sample population.
MAINTAINING QUALITY IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Research validity

Content validity Construct validity

- means, the researcher has to - is important when the

ensure that the data gathering researcher attempts to
tools used to gather data do measure something that is
indeed measure or collect data abstract, i.e., that participants
that is relevant to solve the or respondents in the sample
research problem. may have not come across the
phenomenon under study
experientially but rely on
intuition or hearsay.
MAINTAINING QUALITY IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Research validity + research reliability

Research studies

Research studies
Research studies

Neither reliable nor valid Reliable, not valid Both reliable and valid
MAINTAINING QUALITY IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Trustworthiness
- Credibility: Adopt and select relevant and appropriate research methods that
are well-established and recognized within the research environment.
- Triangulation: Select and apply multiple methods to collect different types of
data from different types of informants and locations/sites.
- Transferability: The researcher must document all available background
information about the organization and the participants in order to confirm the
authentic context of the study.
- Dependability: Select and apply mixed-method research, i.e., collect data using
multiple tools.
MAINTAINING QUALITY IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH
QUALITY CRITERIA

Reliability Validity Trustworthiness

- Inter-Rater or - Internal - Dependability

Inter- - External - Confirmability
Observer - Construct
Reliability
- Content
- Test-Retest
Reliability
- Parallel-
Forms
Reliability

Source of the image: Course book DLMARM01, p. 29.

CASE STUDY DESIGN

- Requires meticulous planning

- No general protocol available as each case study is unique

Collect Analyze Report

Plan Design
Data Data Findings

Source of the image: Course book DLMARM01, 32.

CASE STUDY DESIGN

Planning
Most important step à planning vague à case study will not be reliable, accurate, and
specific.
Problem identification
- Problem to investigate shall be topical, current, specific, and required urgent attention
- Problem selected leads to recommendations in changes of behavior, review of policy,
revision of policy, innovation, increase in job satisfaction, business engineering or
reengineering
Case study selection
- Critical incident
- Single or multiple case
- Mixed method
CASE STUDY DESIGN

Planning

Sampling
Identify the stakeholders/sample population

Probability sampling Non-probability sampling

- A sampling procedure in - Sampling techniques that do

which each element of the not use chance selection
population has a fixed procedures but rather rely on
probabilistic chance of being the personal judgement of
selected for the sample. the researcher
CASE STUDY DESIGN

Planning

Budgeting
- Who is going to be the sponsor for the case study investigation?
- Does the sponsor require a case study investigation proposal?
- Is the budget aligned to the duration of the investigation?
- Is there flexibility in the budgeting for line items?
CASE STUDY DESIGN

Data collection
Tools that can be used for data collection.

In-depth interview Structured interview

- The researcher/interviewer - Sequence of pre-structured

poses several questions to questions will be posed to
the interviewee. the interviewees.
- The interview must be
recorded and transcribed.
CASE STUDY DESIGN

Data collection
Focus-group interviews Complete participant observer

- Focus group consists of 3—5 interviewees - Participant observer takes the form of a
assembled in a neutral venue. “secret agent”.
- Interview is video-recorded. - Researcher may take up temporary
employment in a firm to collect data.
- Researcher records the behaviors of
participants, analyzes relevant
documents (minutes of meetings, etc.),
collects data of seminars, workshops,
etc.
CASE STUDY DESIGN
DATA SATURATION

Observe Think Test Revise

Initial What Additional Analyze
observations additional information is subsequent
are made and information collected observation
tentative must be through and review
propositions/ collected to subsequent new data
objectives are rule out observation from
formulated. alternative and review. observation.
explanations?

Source of the image: Course book DLMARM01, p. 35.

IMPLEMENTING CASE STUDIES

In order to implement case studies, the researcher has to plan and

follow a number of steps. However, most important are
investigator skills:
- Ask good questions
- Be a good listener
- Be flexible and adaptive
- Avoid bias
- Know when to draw the line
IMPLEMENTING CASE STUDIES

Protecting the rights of the nominees in case study research through ethical
conduct
- Seek informed consent from all the nominees. Informed consent must be in
writing. Do not proceed with data collection until written informed consent is
attained.
- Do not let any physical or mental harm befall your nominees.
- Do not misrepresent yourself to the nominees. Be open and transparent and
share with your nominees the purpose and rationale of your case study.
- Protect the privacy of your nominees at all times.
- Maintain strict confidentiality of your nominees. Do not divulge their names
under any circumstances. Use pseudonyms instead of their real names.
IMPLEMENTING CASE STUDIES

Screening nominees in case study research

- Selection of nominees must be well-planned.
- Use snow-ball sampling technique.
- The researcher must ensure the selected nominee will be the
most appropriate person for inclusion in the study.
- Select criteria for nominees to participate in your study
depending on your study purpose (job title, position,
experience, etc.).
- Collect background information (referrals, testimonials).
IMPLEMENTING CASE STUDIES

Case Study Protocol (CSP)

Set of guidelines that is used to structure and govern the case study project.

Advantages
- Time frames will guide the researcher for tracking and monitoring of the case
study.
- Allows systematic data collection.
- Allows identification of risks and challenges by highlighting early warning
signals.
- Allows consistency in following processes and procedures.
- Continuity can be maintained should new researchers join the team.
IMPLEMENTING CASE STUDIES

Piloting (pilot study)—reasons

- Determine validity and reliability of the protocol to be used.
- Confirm the validity of the research questions.
- Establish alignment between research aims, purpose, objectives, and goals.
- Determine representativity of the sample.
- Confirm the sampling frame.
- …

The reasons and procedures highlighted for conducting pilot studies underscore
the advantages of pilot studies in improving the quality of case study research.
ANALYZING CASE STUDIES

The type of data analysis (strategy and technique) depends on the method
and type of research conducted and required data-preparation process.

Checklisting Editing Coding Transcribing

Begin with
Adjustments Cleaning
data analysis

Source of the image: Course book DLMARM01, p. 42.

ANALYZING DATA IN CASE-STUDY RESEARCH

Pattern matching
- The technique of pattern matching involves making comparisons and similarities
between the data collected.
- Aggregate, make contrasts, sort out data in ascending or descending order (least
important to more important).
- Researcher matches patterns and compares data collected to analytical frameworks
that were established prior to data collection (literature review) à these patterns can
be used to accept or reject theories.
- According to Goetz and LeCompte (1993), researcher has liberty to conduct more field
work through interviews, document analysis, etc. à Testing into compliance (careful)
- Researcher continues to collect data until a clear pattern emerges. à Data saturation
ANALYZING DATA IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Explanation building Cross-case analysis

- Data analysis technique where the - Research method that facilitates the
researcher attempts to build an explanation comparison of commonalities and
in tandem with data collection and data difference in the events, activities, and
analysis processes that are the units of analysis in
à The explanation being built or constructed case studies
is pattern matched with the proposition - This method allows for constant
that was formulated for the case study comparison between and amongst the
research. data collected for the case study.
à Researcher gains much deeper
understanding than in a single case
ANALYZING DATA IN CASE STUDY RESEARCH

Logic model analysis:

- The logic model is similar to pattern matching.
- Researcher identifies a series of events usually in chronological order
over a specific time span.
- Researcher begins with the formulation of a cause effect in the first stage
of the case study research and then inverts the cause to an effect in the
next stage.
- This inversion of the cause effect occurs over a period of time until the
researcher is able to identify a pattern between the empirical findings to
that of the proposition that was formulated for the study.
CASE STUDY REPORT STRUCTURE

- Introduction
- The research problem
- Literature review
- Method
- Discussion
- Limitation
- Conclusion/recommendations
- Direction for future research
- List of references
- Appendices
REVIEW STUDY GOALS

On completion of this unit, you should have learned …

- what case study research is.
- how to design case study research.
- how to implement a case study as a research design.
- how to analyze case studies.
SESSION 2

TRANSFER TASK
TRANSFER TASK

Please discuss the following questions in a group and write

down your findings:
- How, in general, would you plan a research project?
- How do you identify a problem?
- Which design do you use?
- How are you going to collect data and by when? Name some
possible tools!
- What is primary and secondary research?
- What is the OTTR module?
TRANSFER TASK
PRESENTATION OF THE RESULTS

Please present your

results.
The results will be
discussed in plenary.
LEARNING CONTROL QUESTIONS

1. Which one of the following is not a type of case

study?

a) Instrumental case study

b) Mixed method case study
c) Descriptive case study
d) Intrinsic case study
LEARNING CONTROL QUESTIONS

2. Parallel forms is a technique used to maintain …

a) Reliability
b) Validity
c) Test and retest
d) Inter observability
LEARNING CONTROL QUESTIONS

3. A peer debriefer is selected voluntarily to maintain …

a) A valid research paradigm

b) Validity
c) Trustworthiness
d) A valid research design
LIST OF SOURCES

University of Colorado (1993). Writing case studies. http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=60

Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). Sage.
© 2021 IU Internationale Hochschule GmbH
This content is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
This content may not be reproduced and/or electronically edited, duplicated, or distributed in any kind of
form without written permission by the IU Internationale Hochschule GmbH.