Stepping Towards Case Study

Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design, Choosing Among Five Approaches

Second Edition

John W. Creswell

Case study research is a qualitative approach in which the investigator explores a bounded system (a case) or multiple bounded systems (cases) over time, through detailed, in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information (e.g., observations, interviews, audiovisual material, and documents and reports), and reports a case description and case-based themes. (p. 73)

Several programs (a multi-site study) or a single program (a within-site study) may be utilized as a study. (p. 73)

Yin (2003)-espouses both quantitative and qualitative approaches to case study development and discusses explanatory, exploratory, and descriptive qualitative case studies.

Merriam (1998) advocates a general approach to qualitative case studies.

Stake (1995) systematically establishes procedures for case study research

Types of case-

Based on: size of the bounded case such as whether the case involves one individual, several individuals, a group, an entire program, or an activity. They may also be distinguished in terms of the intent of the case analysis. Three variations exists in terms of intent:

· The single instrumental case study

· The collective or multiple case study and

· The intrinsic case study

In a single instrumental case study the researchers focuses on an issue or concern and then selects one bounded case to illustrate this issue

In a collective case study (or multiple case study) the one issue or concern is again selected, but the inquirer selects multiple case studies to illustrate the issue.

Intrinsic case study in which the focus is on the case itself (e.g., evaluating a program, or studying a student having difficulty) because the case presents an unusual or unique situation.

Based upon this, it looks like my case study will be a Collective Case study because I'm going to look at collaboration (leadership) at two locations.

More to come!