Choosing Case Study Design as Your First, Best Choice by Dr. Patricia Fusch
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Case studies are the preferred strategy used by researchers when asking how, what, or why questions. These types of studies identify and explore operational links between events over time. Case studies may be exploratory, explanatory, or descriptive and may involve one organization and location or multiple organizations and locations for a comparative case study. case study design, data saturation is reached far sooner because the research is bounded in time and space. If one wants to explore causal relationships in a qualitative design then case study is the first, best choice. Keep in mind that quantitative studies determine causal relationships (A has an impact on B) while qualitative studies explore causal relationships (A may have had an impact on B). In a qualitative case study, the results are not definitive; rather, you explore possible links.
One uses a second data source that assists in answering the research question. For example, if one is exploring a group experience such as a board of directors, then one would use a focus group. If one is exploring employer policies regarding training, for example, then one would review and analyze company documents regarding training. Another example is if one is exploring marketing—one would review marketing tools used by the organization such as facebook, pinterest, or radio ads.
Contemporary case study design is much like historical case study design—both have specific boundaries, but within those boundaries there is a great deal of room for personal design: interviews, direct observation, document review, focus group sessions, journaling, participant observation, and more. Case studies are the preferred strategy used by researchers when asking how or what questions. These types of studies identify operational links between events over time. Case studies may be exploratory, explanatory, or descriptive and may involve one organization and location or multiple organizations and locations for a comparative case study.
Stake and Yin
I am of two minds regarding Stake’s book The Art of Case Study Research (Stake, 2010). For myself, I found that his work appeared to be primarily a summary and restatement of Yin’s seminal work. However, I get it that Stake (2010) took a somewhat nuanced approach to the case study design and used the conceptual framework as a guide. To be sure, for the novice researcher, it is a great beginning to the case study design. Moreover, Yin (2018) does tend to go into a lot of detail that most novice researchers could find overwhelming and not particularly useful. In the end, Stake was a good beginning for me and Yin was more applicable as my understanding of the case study design grew. Either way, both are excellent seminal sources as support for the proposal and study.
Methodological (Within Method) Triangulation
What is important to remember is that the researcher mitigates bias through the data collection methods that are appropriate for the study design. The use of methodological triangulation (multiple methods of data collection) is one method. A case study design with at least two data sources is an example of methodological triangulation. Methodological triangulation adds depth to the data that is collected. Denzin (1979) made the point that it is somewhat like looking through a crystal to perceive all the facets/viewpoints of the data. Moreover, he posited that triangulation should be reframed as crystal refraction (many points of light) to extrapolate the meaning inherent in the data and thereby mitigating one’s bias.
Sampling
Also, know that case study design is unique in that the population and the sample are the same—one is using census sampling—where one gathers data on everyone in the sample; in your case, that would be the owner. That being said, the data would reach saturation the same as when interviewing many participants—no new data, no new themes, no new information, ability to replicate the study—the standards are the same regardless of the number of participants.
Data Saturation
Data saturation is more than just numbers; think of it as quality (rich) and quantity (thick) data. The best-case scenario, if you will, is that your data is both rich and thick; but if you choose one over the other than you want rich data—depth of a few as opposed to surface level of many. That being said, the number of participants is not the primary factor here—what is important is that your data is saturated to the point where there is no new information coming out the data collected whether it is interviews, observations, document review, etc. You have gathered enough data to the point that what you are now finding is repetitive—only you as the researcher will know that when you get to the point. With case study design, data saturation is reached far sooner because the research is bounded in time and space
Case Study as Blended Design
Finally, blended designs and mixed methods are often confused as being the same thing; however, the differences are important. A blended design remains within the same method; a mixed method approach is two methods which makes it far more complicated than a blended design. That is why mixed methodology is often discouraged for novice researchers such as students.
A blended design is not an option mentioned to students because of its confusion with mixed methods; however, a blended design is an excellent way to obtain rich and thick data and is, I think, the answer when students are too often discouraged from conducting phenomenological studies. The challenge for students is to understand how to present the option to a reluctant committee; phenomenological case study design can be seen from two perspectives: a case study design with phenomenological interviews or a phenomenological study that is bounded in time and space by a case study design. Reaching the point of saturating the data is much easier with case study design than with phenomenology. One further point I would add is that one can bound phenomenology with the sampling method. Phenomenological case study design has been used since the late 1980s.
Another example: the pairing of ethnography with case study design is a good choice because one can bind the ethnographic study within time and space with case study design. Typically, ethnographers are in the field for years. If one were to pair it with case study design, one can then limit the time in the field to a time frame that is more pragmatic for novice researchers such as students.
Patricia Fusch, Ph.D.
References
Amerson, R. (2011). Making a case for the case study method. Journal of Nursing Education, 50, 427-428. doi:10.3928.01484834-20110719-01
Andrade, A. D. (2009). Interpretive research aiming at theory building: Adopting and adapting the case study design. The Qualitative Report, 14(1), 42-60. Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR14-1/diaz-andrade
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13, 544-559. Retrieved from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR13-4/baxter
Fusch, P. I., & Fusch, G. E. (2015). Leadership and conflict resolution on the production line. International Journal of Applied Management and Technology, 14(1), 21-39. doi:10.5590/IJAMT.2015.14.1.02
Fusch, P. I., Fusch, G. E., & Ness, L. R. (2018). Denzin’s paradigm shift: Revisiting triangulation in qualitative research. Journal of Social Change, 10(1), 19-32. doi:10.5590/JOSC.2018.10.1.02
Fusch, P. I., Fusch, G. E., & Ness, L. R. (2016). How to conduct a mini-ethnographic case study: A guide for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 22, 923-941. Retrieved fromhttp://nsuworks.nova.edu
Fusch, P., & Ness, L. (2015). Are we there yet? Data saturation in qualitative research. The Qualitative Report, 20, 1408-1416. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu
Stake, R. E. (2010). Qualitative research: Studying how things work. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks: Sage.
ABOUT DR. FUSCH
Dr. Patricia Fusch is adjunct faculty in the College of Doctoral Studies program at Grand Canyon University where she teaches research courses and chairs doctoral committees. Her research focuses on leadership, manufacturing, women in business, ethnographic design, case study design, change management initiatives, focus group facilitation, and organizational development. Her publications can be found in The Qualitative Report, The International Journal of Applied Management and Technology, The International Journal of Business and Management, and in The Journal of Social Change. She can be reached at patricia.fusch@my.gcu.edu.
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