Case Studies

According to Polit and Hungler (1983), case studies are detailed investigations of individuals, groups, institutions or other social units. The essence of case studies is their central premise to illuminate a decision or set of decisions...specifically why they were made, how they were implemented and with what results. The researcher conducting a case study attempts to analyze the variables relevant to the subject under study. The major difference between a case study and other types of research studies is that in a case study the study focuses on a specific case and not on an entire population of cases. Most case studies focus on understanding the particularities of the case being studied in a natural setting. By studying a case in a bounded system under a normal environment the system can be understood in a natural state (Stake, 1988). Case studies employ a particular focus using a variety of techniques and can be qualitative, quantitative or mixed method. Generally case studies are conducted over a lengthy period of time. Therefore, case studies are a good design for practical problems such as intriguing questions, situations, or puzzling occurrences arising from everyday practice (Merriam, 1998).
Based on the work of Rossman and Rallis (2003), case studies are considered to be an overall strategy rather than a genre of research. Case studies are an in-depth and detailed exploration of a single example that are instances drawn from a class of a similar phenomena. Case studies are descriptive, holistic, hueristic, and inductive. Case studies are also context dependent. Therefore, the results of a case study can not be generalized in the probabilistic sense. In other words, the results of one case study can not be applied directly to another case study. Yet, through reasoning by analogy the lessons learned in one case study can be applied to another case of similar characteristics. (Kennedy, 1979). Case study evaluations are often the research technique of choice where broad, complex, multi-layered questions have to be addressed in complex circumstances, particularly in medical scenarios. The strength of case studies is their reliance on details and their complexity. Case studies use multiple sources to obtain a variety of perspectives. This results in a thick, rich description that allows the reader to interpret and decide the applicability of case learnings to another setting (Rossman & Rallis, 2003).
"Critical case studies are grounded in a critique of existing social structures and patterns. They assume theoretically that oprression and domination characterize the setting and seek to uncover how patterns of action perpetuate the status
quo" (Rossman & Rallis, 2003, p. 106).