The Art of Case Study ResearchThis book presents a disciplined, qualitative exploration of case study methods by drawing from naturalistic, holistic, ethnographic, phenomenological and biographic research methods. Robert E. Stake uses and annotates an actual case study to answer such questions as: How is the case selected? How do you select the case which will maximize what can be learned? How can what is learned from one case be applied to another? How can what is learned from a case be interpreted? In addition, the book covers: the differences between quantitative and qualitative approaches; data-gathering including document review; coding, sorting and pattern analysis; the roles of the researcher; triangulation; and reporting. |
Contents
The Unique Case | 1 |
Producing generalizations Petite and grand particularity | 7 |
Criteria for selection of cases | 13 |
Research Questions | 15 |
The Nature of Qualitative Research | 35 |
Data Gathering | 49 |
Analysis and Interpretation | 71 |
Categorical aggregation or direct interpretation The Thought Fox | 74 |
Targets for triangulation Uncontestable description need | 110 |
Role play school board members | 116 |
Writing the Report | 121 |
Organizing the report early on Outlining page allocation | 122 |
Vignettes Narrative fraud Burbank fieldtrip | 128 |
Reflections | 133 |
Harper School | 137 |
School Improvement | 143 |
Naturalistic generalizations Reader population of cases | 85 |
Case Researcher Roles | 91 |
The case researcher as interpreter René Magritte | 97 |
Fieldwork implication of roles | 104 |
Triangulation | 107 |
Shadow Study of a Sixth Grader | 150 |
Implementation of Reform | 158 |
169 | |
About the Author | |