Doing Case Study Research

Now in a Fourth Edition, this how-to guide is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to begin case study research.

The authors of Doing Case Study Research—all professors teaching graduate students in education and other professions—provide the structure, detail, and guidance needed for beginning researchers to complete a systematic case study.

Improvements for this edition include more practical and detailed guidance for conducting a literature review, a more efficient and easy-to-understand reorganization of the case study examples, and updated citations throughout the text. As with previous editions, this succinct handbook emphasizes learning how to do case study research—from the first step of deciding whether a case study is the way to go to the last step of verifying and confirming findings before disseminating them.

Doing Case Study Research shows students how to determine an appropriate research design, conduct informative interviews, record observations, document analyses, delineate ways to confirm case study findings, describe methods for deriving meaning from data, and communicate findings.

Book Features:

• Straightforward introduction to the science of doing case study research.
• A step-by-step approach that speaks directly to the novice investigator.
• Many concrete examples to illustrate key concepts.
• Questions, illustrations, and activities to reinforce what has been learned.

Dawson R. Hancock was associate dean for research and graduate studies in the Cato College of Education at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and is currently a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. Bob Algozzine is a First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal recipient and emeritus professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at UNC Charlotte. Jae Hoon Lim is a professor of educational research at UNC Charlotte.

Praise for Doing Case Study Research!

"A highly accessible introductory text and a very quick read…(the authors) are pedagogically savvy when introducing readers to case study research."

—Journal of College Student Development

"Exceptionally well organized and presented, Doing Case Study Research is unreservedly recommended for community and academic library Study Skills Improvement collections."

—Midwest Book Review

" Doing Case Study Research provides a practical resource for beginning researchers who want a prescriptive step by step guide."

—Teachers College Record

“Doing Case Study Research takes a complex research skill and makes it accessible. It’s a must-read for anyone conducting their first case study.”
—Claudia Flowers, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Contents

Preface ix
Key Features x
Rationale x
Course Applications xi

Acknowledgments xiii

PART I: FOUNDATIONS 1

1.  Scientific Inquiry 3
Content Review 5
Activities and Applications 6

2.  Qualitative and Quantitative Research 7
Illustrations From Practice 10
Content Review 10
Activities and Applications 10

PART II: STAGES OF DOING CASE STUDY RESEARCH 13

3.  Setting the Stage 15
What Has Been Studied Using Case Study Research? 16
Illustrations From Practice 32
Content Review 34
Activities and Applications 34

4.  Determining What We Know 35
How to Do a Literature Review 37
Illustrations From Practice 39
Content Review 41
Activities and Applications 41

5.  Selecting a Design 42
Relations Between Design and Method 45
Illustrations From Practice 46
Content Review 50
Activities and Applications 51

6.  Gathering Information From Interviews 52
Illustration From Practice 54
Content Review 58
Activities and Applications 58

7.  Gathering Information From Observations 59
Design Illustrations 60
Illustrations From Practice 60
Content Review 62
Activities and Applications 62

8.  Gathering Information From Documents 63
Authenticity of Documents 64
Questions to Answer When Gathering Information From Documents 65
Illustrations From Practice 66
Content Review 67
Activities and Applications 67

9.  Summarizing and Interpreting the Information 68
Design illustration: Thinking About Method 69
Illustrations From Practice 70
Content Review 71
Activities and Applications 72

10.  Reporting Findings 73
How to Synthesize Findings 74
Design Illustration 75
Content Review 76
Activities and Applications 76

11.  Confirming Case Study Findings 77
Illustrations From Practice 78
Content Review 79
Activities and Applications 79

PART III: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 81

12.  Preparing Proposals for Case Study Research 83
Introduction 83
Review of Literature 84
Method 84
Supporting Materials 85
Frequently Asked Questions About Research Proposals 85
Content Review 89
Activities and Applications 89

13.  Disseminating Case Study Research 90
Introduction 91
Method 91
Results 92
Discussion 92
Content Review 93
Activities and Applications for Prospective Researchers 93
Resources 93

Epilogue 95

Glossary 97

References 101

Annotated Bibliography 107

Other Resources 115

Index 117

About the Authors 129