In a detailed discussion of this problem, ragin this issue categorizes this as the difference between a. Difference between cohort and casecontrol study compare. Our first distinction is whether the study is analytic or nonanalytic. These studies analyze the similarities and differences between these two groups in an attempt to better understand both groups. The comparative case study can help the evaluator check whether the program theory holds for each different context and environment. Pdf transforming the kindergarten experience by design. Jun 28, 2018 characteristics of a comparative research design comparative research essentially compares two groups in an attempt to draw a conclusion about them. Case study enquiry has been recognised as a research methodology allowing for utilisation of a diverse range of design, data collection methods and analysis of multiple sources of quantitative and qualitative evidence hakim, 2000. In this article, we argue for a new approachthe comparative case study approachthat attends simultaneously to macro, meso, and micro dimensions.
Descriptivesurvey, causalcomparative, correlational, experimental descriptivesurvey causalcomparative correlational experiment purpose to describe current conditions to explore relationships among variables that cannot be actively manipulated or controlled by the researcher to ascertain the extent to which two. A comparative case study approach in order to facilitate the extraction of data that would most satisfactorily addresses my research question, i chose to use a comparative case study approach. Comparative research seeks to compare and contrast nations, cultures, societies, and institutions. Researchers can adopt either a single case or multiple case design depending on the issue in question. Encouraging the use of case study research is an expressed goal of the editors of the recent.
Characteristics of a comparative research design synonym. A comparative study johanna gustafsson academy of business, engineering and science halmstad university halmstad, sweden keywords. Design of case study since case study method receives criticism in terms of its lack of robustness as a research tool, crafting the design of case studies is of paramount importance. There are several different definitions and kinds of case studies. Kindergarten education is becoming a priority throughout the usa as research shows its importance on later in life outcomes. Characteristics of a comparative research design comparative research essentially compares two groups in an attempt to draw a conclusion about them. Descriptive studies include case reports, case series.
The idea of representative sampling, as in survey research, increases variation in the independent variables, creating a most different systems design mdsd. The major aim of comparative research is to identify similarities and differences between social entities. Comparative analysis and case studies mevit 4800 09. You have to design a good case study, gather relevant data and later, present your data and analyze them fairly. Applying comparative case study methodology, the researchers examine, compare and contrast a relatively small number of cases, and determine the significant features of the phenomenon. A common combination is the use of a type of case design to analyse within the cases, and a variablecentred design to compare cases. Rely on established conventions where you can in order to devote time and attention to bigger, riskier aspects. It also further develops and significantly extends ideas laid out in bloemraad 2012a. Clarify the keqs and purpose of the study to determine whether a comparative case studies design is appropriate. A comparative approach, the authors describe, explain, and illustrate the horizontal, vertical, and transversal axes of comparative case studies in order to help readers develop their own comparative case study research designs.
When it comes to method, the majority agreement is that there is no methodology peculiar to comparative research. Recurrent tradeoffs in the use of case study methods include the problem of case selection and the danger of selection bias, which can have more severe consequences in case studies than in statistical studies, and the tension between parsimony and richness in selecting the. The objective of this paper is to present a brief overview of case study method, compare it with other qualitative and quantitative research methods, and study the. Comparative case study approaches sage research methods. Comparative case studies often incorporate both qualitative and quantitative data. This form of case study still strives for the thick description common in single case studies. In smalln case studies, the selection of cases is often deliberate and theorydriven. Comparative case studies can be useful to check variation in program implementation.
A causal comparative design is a research design that seeks to find relationships between independent and dependent variables after an action or event has already occurred. Case studies on inservice pps with field performance and lifecycle cost lcc comparisons with conventional flexible and rigid pavements. Study the work of obvious competitors, but also look outside of the immediate industry. According to crist and mccarthy 1996, onefifth of the studies published in the 1980s and early 1990s used surveys as one of their data sources. How to write a methodology section for case study your. An illustrative case study will examine an unfamiliar case in order to help others understand it. Case study research and the grounded theory approach ipsa. In order to clarify this point of view, we shall first discuss some of the existing. In this article, we argue for a new approachthe comparative case study approachthat attends. Experimental, quasiexperimental, and descriptive chapter outline introduction experimental study designs quasiexperimental designs descriptive quantitative designs additional types of designs researcher interview. A case control study is a research design used by researchers where the research begins with an outcome in order to comprehend the cause. The difference between a case study and single case designs in this blog i will be describing case studies and single case designs, and discussing the differences between them. Jan 18, 2019 comparative designs often combine different research strategies by using one strategy to analyse properties of a single case and another strategy for comparing cases.
Comparative case studies unicef office of research. For case studies to contribute to cumulative development of knowledge and theory they must all explore the same phenomenon, pursue the same research goal, adopt equivalent research strategies. Csr may, for instance, attempt at building a grounded theory, and gta may start with indepth csr of a social setting. An exploratory case study is a preliminary project that will be the precursor to a larger study in the future. There are several types of case studies, each differing from each other based on the hypothesis andor thesis to be proved. Comparative case studies resist the holism of many traditional case studies, which stubbornly refuse to distinguish phenomenon from context, often defined implicitly as place. Apparently, case study research and the grounded theory approach are distinctive ways of doing research. Eventually, this transparency supports both a fruitful debate on comparative case study designs and the soundness of academic and policy conclusions. Aug 14, 2017 an examination of case selection in a prominent study of rebel behaviour in civil war is then used to illustrate different applications of the case selector. The case study research design constructs its observations from a single case or a small number of cases, while cross case research designs construct observations across multiple cases. In comparative study, you are examining two or more cases, specimens or events, often in the form of a table such as can be seen on the right where a column is reserved for each case, here called case 1 and case 2. We can construct a simpler and more useful typology by focusing on the theoretical or descriptive purposes or research objectives of a case study and distinguishing those from various research designs or case selection techniques used to advance those. A nonanalytic or descriptive study does not try to quantify the relationship but tries to give us a picture of what is happening in a population, e.
Clarify the keqs and purpose of the study to determine whether a comparative case studies design is. About counterfactuals binary comparison most similar cases binary comparison most different or contrasted cases most similar systems designs most different systems designs. It is often used to narrow down a very broad field of research into one or a few easily researchable examples. Handson comparative research design, step 2 case selection basic strategies 60 the single case study as a comparative research design. Download a pdf by jeremy howick about study designs. Przeworski and teune 1970 distinguish two strategies for choosing the cases to be compared. Evaluators used a comparative case study option for the national cancer institutes ncis community cancer centers program ncccp. The fundamental intent of a comparative case studydevelopment of knowledgeapplies equally in the natural and social sciences, with the latter incorporating qualitative analysis in a discursive mode as well as the. Mar 25, 2012 the difference between a case study and single case designs in this blog i will be describing case studies and single case designs, and discussing the differences between them. Stephenson dissertation submitted to the faculty of the graduate school of the university of maryland, college park, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy 2004. A single case design is basically one where the subject serves as their own control group. When the approach is applied correctly, it becomes a valuable method for health science research to develop theory, evaluate programs, and develop interventions.
It is essential to divorce the phenomenon of interest from the context in order to gain analytical purchase. The comparative advantages of case study methods include identifying new or omitted variables and hypotheses, examining intervening variables in individual. Next, we propose a new approach the comparative case study approach that attends simultaneously to global, national, and local dimensions of case based research. The advantages and disadvantages of case study research. The comparative case study examines in rich detail the context and features of two or more instances of specific phenomena. Cross case and case study research operate, for the most part, at different levels of analysis. This technique often utilizes multiple disciplines in one study. Potentials and limitations of comparative method in social science reza azarian stockholm university sweden. After discussing the importance of research designs for the social sciences, different forms of research designs are presented. Tocqueville examines the eleventh century france as an approximation to the pure case of a society organised. The comparative method is often used in the early stages of the development of a branch of science. Request pdf on jan 1, 2009, louise fitzgerald and others published comparative case study designs. Types, designs, and logics of inference 3 it is important to note that case is not equivalent to observations. Case study is a research methodology, typically seen in social and life sciences.
A research design is the set of methods and procedures used in collecting and analyzing measures of the variables specified in the problem research. Sustainable perpetual asphalt pavements and comparative. Yin 2004 has described case study methodology as a distinctive means of empirical enquiry particularly. The purpose of this paper is to guide the novice researcher in identifying the key elements for designing and. It can help the researcher to ascend from the initial level of exploratory case studies to a more advanced level of general theoretical models, invariances, such as causality or evolution the design of comparative research is simple. A practical guide to the comparative case study method in. Module 3 handout 112 major types of research designs. Comparative research is persistent problems and promising. Such a study would randomly assign students to two treatment groups, one using the experimental materials and the other using a widely established comparative program. The state of washington instated fullday kindergarten for all publicschool students beginning in 20162017. A comparative study of cognitive and non cognitive factors relationship to academic success for foreign masters students by lisa a.
Aug 05, 2016 comparative case studies lesley bartlett and fran vavrus case study methodology is widely used across multiple disciplines and fields. Case study can be either qualitative or quantitative in their. If not, the study will fit into one of the other categories. Following this, different phases of the research process are discussed, such as the discovery of the research question. In six concise chapters, two experts employ geographically distinct case studies. Comparative analysis is about control sartori, 1994. They follow different intentions and proceed in distinctive ways. Engaging researchers are a focus of a number of publications aimed at guiding those new to the approach e. For this reason, comparative case studies do not start with a bounded case.
In a case control study, there are two groups of people. The aim of this program was to expand cancer research and deliver the latest, most advanced cancer care to a greater number of americans in the communities in which they live via community hospitals. Comparative case studies are a nonexperimental impact evaluation design, which involves the analysis and synthesis of the similarities, differences and patterns across two or more cases that share a common focus, in order to answer causal questions. Case study, single case study, multiple case studies paper type. Doing comparative case study research in urban and. It is deceptively simple to imagine that a curriculums effectiveness could be easily determined by a single welldesigned study. If you see the word association in the title, the study is likely to be a descriptive, epidemiological, or predictive correlation design.
The comparative case study examines in rich detail the context and features of two or more. It will further answer the benefits and disadvantages with the different types. A case study is a story about something unique, special, or interestingstories can be about individuals, organizations, processes, programs, neighborhoods, institutions, and even events. Diagram based on the discussion of case study designs in yin, robert k. Case study designs have been used across a number of disciplines, particularly the social sciences, education, business, law, and health, to address a wide range of research questions. Comparative research studies should be used when comparing two people groups, often crossnationally. Comparisons lead to new insights and better understanding of all participants involved. Epidemiologic study designs epidemiology learning materials. The strength of comparative analysis as a research design is its ability to introduce. A case for comparative designs bert klandermans and jackie smith survey research continues to be a frequently employed methodology in social movement research.
Types of comparative analysis according to whether the starting point is similarities or differences a second choice in comparative analysis concerns what units should be included. A deviant case study is a research design or case selection technique for the purpose of re. Researchers attempt to identify and analyze similarities and differences between groups, and these studies are most often crossnational, comparing two separate people groups. The field of political psychology has become increasingly populated with individuals capable of. In the present chapter we will define and compare various study designs and their usefulness for investigating relationships between an outcome and an exposure or study factor. We propose that comparative case studies should attend to three axes. Comparative case study an overview sciencedirect topics. A comparative case study is a research approach to formulate or assess generalizations that extend across multiple cases. Study design and implementation for novice researchers article pdf available in qualitative report 4 january 2010 with 151,9 reads how we measure reads. It is also possible for types of case studies to overlap each other. Research methodology applied to a comparative case study.
The difference between a case study and single case designs. Each of the following types of cases can be used in any field or discipline. Qualitative case study methodology provides tools for researchers to study complex phenomena within their contexts. Case study and qualitative methods introduction to graduate students and researchers unfamiliar with case study methodology, there is often misunderstanding about what a case study is and how it, as a form of. In an early critique of case study approaches, campbell and stanley 1966 argued that case studies are inherently limited in their ability to establish causation because of the degrees of freedom. Embedded within yins 2014 case study design are the hallmarks of a postpositivist approach to research. Because of different reasons the case studies can be either single or multiple. If a subsequent study discovered two further cases with values 50 and 80, then one might be tempted to reclassify the 15, 18 and 21. This study attempts to answer when to write a single case study and when to write a multiple case study. Potentials and limitations of comparative method in social. The case study method, like all research methods, is more appropriate for some situations than others. Comparative research, simply put, is the act of comparing two or more things with a view to discovering something about one or all of the things being compared. Pdf a practical guide to the comparative case study method in. Crucial case studies are mostleast likely case designs for the purpose of hypothesis testing.
Case study design definition and purpose a case study is an indepth study of a particular research problem rather than a sweeping statistical survey or comprehensive comparative inquiry. These studies are mostly used in a range of disciplines. We will then examine two designs intervention trials and casecontrol studies in greater depth. The researchers goal is to determine whether the independent variable affected the outcome, or dependent variable, by comparing two or more groups of individuals. Dont conduct a comparative analysis on form design unless youre designing a new emr which you should, if given the chance. Research methodology applied to a comparative case study celcis. Although case studies have various advantages, in that they present data of reallife situations and they provide better understandings into the detailed behaviours of the topics of interest. Case is often used in an obfuscating sense and may be defined as place, as institution, as study participants, as unit of analysis, as concept, or even as variable.
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