Types of case study design pdf

This design was developed by sociologists barney glaser and anselm strauss at the university of california san francisco in the late 1960s. Brainstorm a case study topic, considering types of cases and why they are unique or of interest. Under the more generalized category of case study exist several subdivisions, each of which is custom selected for use depending upon. Take an online course in how to write case studies. It is often used to narrow down a very broad field of research into one or a few easily researchable examples. Essentially, the investigator selects a group of persons with a disease of interest cases, and then selects a group of persons who do not have the. This article presents the case study as a type of qualitative research. Study design is the procedure under which a study is carried out study design is the procedure under which a study is.

Thus, case control studies also allow more intensive. Meyer, 2001 and are often used in organizational studies meyer, 2001. Epidemiologic study designs epidemiology learning materials. We need to understand what research design is and what it is not. 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. It also explores on the advantages and disadvantages of case. Researchers choose people with a particular result the cases and interview the groups or check their records to ascertain what different experiences they had. When designing safer products, looking to past failures is an. An example of this type of case study would be the uncontacted tribes of indians in the peruvian and brazilian rainforest.

Note that it is not possible to estimate the incidence of disease from a case control study unless the study is population based and all cases in a defined population are obtained. Jun 23, 2019 case studies are also useful in the early stages of research when the goal is to explore ideas, test, and perfect measurement instruments, and to prepare for a larger study. Multiplecase design of respiratory services in health. 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. A guide for designing and conducting a case study for. It allows the researcher to study and describe the distribution of one or more variables, without regard to any causal or other hypotheses. A case crossover study relies upon an individual to act as their own control for comparison issues, thereby minimizing some potential confounders 1,5,12. Such explanatory case studies also can be complemented by two other types exploratory and descriptive case studies.

Module 3 handout 112 major types of research designs. Other car companies could then use this case study to better understand what makes brakes fail. Casecontrol studies compare cases and diseasefree controls for their exposure status and compare the risk of exposure in cases and controls. Research designs in marketing research and their types. Its aim is to give a detailed description of a case study its definition, some classifications, and several advantages. 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. Causal design definition and purpose causality studies may be thought of as understanding a phenomenon in terms of conditional statements in the form, if x, then y.

Research design and research methods 47 research design link your purposes to the broader, more theoretical aspects of procedures for conducting qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research, while the following section will examine decisions about research methods as a narrower, more technical aspect of procedures. This type of case study is typically used when a researcher wants to identify research questions and methods of study for a large, complex study. A research design is an arrangement of conditions or collection. Research design and research methods sage publications. The case study approach presented is an empirical inquiry that investigates a contemporary problem within its reallife context. It indicates what type of study is planned and what kind of results are expected from this project. Additionally, investigators can avoid the logistical challenges of following a large sample over time. They are useful for clarifying the research process, which can help a researcher make the best use of time and resources in the larger study. It is almost impossible to proceed with a research project without a proper research design. Case study research has grown in reputation as an effective methodology to investigate and understand complex issues in real world settings. These include the design and categories of case studies and how their robustness can be achieved. Clinical study design is the formulation of trials and experiments, as well as observational studies in medical, clinical and other types of research e. The impression that these different types of study are sharply distinguishable is wrong and should never be entertained.

It is easier to understand the different types of quantitative research designs if you consider how theresearcher designs for control of the variables in the investigation. Key elements of a research proposal quantitative design. A definition of the case study is presented in section 1. Advantages of case control studies case control studies are the most efficient design for rare diseases and require a much smaller study sample than cohort studies. A case study on one or two specific countries becomes a powerful and focused tool for determining the social and economic pressures driving this. The case study approach bmc medical research methodology.

Case study is but one qualitative methodology, the output of which is the case study. The three types of designs three types qualitative research. When the approach is applied correctly, it becomes a valuable method for health science research to develop theory, evaluate programs, and develop interventions. Of the various observational study designs, the descriptive design is the simplest. Difference between research methods and research design. Understand key considerations in designing a study, including randomization, matching and blinding. Nested casecontrol within a cohort study, compares all cases to a subset of persons who did not develop disease. Pdf case studies are used in design research to analyze a phenomenon, to generate hypotheses, and to validate a method. These issues confuse the design of a case study and will further do so because they are. Provide an overview of different types of study designs. Case study design definition of case study design by. Although the case studies are used either as a type starman, 20 or method asimirin, 2014 in qualitative research.

Researchers can adopt either a single case or multiple case design depending on the issue in question. Understand the strengths and limitations of each type of study design, as applied to a particular research purpose. Pdf this article presents the case study as a type of qualitative research. A research design is a systematic approach that a researcher uses to conduct a scientific study. 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. What case study is different forms of qualitative traditions exist and the design of research within each has distinct features cresswell, 98. Analysis of case control studies the odds ratio or is used in case control studies to estimate the strength of the association between exposure and outcome. Collective case study involves more than one case, which may or may not be physically colocated with other cases. A crucial distinction must be made between holistic and embedded.

Exploratory, descriptive and causal a common definition of research is gathering and analysing information systematically. Mar 10, 2020 case control study case control studies begin with the outcomes and do not follow people over time. 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. In case studies on regional or urban planning, the units may be different interest groups that are involved or affected by the project. The goal of a clinical study is to assess the safety, efficacy, and or the mechanism of action of an investigational medicinal product imp or. Types of case studies there are several categories of this work and each is different. Every case study, whether explanatory or exploratory, or intrinsic or instrumental, fits into one of these five groups.

Observational studies casecontrol study casecontrol studies are common study designs used in oral health research. The steps when using case study methodology are the same as for other types of research. Research design is the overall plan or structure of the research project. Robertson a, cresswell k, takian a, petrakaki d, crowe s, cornford t, et al. Mar 19, 2019 before we can talk about types of case study and the features, we have to know what is a case study. You have to bear in mind that there is no ideal method, but there is the one, which matches exactly for you. It determines which general type of design is to be used. But in terms of the basic architecture how the principal components of a study are assembled there are certain basic designs. A collective case study may be conducted at one site e. A deviant case study is a research design or case selection technique for the purpose of re. It is the overall synchronization of identified components and data resulting in a plausible outcome.

An overview of the types of case study designs is provided along with general recommendations for writing the research questions, developing propositions. Some variations of this paper have to be based on the hypothesis or thesis which has to be proven while others are focused at only providing more information on a specific subject, while some investigate causal relationships. Usually, cases are people with disease, but treatment outcomes or other criteria can be used to define a case. Besides discussing case study design, data collection, and analysis, the refresher addresses several key features of case study research. Case study research design and methods second edition. This study design should not be confused with a crossover study design which is an interventional study type and is described below. In such sciences, this project can be focused on aspects of a single. Design issues edgar r miller iii phd, md welch center for prevention, epidemiology and clinical research johns hopkins university school of medicine and bloomberg school of public health 2 type of studies nonexperimental observational case report case series crosssectional survey. This is more indepth research, that answered the question what and how.

Research design types of research design scholarship fellow. A research design is the set of methods and procedures used in collecting and analyzing measures of the variables specified in the problem research. Identify what information is needed and from whom see what are potential sources of information. Seminar objectives provide an overview of different types of study designs. Overview of study designs university of california, davis. This type of research is used to measure what impact a specific change will have on existing norms and assumptions. First, an abbreviated definition of a case study will help identify the circumstances when you might choose to use the case study method instead of or as a complement to some other research method. Pdf the case study as a type of qualitative research. Our first distinction is whether the study is analytic or nonanalytic. Casecohort within a cohort study, compares all cases to a random subsample of the cohort subcohort can be used for multiple case groups. 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. Just as the word implies, it explores, that is to find out about something by answering the question in what or how manner. Case study is a study of an existing issue within the reallife context yin, 2003. A research of one type may have in it three or more of the functions described as characterizing different types of study.

A case study is a form of research that is why it is called case study research. The popular point of view that a case study is characterised by a holistic approach is. It specifically focuses on the final results of the research. The conclusion that is aimed by a case study can be either illustrative or confirmable.

Pdf case study research design and methods second edition. There are generally five different types of case studies, and the subjects that they address. Download a pdf by jeremy howick about study designs. There are four types of research designs which are. Traditional classification of epidemiologic study designs a logical sequence of study designs encountered in epidemiology is. Under the more generalized category of case study exist several subdivisions, each of which is custom selected for use depending upon the goals andor objectives of the investigator. Case study is a research methodology, typically seen in social and life sciences.

To conclusively come up with an authentic and accurate result, the research design should follow a strategic methodology, in line with the type of. You may come out with a great computer model for describing how the ecosystem of a rock pool works but it is only by trying it out on a real life. For this reason there are innumerable variations in the details of study design. An overview of the types of case study designs is provided along with general. Case control study case control studies begin with the outcomes and do not follow people over time. Case study research design how to conduct a case study. Merriams qualitative research and case study applications in education1998, and robert e. Three approaches to case study methods in education.

Three types of grounded theory designs grounded theory research consists of three types of designs. As you see quantitative research design is used to investigate the relationship between variable by using numbers and statistics to explain and analyze its findings and there are four types of quantitative research design. Next month, will discuss how to choose a statistical. If the researcher views quantitative design as a continuum, one end of the range represents a designwhere the variables are. Qualitative case study methodology provides tools for researchers to study complex phenomena within their contexts. Research design is the framework that has been created to seek answers to research questions. These include the design and categories of case studies and how. In the design of a case study, it is important to plan and design how you are going to address the study and make sure that all collected data is relevant.

Brainstorm a case study topic, considering types of cases and why they are unique or. Parts of a case study research design a research design is a blueprint for a study deals more with the logic of the study than the logistics plan for moving from questions to answers ensures that the data is collected and analyzed to produce an answer to the initial research question strong similarities between a research design and a system. Understanding the problem and its solution requires integrating a myriad of mutually dependent variables or pieces of evidence that are likely to be gathered at least. Nonetheless, the list below offers a number of useful distinctions between possible research designs.

The challenge of a descriptive case study is that the researcher must begin with a. The case study research design is also useful for testing whether scientific theories and models actually work in the real world. Despite the common belief, the case study research method isnt popular only in sociology, but can be also applied in clinical or administrative science, psychology, anthropology, education, social work, political science, etc. Understanding the different types of case studies universalclass. It is a method of research that uses a welldetailed, thorough and exhaustive examination of the subject matter at hand and its condition as at that time. After having set the objectives of research, next step is to decide the research design which best suits the research objectives. Case series are studies that describe in detail a group of subjects who share common characteristics andor have received similar interventions.

The purpose of this paper is to guide the novice researcher in identifying the key elements for designing and. Definition of a case study a case study is a holistic inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its. Matchedpair analysis a type of analysis in which subjects in a study group and a comparison group are made comparable with respect to extraneous factors by individually pairing study subjects with the. Definition, types and ways to implement an exploratory research is conducted when it is necessary to understand the general nature of the problem, identify possible alternatives to the solution, as well as relevant variables that need to be taken into account. The available study designs are divided broadly into two types observational and interventional. The case study research method is popular not just within the field of sociology, but also within the fields of anthropology, psychology, education, political science. Descriptive studies include case reports, case series.