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Case Study Methodology M.D. Rice Introduction The qualitative methodology paradigm contains many types of methods to address the cornucopia of situations and research design format needs of qualitative researchers. Among these various subtypes of qualitative research methods is the case study. The case study methodology will be reviewed including a) definition, b) applications and protocols, and c) data analysis and presentation. Case Study Definition A common misnomer of case study research is that the method must exclusively focus on an individual or a group of individuals, however, this is not an accurate description. The case study can concern one individual (or multiple individuals), but it may also have as its focus an event or other subject of varying description (Yin, 2009). The case study method is a type of qualitative research that focuses on a specific person, event, situation, program, problem, etcetera, for a specific amount of time (Leedy and Ormrod, 2005). Applications and Protocols The case study method is an in-depth investigation of a particular phenomenon (Meyer, 2001). A very important and unique aspect of case study research is data triangulation, which simply is the convergence of the information gathered to a single conclusion in which multiplysourced data does not conflict (Leedy and Ormrod, 2005). Typical data involved in case study research/data triangulation includes archival documents, qualitative interviews, questionnaires, and observations (Meyer, 2001). The case study method itself can be further classified into three

types: descriptive (focused but with alternative theory), explanatory (focused but with one theory), and exploratory (unfocused, to discover a theory) (Yin, 2012). This subtype of method will then guide the specific direction of the research design, protocols, and applications (Yin, 2012). Data Analysis and Presentation A very important and unique aspect of case study research is data triangulation, which simply is the convergence of the information gathered to a single conclusion in which multiply-sourced data does not conflict (Leedy and Ormrod, 2005). In the analysis and presentation stages, case study research analyzes concepts related to the unit of measurement for continuity and cogency across the varying data input types/sources. The type of the case study (e.g. if it is descriptive, exploratory, or explanatory) will guide not only the type and manner of data collection, but also the protocols of data analysis and the way the data is presented (Yin, 2012). Summary and Conclusions The case study method is a type of qualitative research methodology that focuses on an indepth investigation of a particular person, place, thing, or idea. Case study methodology can be further divided into three types of case study research. This specification of type will then guide the data collection, analyzation, and presentation of the study. This paper has examined the definition, applications and protocols, and data analysis and presentation concepts of the case study in order to further clarify this method of qualitative inquiry.

References Leedy, P.D., and Ormrod, J.E. (2005). Practical research; Planning and design (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Meyer, C.B. (2001). A case in case study methodology. Field Methods, 13, 329-352. doi: 10.1177/1525822X0101300402 Stake, R.E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Yin, R.K. (2009). Case study research; Design and methods (4th ed.) [Applied Social Research Methods Series Vol. 5]. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Yin, R.K. (2012). Applications of case study research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.