Introduction to case study design and methodology SLP

This SLP will span the first 5 modules of the course. You will start thinking about a topic for your Doctoral Study and how you might go about conducting the study. Don’t worry that the topic you choose at this early date will obligate you to keep that topic when it comes time to begin your research. It can, and probably will change and evolve as you grow in your understanding and knowledge throughout the doctoral program.

Here we provide the big picture of what you will put together throughout the course. Note that the “deliverables” are listed for each module.

In thinking about a possible topic for your Doctoral Study, consider the following questions:

Module 1: What phenomenon do I want to know more about? Drill down a little – what do I want to know, specifically? Why do I want to know this? What skills do I have that I bring to my doctoral study research on this topic? Do I have any biases or pre-conceived ideas about what I might find if I studied this phenomenon? How sure am I? (2-3 pages).

Background Info

The following readings are required for Module 1. Optional readings can be found at the end of this section and while not required, may help you understand the material better and be useful to you if you choose to conduct a case study research method for your doctoral study. All readings can be accessed in the Trident Online library, unless linked to another source.

The Case Study as a Research Method

This module begins with an overview of the case study method, how this method differs from other types of research, the types of topics that are well suited for case studies, and compares the main types of case studies used for research.

Introduction

Begin your reading with Chapter One from Case Study Research: Design and Methods. You can find this book in the Trident Library, or purchase your own copy very inexpensively at a number of online book purveyors.

Yin, R.K. (2009). Introduction. In Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Fourth Ed. (pp. 3-23). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Inc.

Flyvbjerg, B. (2006). Five misunderstandings about case-study research. Qualitative Inquiry, 12(2), 219-245. (Trident Library, Sage Research Methods database).

Gagnon, Y. (2010). Stage 1: Assessing appropriateness and usefulness. In The Case Study As Research Method : A Practical Handbook (pp. 11-18). Québec [Que.]: Les Presses de l’Université du Québec (EBSCO ebook Collection)

Case Study Design

We continue with an exploration of case study design. This section begins with a consideration of research questions and units of analysis, followed by the role of implicit or explicit theory in driving the research, considerations of quality (validity and reliability), and ending with the selection of single versus multiple case study designs and mixed methods.

Yin, R.K. (2009). Designing case studies. In Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Fourth Ed.(pp. 24-65). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Inc.

Baxter, P. & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13 (4), 544-559. Retrieved from http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?artic…

Gagnon, Y. (2010). Stage 2: Ensuring accuracy of results. In The Case Study As Research Method : A Practical Handbook (pp. 19-36). Québec [Que.]: Les Presses de l’Université du Québec (EBSCO ebook Collection)

Optional

Farquhar, J. D. (2012). Quality in case study research. In Case study research for business (pp. 100-112). London, : SAGE Publications Ltd

Gibbs, G., Clark, D., Taylor, C., Silver, C., & Lewins, A. (n.d.). Welcome to Online QDA. Retrieved November 25, 2016, from http://onlineqda.hud.ac.uk/

Moeller, J. D., Dattilo, J., & Rusch, F. (2015). Applying quality indicators to single-case research designs used in special education: A systematic review. Psychology in the Schools, 52(2), 139-153

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

Case Study Protocol and Preparing to Collect Data

In Module 2, we will examine the steps of collecting and analyzing case study data, but there is much to be done (and learned) before data collection. Thus, in this final section of module one, we look at how to prepare for a case study, ethical considerations and procedures for protecting human subjects, and developing a protocol.

Yin, R.K. (2009). Preparing to Collect Case Study Data. In Case Study Research: Design and Methods, Fourth Ed. pp. 66-96. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Inc.

The Belmont Report: Ethical principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research: http://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/humansubjects/guidance/bel… (Links to an external site)

Gagnon, Y. (2010). Stage 3 : Preparation. In The Case Study As Research Method : A Practical Handbook (pp. 37-48). Québec [Que.]: Les Presses de l’Université du Québec (EBSCO ebook Collection)

Optional:

Gagnon, Y. (2010). Stage 4 : Selecting cases. In The Case Study As Research Method : A Practical Handbook (pp. 49-54). Québec [Que.]: Les Presses de l’Université du Québec (EBSCO ebook Collection)

Farquhar, J. D. (2012). Developing your case study research strategy. In Case study research for business (pp. 30-48). London: SAGE Publications Ltd. (Trident Library, Sage Research Methods database).

Farquhar, J. D. (2012). Access and ethics in case study research. In Case study research for business (pp. 49-64). London: SAGE Publications Ltd. (Trident Library, Sage Research Methods database).

Mills, A. J., Durepos, G. & Wiebe, E. (2010). Encyclopedia of case study research Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Ltd (Trident Library, Sage Research Methods database).

Yilmaz, K. (2013). Comparison of Quantitative and Qualitative Research Traditions: epistemological, theoretical, and methodological differences. European Journal of Education, 48(2), 311-325. (Trident Library Academic Search Complete)