Khairunnisa-1802533-2a-wrjournal7.docx

Khairunnisa 1802533 English Education-2A School of Postgraduates Studies

Reading Journal 7 Case Study Approach: Design and Methods 1. What is the chapter about? The chapter is taken from the book written by Robert K. Yin (1994) entitled Case Study Approach: Design and Methods. It covers the introduction of the case study approach, how it is different from other strategies, how it is applied in social sciences, and the varieties within case study. Those topics will be delivered below. Case study mostly found in social sciences since the aim of this approach is to explore and to understand the current yet complex phenomenon that happens in individual, group, organizational, social, political and related phenomenon. The case study research design is also useful for testing whether a specific theory and model actually applies to phenomena in the real world. It is a useful design when not much is known about an issue or phenomenon. It is concerned with the rigorous and fair presentation of empirical data. Particularly, in teaching, the goal of case study is to reveal a framework for discussion and debate among students. Case studies can be conducted either single or multiple case studies. According to the book, it is argued that case study only applies for exploratory research. However, it is opposed since it can also function as exploratory, explanatory or descriptive. It is believed that each strategy has its own type of research questions and characteristics, thus it is not hierarchical. The figure will be shown below.

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Further argument concerned with the case study is because it is lack of rigor, the result cannot be generalized and it is too time-consuming. Those disadvantages can be handled if the researcher follows the strategy by commencing the notion of a logic of design. Firstly, it must be understood that a case study is an empirical inquiry data that investigates a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context. It occurs especially when the boundaries between the phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. Secondly, the case study inquiry copes with the technically distinctive situation in which there will be many more variables of interest than data points, and as one result relies on multiple sources of evidence, with the data needing to converge in a triangulating fashion and as another result, it benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions to guide data collection and analysis. Thus it can be assumed that case study is not merely a design feature alone but a comprehensive research strategy. Furthermore, it is revealed that there are variations within case studies as a research strategy. It will be mentioned below; 1. Case study includes single and multiple case studies. 2. Not only analysed qualitatively but also it can be analysed quantitatively even it is limited. 3. Case study must not be confused with ethnography research design in qualitative research because case study can be conducted in mix method research. Moreover, it needs not always include direct, detailed observation as source of evidence. 4. Case studies have different place in evaluation research. There are at least five different applications. The most important is to explain the presumed causal links in real-life 2

interventions that are too complex for the survey or experimental strategies. Then, the second application is to describe an intervention and the real-life context in which it occurred. Third, case studies can illustrate certain topics within an evaluation in a descriptive mode. Fourth, the case study strategy may be used to explore those situations in which the intervention being evaluated has no clear, single set outcomes. Fifth, the case study may be meta-evaluation. 5. Case studies can be conducted and written with many different motives, including the simple presentation of individual cases or the desire to arrive at broad generalizations based on case study evidence. 2. What do I want to know about the topic before reading this chapter? Case study is one of research methods in social sciences. This research emerges from the case in the field that is currently happening. It is empirics because it investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context such as the phenomenon occurs in individual, group, events, decisions, periods, policies, institutions or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more methods. Furthermore, it is a method used to narrow down a very broad field of research into one easily researchable topic. For example, a statistical survey might show how much time people spend talking on mobile phones, but it is case studies of a narrow group that will determine why this is so. The advantage of the case study research design is that we can focus on specific and interesting cases. Another research is trying to prove or disprove a hypothesis; a case study might introduce new and unexpected results during its course, and lead to research taking new directions. Meanwhile, the disadvantage is if the criteria for selecting a case is because it represents a very unusual or unique phenomenon or problem for study, then the interpretation of the findings can only apply to that particular case. The data are presented in descriptive and explorative analysis. A good case study should always make clear which information is factual description and which is an inference or the opinion of the researcher. A case study is based on opinion and is very much designed to provoke reasoned debate. There really is no right or wrong answer in a case study. 3. What have I learned from the chapter? The chapter has elaborated the concept of case study and how it applies to social sciences. It also covers the distinctions among different research strategy such as experiment, survey, 3

archival analysis, and history. It also tells the reader(s) that there are some traditional prejudice and misconception about case study research. In addition, within case study itself, there are variations which make case study has its own characteristics and benefits at the same time. 4. What do I want to know more about the topic? It is argued that there is a problem with validity of case study because of the tendency of bias. Therefore, the strategies to gain validity must be found out. Then, this chapter has not mentioned practical guidelines to conduct a case study research. In relation to this, it is essential to know the steps of conducting a case study research. Moreover, there is no deep information about presenting the result. Thus, for further reading, it will be beneficial by finding out those information listed above.

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