The Case For Case Studies

This volume demonstrates how to conduct case study research that is both methodologically rigorous and useful to development policy. It will interest scholars and students across the social sciences using case studies, and provide constructive guidance to practitioners in development and public administration.

Since the end of World War II, social science research has become increasingly quantitative in nature. A Case for the Case Study provides a rationale for an alternative to quantitative research: the close investigation of single instances of social phenomena. The first section of the book contains an overview of the central methodological issues involved in the use of the case study method. Then, well-known scholars describe how they undertook case study research in order to understand changes in church involvement, city life, gender roles, white-collar crimes, family structure, homelessness, and other types of social experience. Each contributor confronts several key questions: What does the case study tell us that other approaches cannot? To what extent can one generalize from the study of a single case or of a highly limited set of cases? Does case study work provide the basis for postulating broad principles of social structure and behavior? The answers vary, but the consensus is that the opportunity to examine certain kinds of social phenomena in depth enables social scientists to advance greatly our empirical understanding of social life. The contributors are Leon Anderson, Howard M. Bahr, Theodore Caplow, Joe R. Feagin, Gilbert Geis, Gerald Handel, Anthonly M. Orum, Andree F. Sjoberg, Gideon Sjoberg, David A. Snow, Ted R. Vaughan, R. Stephen Warner, Christine L. Williams, and Norma Williams.

Covering a wide range of issues, the 22 cases included in Case Studies in Canadian Health Policy and Management constitute an exceptional resource for bringing real-life policy questions into the classroom. Based on actual events, the cases have been developed with input from mid-career professionals with strong field experience and extensively tested in Raisa B. Deber’s graduate case study seminar at the University of Toronto. Each case features both a substantive health policy issue and a selection of key concepts and methods appropriate to examining public policy, public health, and health care management issues. In each case, the authors provide a summary of the case and the related policy issues, a description of events, suggested questions for discussion, supporting information, and both works cited and further reading. Suitable for graduate and undergraduate classrooms in programs in a variety of fields, Case Studies in Canadian Health Policy and Management is an exceptional educational resource. This second edition features all new cases, as well as adding an introductory chapter that provides a framework and tools for health policy analysis in Canada.

The use of case studies to build and test theories in political science and the other social sciences has increased in recent years. Many scholars have argued that the social sciences rely too heavily on quantitative research and formal models and have attempted to develop and refine rigorous methods for using case studies. This text presents a comprehensive analysis of research methods using case studies and examines the place of case studies in social science methodology. It argues that case studies, statistical methods, and formal models are complementary rather than competitive. The book explains how to design case study research that will produce results useful to policymakers and emphasizes the importance of developing policy-relevant theories. It offers three major contributions to case study methodology: an emphasis on the importance of within-case analysis, a detailed discussion of process tracing, and development of the concept of typological theories. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences will be particularly useful to graduate students and scholars in social science methodology and the philosophy of science, as well as to those designing new research projects, and will contribute greatly to the broader debate about scientific methods.

Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education offers pre- and in-service educators an opportunity to analyze and reflect upon a variety of realistic case studies related to educational equity and social justice. Each case, written in an engaging, narrative style, presents a complex but common classroom scenario in which an inequity or injustice is in play. These cases allow educators to practice the process of considering a range of contextual factors, checking their own biases, and making immediate- and longer-term decisions about how to create and sustain equitable learning environments for all students. The book begins with a seven-point process for examining case studies. Largely lacking from existing case study collections, this framework guides readers through the process of identifying, examining, reflecting on, and taking concrete steps to resolve challenges related to diversity and equity in schools. The cases themselves present everyday examples of the ways in which racism, sexism, homophobia and heterosexism, class inequities, language bias, religious-based oppression, and other equity and diversity concerns affect students, teachers, families, and other members of our school communities. They involve classroom issues that are relevant to all grade levels and all content areas, allowing significant flexibility in how and with whom they are used. Although organized topically, the intersection of these issues are stressed throughout the cases, reflecting the multi-faceted way they play out in real life. All cases conclude with a series of questions to guide discussion and a section of facilitator notes, called points for consideration. This unique feature provides valuable insight for understanding the complexities of each case.

Qualitative Research Through Case Studies provides an accessible introduction to a wide range of approaches that deal with the theoretical analysis of qualitative data.

This book seeks to narrow two gaps: first, between the widespread use of case studies and their frequently 'loose' methodological moorings; and second, between the scholarly community advancing methodological frontiers in case study research and the users of case studies in development policy and practice. It draws on the contributors' collective experience at this nexus, but the underlying issues are more broadly relevant to case study researchers and practitioners in all fields. How does one prepare a rigorous case study? When can causal inferences reasonably be drawn from a single case? When and how can policy-makers reasonably presume that a demonstrably successful intervention in one context might generate similarly impressive outcomes elsewhere, or if massively 'scaled up'? No matter their different starting points - disciplinary base, epistemological orientation, sectoral specialization, or practical concerns - readers will find issues of significance for their own field, and others across the social sciences. This title is also available Open Access.

A new edition of the most popular book of project management case studies, expanded to include more than 100 cases plus a "super case" on the Iridium Project Case studies are an important part of project management education and training. This Fourth Edition of Harold Kerzner's Project Management Case Studies features a number of new cases covering value measurement in project management. Also included is the well-received "super case," which covers all aspects of project management and may be used as a capstone for a course. This new edition: Contains 100-plus case studies drawn from real companies to illustrate both successful and poor implementation of project management Represents a wide range of industries, including medical and pharmaceutical, aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, finance and banking, and telecommunications Covers cutting-edge areas of construction and international project management plus a "super case" on the Iridium Project, covering all aspects of project management Follows and supports preparation for the Project Management Professional (PMP®) Certification Exam Project Management Case Studies, Fourth Edition is a valuable resource for students, as well as practicing engineers and managers, and can be used on its own or with the new Eleventh Edition of Harold Kerzner's landmark reference, Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. (PMP and Project Management Professional are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)