Product Description

This book presents a disciplined, qualitative exploration of case study methods by drawing from naturalistic, holistic, ethnographic, phenomenological and biographic research methods.

Robert E. Stake uses and annotates an actual case study to answer such questions as: How is the case selected? How do you select the case which will maximize what can be learned? How can what is learned from one case be applied to another? How can what is learned from a case be interpreted? In addition, the book covers: the differences between quantitative and qualitative approaches; data-gathering including document review; coding, sorting and pattern analysis; the roles of the researcher; triangulation; and reporting.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #238570 in Books
• Published on: 1995-04-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

Great for those working on a dissertation
If you're looking for a practial book on completing a case study this is it! The chapters are organized in such a way that the process is laid out and easily understood. The book is reader friendly and doesn't spend much time in the technical aspect of case study. It allows the reader to understand and then sit down and get to work. I've read several books dealing with case study and this one I found most useful. It is written during the authors time of teaching a course. The benefit of the book for the reader is that you most likely don't have time to take a course specifically on case study and can read the book in place of taking the course!I am much further ahead in the completion of my own dissertation case study since I've read the book. I recommend it to anyone moving in this direction and believe that you will find it understandable, useful, and key in your successful completion of a case study. Wow - what a find!

Not for the graduate student/professional
Availability of books on case study methodology remains limited. Case study as a method of research - used particularly among social scientists - is still developing as a reputable approach. This book was appropriate for lower division, undergraduate students - but woefully inadequate for the upper division or graduate student and/or practitioner.

Related to the content, this book failed to provide a comprehensive listing of research appropriate for case study methods - especially over other methods. Qualitative methods were adequately covered, but appropriate uses of available quantitative data often found within case studies were not addressed. The book covered triangulation principles but did not regonize other uses of data in case study research - in particluar the essential role of documentation of protocol to ensure replicability of methods by other researchers. The discussion about sources of data was incomplete and failed to illustrate the relative strengths and weaknesses of each and potential remedies to reduce weaknesses. The author only provided a few common modes of analysis without covering other legitimate means. Throughout the book, the author provided little reference to prior research done on the subject under discussion for a researcher to explore further nor was there any particluar recognition of the contribution of other theorists to the field.

Related to the style, this book used a lot of reference symbols throughout that were distracting to the reader without adding any particular benefit. All of the examples used were from the education field making it difficult for the reader to draw parallels to other fields and maintain interest. The book did not use adequate illustration or presentation of information in tables and formats usually successfully presented in simlar materials. The information was presented in a "lecture" and "exercise" teaching style that is to simple for a learned student or professional.

I gained no "new" knowledge from reading this book and it was a frustrating waste of my time, money and effort. Your mileage may vary!

Helpful
This was one of the books on case study research available from our university library. It has been helpful in understanding case studies and where they fit into the world of academic research (especially qualitative traditions). Also, it has been helpful in understanding how to write questions for the type of study that I'm needing to develop for my work. Yim or others might be more helpful for business oriented case studies, but in educational and social/behavioral science case studies, this is a good choice.