Research Methods in Child Welfare by Amy J. L. Baker Benjamin Charvat

Author:Amy J. L. Baker, Benjamin Charvat [Amy J. L. Baker, Benjamin Charvat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Political Science, Public Policy, Social Services & Welfare, Social Science, Methodology, Social Work
ISBN: 9780231141307
Google: 2n9sCroV82EC
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2008-01-15T03:30:28+00:00

Overview of the Topic

A case study is “a method for learning about a complex instance, based on a comprehensive understanding of that instance obtained by extensive description and analysis of that instance taken as a whole and in its context” (United States Government Accounting Office 1990). Put another way, a case study is a research endeavor in which qualitative data—collected from a combination of interviews, observations, field notes, archival material, and examination of documents—are used to develop a multiperspective, holistic understanding of a single case or set of cases in order to generalize those findings to other similar cases. Like other forms of qualitative data collection, the case study is concerned with the “lived experience” of people (Holloway 1997) and is rooted in the theory of phenomenology (Husserl 1990). In practical terms, a case study entails a researcher (or research assistant) spending considerable time at the location of the case (program site, cottage, hospital, home, etc.) conducting interviews as well as extended observations of individuals and interactions among the relevant parties for as long as it takes to develop what is perceived to be a valid understanding of the case. The case study utilizes a triangulated research strategy in which information collected from multiple sources and different methods converge on the truth (Yin 1984). Historically, the use of case study research has been cyclical, in which periods characterized by active utilization are followed by periods of disuse. Tellis (1997) traces the earliest use of this form of research to Europe, predominantly France, and concludes that in the United States the case study methodology is most closely associated with the University of Chicago’s department of sociology from 1900 until 1935.

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