What criteria can be used to evaluate case study research?
A case study refers to a learning method for complex instances, which are based on a comprehensive understanding of that instance obtained through the extensive analysis and description of the instance taken as a whole in its specified context. The criteria for evaluating a case study research is based on four significant features such as high relevance of purpose, value of purpose, the preparation methods, and presentation. A case study research should have high relevance to the topic of study in order to be considered appropriate for the research. It should also have high relevance for purpose, which implies that the case study is consistent with the research requirements, and understandable by the target audience. Finally, the case study research should have proper preparation and presentation methods to ensure that the main aim of the research is achieved.
However, in considering this evaluation criteria, it is important to ensure that the case study research meets the user needs, study design requirements, consists of characteristic, well managed, and quality data, and covers greater institutional and societal issues, which the research case study seeks to address. In selecting cases, researchers testing necessary conditions need to be sensitive to the problem of selecting on the independent variable. This avoids the selection bias. It important to ensure that the case study research has a concise abstract that briefs the parts of the case study, an introduction that selects interesting and challenging issues of the research, and a testable hypothesis with a suitable scope and context. The case study research should also use appropriate methods and equipments that are appropriate to the research study. The data and their analysis in the case study should be effective in responding to the research question. The research should also provide a concise statement of the key findings of the research study in the conclusion, and finally provide recommendations for future researches. The case study research should also face weak external validity problems, which refer to whether we can generalize our findings to other cases. The table below shows the basic criterion of evaluating a case study research.
References:
Dion, Douglas. 1998. “Evidence and Inference in the Comparative Case Study.” Comparative Politics 30:127-146.
Malici, Akan, Smith, and Elizabeth. Political Science Research in Practice. (London, Routledge, 2012), p. 31
Mcleod, John. 2013. "Increasing the Rigor of Case Study Evidence in Therapy Research." PCSP: Pragmatic Case Studies In Psychotherapy 9, no. 4:p. 384, para, 4
