Chapter 8: Case Study §

Class: IS309 Created Time: June 16, 2021 3:55 PM Database: Class Notes Database Last Edited Time: June 16, 2021 4:35 PM Tags: Research Type: Lecture

Definition §

Characteristics

• Small case number
• Study of one case to generalize to understand other similar cases

Purpose §

• Create a research question for case study with one of these purposes
  • study event in history: what factors explain the outbreak of the US-Mexican War?
  • deepen understanding: What role does Japan’s Yasukuni Shrine play in shaping public memory on the Second World War? (Interpretive)
  • test hypothesis: Why do states comply with international criminal tribunal orders? (Empirical)

Case Selection Design §

• 5 Strategies for Case Selection
  • The Case of Least Likely to be true: test your theory on the hardest case to prove to have confidence in your theory
  • The Case of Most-Similar Comparison: find two cases with the same in all but one variable that led to different outcomes. Testing independent variable (cause) to the change in dependent variable (result)
  • The Case of Least-Similar Comparison: find two cases with different in all but one variable that leads to the same out come. Testing if the shared independent variable creates the shared dependent outcome
  • Cross Cases & Over Time Comparison: find multiple cases to study across before and after periods to prove pattern
  • Deviant Cases: if a case doesn’t fit any existing theories, study it to find new hypothesis and finding new variables.