Case Studies

Citation

Robertson D (2012) Case Studies. In: Smith S, Elsinga M, Eng O, O'Mahony L & Wachter S (eds.) International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 117-121. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780080471631006111

Abstract
Case studies have a ubiquity within housing research given their adaptability and flexibility to various research contexts. This article explores the variety of case study forms, before examining the practical difficulties involved in their usage. When properly conducted, a case study approach will provide far more than a contextual description of a particular event or state of affairs. At their best, case studies should be descriptively valid and have a more general application. Their use should also provide more than mere generalisations. So when conducting any case study examination, it is necessary to ensure that the various parameters of the particular case under consideration are comprehensively detailed. To achieve this end, case study work demands a robust approach in the selection of cases and the associated systematic collection of data. Only through methodical planning and execution of different research methods, within the case study context, can the case produce findings that have a wider application. The article is also alert to the serious limitations of working with case studies.

Keywords
Case study; Cases; Comparative research; ‘Deductive’ theory; ‘Grounded’ theory; Sample

People

Professor Douglas Robertson

Honorary Professor, Faculty of Social Sciences