Case Studies Case Study Research 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to Robert Yin, case study research is most appropriate when the research question takes which form?
- How or why questions about contemporary events (Correct answer)
- How many or how much questions about large populations
- Who or where questions requiring surveys
- Questions requiring full control over behavioral events
Correct answer: How or why questions about contemporary events
Yin argues case studies suit 'how' and 'why' questions about contemporary phenomena the researcher cannot control.
Question 2: In an embedded single-case design, what distinguishes it from a holistic single-case design?
- It includes multiple units of analysis within the case (Correct answer)
- It uses multiple cases across different sites
- It relies only on quantitative data
- It excludes contextual conditions entirely
Correct answer: It includes multiple units of analysis within the case
An embedded design examines subunits (e.g., departments within one organization) inside a single case, while a holistic design treats the case as one unit.
Question 3: A researcher selects a case because it offers unusual access to a phenomenon rarely open to scientific observation. Yin calls this rationale for a single-case design the:
- Revelatory case (Correct answer)
- Critical case
- Typical case
- Longitudinal case
Correct answer: Revelatory case
A revelatory case justifies single-case design because it exposes a previously inaccessible phenomenon.
Question 4: Which tactic most directly strengthens construct validity in a case study?
- Using multiple sources of evidence that converge on the same facts (Correct answer)
- Selecting a larger random sample
- Applying inferential statistics to the findings
- Restricting data collection to a single interview
Correct answer: Using multiple sources of evidence that converge on the same facts
Triangulating multiple evidence sources establishes converging lines of inquiry, the core tactic for construct validity.
Question 5: Robert Stake's concept of an 'instrumental' case study means the case is studied primarily to:
- Provide insight into an issue or refine a theory beyond the case itself (Correct answer)
- Understand the case for its own intrinsic interest
- Test a statistical hypothesis on a population
- Generate a random sample of similar cases
Correct answer: Provide insight into an issue or refine a theory beyond the case itself
In Stake's typology, an instrumental case serves as a means to understand something broader than the particular case.
Question 6: In multiple-case designs, choosing cases expected to produce contrasting results for predictable reasons is called:
- Theoretical replication (Correct answer)
- Literal replication
- Random assignment
- Statistical generalization
Correct answer: Theoretical replication
Theoretical replication predicts contrasting results for anticipatable reasons, while literal replication predicts similar results.
Question 7: A case study database is maintained separately from the final report primarily to:
- Increase reliability by letting others review the raw evidence (Correct answer)
- Reduce the amount of data collected
- Replace the need for a case study protocol
- Guarantee external validity of findings
Correct answer: Increase reliability by letting others review the raw evidence
A formal database creates an auditable chain of evidence, improving the study's reliability.
Case Studies Case Study Research 2
According to Robert Yin, case study research is most appropriate when the research question takes which form?