Case Study “Research”

I’m trying to get my head around “case study research”. While I have read countless case studies, I tend not to put them in the category of research. Too often they read like “what I did last summer” reports where (again) I question the value to anyone but the souls associated directly with the situation at hand. However, I’ll plow forward knowing this is all about giving it the old college try this semester 🙂

So, the readings describe cases as bounded systems and apparently some view case study research less about a methodology as the subject of the study … however, for the purpose of class we are considering a case study the subject, method, and means to report … clear as mud. Right away the issue of coming up with representative case(s) comes up. I can get my head around a “unique” situation case better than I can a representative case. Again, the generalizability bug keeps biting, but I must learn not to scratch that itch (for now).