In this section, we will describe some of the aspects associated with common case study practices, and present a definition for case studies that incorporates elements from. Case studies are based on an indepth investigation of a single individual, group or event to explore the causes of underlying principles. Yin, merriam, and stake abstract case study methodology has long been a contested terrain in social sciences research which is characterized by varying, sometimes opposing, approaches espoused by. A case study is a descriptive and exploratory analysis of a person, group or event. According to the dictionary, this assignment involves a detailed research of the given subject matter aimed at showing a complete understanding of this subject. Semantic scholar extracted view of a qualitative, exploratory case study of self reported influences affecting the decision of homeless sexualminority. The definition of a case study is a topic of disagreement between disciplines, or even between researchers in the same discipline. The topics covered include a definition of sm, and a description of the main. An exploratory case study on the effectiveness of social network sites. The advantages of exploratory research design synonym. First, an abbreviated definition of a case study will help identify the circumstances when you might choose to use the case study method instead of or as a complement to some other research method. The purpose of this exploratory case study was to gain an initial understanding to serve as a platform for a more comprehensive case study of the effects on participants of a formal organizational socialization program. Additional more extensive research may then confirm which possibility or possibilities are most the likely causes.
Exploratory case study is quite a new type of assignment, so many college students find it difficult to complete. Because this study seeks to answer questions that arise from a. According to the exploratory case study definition, it is a paper that provides an indepth analysis on the provided topic. The initial analysis of the data began with data loaded into an excel microsoft, redmond, wa, usa spreadsheet. Although case study methods remain a controversial approach to data. Yin 1995 says that theory can be used to guide the case study in an exploratory way. It usually precedes a final study, which can, itself, be a case study, but it can also have a different research design boos, 1992. An exploratory case study to consider the distinctive contribution of educational psychologists as trainers within childrens services a thesis submitted to the university of manchester for the degree of doctor of educational and child psychology in the faculty of humanities 20 jenny dutton school of education. Three approaches to case study methods in education. The case study method is a popular research method that is particularly appealing for applied disciplines since processes, problems, andor programs can be studied to engender understanding that can improve practice.
An exploratory case study is a preliminary project that will be the precursor to a larger study in the future. The following are definitions of the key terms used within this study cambridge. Case study designs have been used across a number of disciplines, particularly the social sciences, education, business, law, and. Exploratory research is defined as the initial research into a hypothetical or theoretical idea. Using interpretive qualitative case studies for exploratory. The case study cookbook by richard hayes brittany kyer emily weber december 2015. An exploratory case study to consider the distinctive. It is one of the various types of research that is focused on details. In general, it is an initial research conducting which a writer tries to make up a model and view a received data within it, and, after collecting all the necessary data, the task of a personal statement writer is to make. Study questions case studies are most appropriate for research questions.
Bishop mba, fordham university, 1985 ba, briarcliff college, 1968 dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy organizational leadership and change walden university november 2015. Descriptive case study a descriptive case study is a story about a real world situation facing people or groups and how they addressed it. Exploratory case studies help to gain insight into the structure of a phenomenon in order to develop hypotheses, models, or. Procedures in exploratory studies may be altered to expand the scope or method of investigation.
Definition, types and ways to implement an exploratory research is conducted when it is necessary to understand the general nature of the problem, identify possible alternatives to the solution, as well as relevant variables that need to be taken into account. An exploratory qualitative case study of a schoolbased multimodal tablet initiative by erin e. It includes a concise but thorough account of the facts of the situation and expert commentary to help the audience understand the causes of the problem, the forces. An exploratory casestudy research design was utilized to determine common themes. A greater understanding of a subject helps hone subsequent research questions and can greatly increase the usefulness of a study s conclusions. In this section, we will describe some of the aspects associated with.
Pdf forest school and the early years foundation stage. Involve enjoy achieve forest school and the early years foundation stage an exploratory case study rowena kenny 31st march 2010 abstract this work based action enquiry employs a case study method to explore if forest school can put into practice the uk early. A greater understanding of a subject helps hone subsequent research questions and can greatly increase the usefulness of a studys conclusions. Its degree of flexibility, for example in terms of data collection methods, and its by definitionlack of specific, theorybased prior assumptions. Case study method intensely investigates one or a few situations similar to the problem investigate in depth careful study may require cooperation pilot studies any small scale exploratory study that uses sampling but does not apply rigorous standards types of pilot studies focus group interviews projective techniques. A qualitative, exploratory case study of selfreported influences. A case study is a research strategy and an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its reallife context. The popular point of view that a case study is characterised by a holistic approach is explained and discussed in section 1. It is used to ensure additional research is taken into consideration during an experiment as well as determining research priorities, collecting data and honing in on certain subjects which may be difficult to take note of without exploratory research.
Case study method intensely investigates one or a few situations similar to the problem investigate in depth careful study may require cooperation pilot studies any small scale exploratory study that uses sampling. Margarella a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy department of teaching and learning college of. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, university of maryland, college park. Using a case study approach we build on research that identifies risk factors leading to the failure of outsourced strategic it development projects.
Case study research has grown in reputation as an effective methodology to investigate and understand complex issues in real world settings. Besides discussing case study design, data collection, and analysis, the refresher addresses several key features of case study research. Case study is a research methodology, typically seen in social and life sciences. Exploratory research is defined as a research used to investigate a problem which is not clearly defined. Pdf forest school and the early years foundation stage an. A descriptive study focuses on covering the background information and accurate description of the case in question. This research is also very useful in determining the best approach to achieve a researchers objectives. Case study designs have been used across a number of disciplines, particularly the social sciences, education, business, law, and health, to address a wide range of research questions. It is a form of a research, which should examine a certain matter through the prism of a personally built model. A person who investigates begins with the general, main idea and start using research as a. Exploratory research can be very advantageous in directing subsequent research approaches.
Pdf exploratory case study research on web accessibility. It is conducted to have a better understanding of the existing problem, but will not provide conclusive results. Research questions and hypotheses explore a process e. The interviews and focus group were analysed using inductive, explicit thematic analysis. Researchers may conduct exploratory research to develop a list of possible causes to the problem. The label case study is most frequently associated with the exploratory case study.
The popular point of view that a case study is characterised by a holistic approach is explained and discussed in. Jul 09, 2018 a case study is a research strategy and an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its reallife context. While alternative views of thinking or unexpected findings should be welcome, as testing and. Exploratory, descriptive or hypothesistesting study. Impact of increasing levels of multiculturalism on marketing practices. Exploratory research, as the name implies, intends merely to explore the research questions and does not intend to offer final and conclusive solutions to existing problems. A qualitative, exploratory case study of selfreported. In exploratory research, the process of the research varies according to the finding of new data or insight. They can be exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory, and they have been. Pdf an exploratory case study on the effectiveness of social. Case study definition the essence of a case study is that it tries to illuminate a decision or set of decisions. Such task includes a thorough analysis and research of the topic, and an ability to prove a deep knowledge of the subject.
Accordingly, they are mainly used for theory building. An exploratory case study to consider the distinctive contribution of. Exploratory research is nonexperimental or observational study. Exploratory research is the preliminary research to clarify the exact nature of the problem to be solved. Definition of case study case study method enables a researcher to closely examine the data within a specific context. May 28, 2015 case study definition the essence of a case study is that it tries to illuminate a decision or set of decisions. Stake 1995 says that theory can be absent from studies which focus on a describing the case and its issues. The exploratory case study investigates distinct phenomena characterized by a lack of detailed preliminary research, especially formulated hypotheses that can be tested, andor by a specific research environment that limits the choice of methodology.
For research both primary and secondary data was collected. For example, a case study of a veteran with ptsd can be used to help new therapists better understand what veterans experience. Plan the planning stage focuses on identifying the research questions or other rationale for doing a case study, deciding to use the case study method compared with other methods, and understanding its strengths and limitations48. Exploratory research is carried out to understand a problem in depth and to gain insights using primary and secondary research methods. In other words, you arent manipulating any of the variables, you are simply observing them. As any organization planning to work on a strategic it outsourcing project needs to address risk we wish to help the client of such. Exploratory case studies may be undertaken prior to the definition of the research questions and hypotheses. An exploratory casecontrol study was conducted to identify putative risk factors for disease. Feb 16, 2017 according to the exploratory case study definition, it is a paper that provides an indepth analysis on the provided topic. An exploratory case control study of risk factors for. For example, a case study could be done challenging the efficacy of different therapy methods for vets with. The study uses an exploratory single case study design, using a combination.
Unpublished doctoral dissertation, university of maryland. In this case study also, prior fieldwork and smallscale data collection may be conducted before the research questions and hypotheses are proposed. Exploratory research is defined by burns and groove 2001. The study uses an exploratory single case study design, using a combination of semistructured interviews and a focus group with additional data from a training observation, documentary analysis of training materials and training evaluation data. Case study is a paper, which contains a detailed and profound analysis of a certain topic. It is important to clarify the definition of these cases as they may be subjective, e. This study is an exploratory research study in order to study on buying decision process from mall. A definition of the case study is presented in section 1. This is where a researcher has an idea or has observed something and seeks to understand more about it. Before you take a decision you need to carry out a quantitative study having an adequate sample to make sure that measurement will be precise. What is the difference between explanatory exploratory and. Mar 17, 2019 exploratory research begins on the basis of a general idea and the outcomes of the research are used to find out related issues with the topic of the research, which can be used for future research on the same topic.
Case studies, for instance, could have been selected simply because they represent extremely good or very bad examples of a scenario as opposed to the average situation. A pilot study is considered an example of an exploratory case study yin, 1984. An exploratory case study fahy vol 14 no 1 march 148 academics ideally should publish in order to have their work read and used by others, their procedures and findings checked or corrected, and their ideas elaborated. Second, exploratory research can uncover possible avenues for reaching decision makers objectives. A common example is how events at home can affect the childs. Importantly, the entire notion of exploratory research suggests that it precedes a larger, more formal research project.
Exploratory study definition of exploratory study by. Pdf on mar 1, 2016, trista hollweck and others published robert k. Before you take a decision you need to carry out a quantitative study having an adequate sample. As a prelude, this initial work helps prepare a framework of the study. The role of theory in case study my second topic is the place of theory in case study. Conducted in order to determine the nature of the problem, exploratory. Aug 08, 2018 exploratory case study is quite a new type of assignment, so many college students find it difficult to complete. There is disagreement in the literature about this. Explanatory research is usually held for those ones that were researched not so good, or demands priorities, generates operational definitions and provides a betterresearched model. Ideally, cases should be chosen as to provide examples for extreme situations. Pdf a qualitative, exploratory case study of selfreported. Because we are interested in factors that cause the failure of strategic outsourced software development projects we use a case study approach to build on research that identifies risk factors leading to the failure of such projects e.
This study is an exploratory research study in order to study on buying decision. Exploratory research initial research conducted to clarify and define the nature of a problem does not provide conclusive evidence subsequent research expected. This article talks about the methods, types, characteristics, advantages, disadvantages, and importance of exploratory research. It involves the definition of a theoretical hypothesis, selection of samples and allocation of them to different experimental conditions, introduction of planned changes, measurement on some. We investigate the bskyb project, a strategic development project, which was the subject of recent litigation in the british high court. It allows the researcher to explore individuals or.