IHTE-1800 Research methods: Case and action researchihtesem/k2007/materiaali/luento3.pdffor the case • Select case study “sites” or individuals ... case study research. Academy

IHTE-1800 Research methods:Case and action research

Sari Kujala, spring 2007

http://www.cs.tut.fi/ihte

Contents• Introduction• Case study research

- What it is? When to apply?- Process- Improving the quality

• Action study- What it is? When to apply?- Process

• Literature


Introduction

• Case and action research strategies are among the best in human-centered design research- Investigating holistic and meaningful

characteristics of real-life events- Makes the research practical and ensures

that the developed methods and processes are usable in practice


What is case study research?

• A case study is an empirical inquiry within its real-life context, particularly when the boundaries between phenomena and context are not clearly evident (Yin, 1994)

• A common research strategy in different disciplines (social and organizational sciences, economics)


Case study research in practice

• The researcher has a role of detached observer

• Small sample• Data gathering methods can be both

quantitative and qualitative


Case studies -when to apply?

• Answering to “how” or “why” questions• Broad and complex phenomenon• A phenomenon cannot be studied outside

the context in which it occurs • To find relevant issues for theory• To capture process, time related data


Single-case design (Yin, 2003)

• Critical test of existing theory - Are a theory’s propositions correct or are

alternative explanations more relevant• Extreme, unique, representative, typical,

revelatory (phenomenon previously inaccessible) or longitudinal case

• Holistic vs. embedded case design (more than one unit of analysis)


Multiple-case designs (Yin, 2003)

• Each case either (a) predicts similar results (a literal replication)

• Or (b) predicts contrasting results but for predictable reasons (a theoretical replication)


Multiple case studies (Dubé and Paré, 2003)

• Helps to understand the influence of variability of context and to gain more general research results

• Within-case analysis: individual cases are analyzed- Gives a rich familiarity with each case, which

accelerates cross-case comparison• Cross-case analysis: the results of multiple

cases are compared and combined


Investigator skills (Yin, 2003)

• Asks good questions• Is a good listener• Is adaptive and flexible• Has a firm grasp of the issues being

studied• Is unbiased by preconceived notions

(sensitive and responsive to contradictory evidence)


Preparing for data collection (Yin, 2003)

• Prepare a case study protocol- Goals, procedures, questions and instructions

for the case• Select case study “sites” or individuals• Pilot case study and refine your data

collection plans


Collecting data: sources

• Documentation- Existing measures and evaluations

• Statistics• Interviews and surveys• Direct or participant-observation (e.g.

meetings)• Physical artifacts

- Testing the resulting product


Example of measured attributes (Kujala, 2002)

Ease of use

Correctness

Completeness

Costs

Development time

Attributes

Usability

Quality of requirements

Product development performance

Factors

…

…

…

…

...

Expl. of attributes


Three principles of data collection (Yin)

1. Use multiple sources of evidence- Called triangulation (data sources,

investigator, theory, methodological)2. Create a case study database

- Case study notes (incl. exact phrases)- Documents

3. Maintaining a chain of evidence


Data analysis strategies (Yin, 2003)

• Relaying on theoretical propositions• Thinking about rival explanations• Developing a case description


Data analysis techniques (Yin, 2003)

• Pattern matching- Comparing empirical pattern with a predicted

• Explanation building• Time-series analysis• Logic models• Cross-case synthesis


Improving the quality of case studies (KalleLyytinen)• Define research questions, anchor into theory• Use within and between case analysis• Be clear about sampling• Validate/test your instruments• Identify natural controls• Use multiple sources of data for triangulation• Search for alternative explanations• Report your data collection process, threats to reliability, method

bias• Use all data, including field notes• User study protocol and methods to map data to constructs• Use quotes or other field data


Action research

• Combines practical problem-solving and scientific research - Includes intervention and investigating its effects- Situational, collaborative, participatory and self-

evaluative• Researcher actively involved and collaborating

with practitioners• Roots on educational, social and organizational

sciences


Action research – when to apply?

• To address complex real-life problems• To understand social practices and the

change processes in social systems (Hult and Lennung, 1980)

• To enhance the competence of the respective actors, training


Action research process

Action planning

Action intervention

Evaluating

Specifying learning

Problem diagnosing (identifying and defining

problems)


Criticism of action research (Tuomi & Sarajärvi, 2002)

• Situation specific, sample not representative, no control of experiments

• Goals and methods can be unclear• Difficult to keep distant and neutral, no

equal dialog between the researcher and the object

• Researchers may search solutions to their own problems in which practitioners are not interested


Case study research

• Yin, R.K. (2002) Case study research: Design and Methods (3rd ed.) Sage Publications.

• Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989) Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14, 4, 532-550.

• Dubé and Paré, G. (2003). Rigor in information systems positivist case research: Current practices, trends, and recommendations. MIS Quarterly, 27, 4, 597-636.


Action research literature• Avison, D., Lau, F., Myers, M. and Nielsen, P. A. (1999) Action

research. Communications of the ACM, 42, 1, 94-97.• Baskerville, R. (1997) Distinguishing action research from

participative case studies. Journal of Systems and Information Technology, 1, 1, 25-45.

• Hult, M. and Lennung, S. (1980) Towards a definition of action research: An note and bibliography. Journal of Management Studies, 17, 241-250.

• Järvinen, P. (2007). Action research is similar to design science. Quality & Quantity, 41, 37-54.

• Stringer, E.T. (1999) Action Research, second edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

• Kuula, A. (1999) Kenttätyötä ja muutospyrkimyksiä. Tammer-paino, Tampere.