This document provides an overview of descriptive research and case study methodology. It defines descriptive research as collecting information directly from individuals, such as through surveys, interviews, or observations. Case studies are described as an in-depth analysis of a single subject, event, or group to explore causes and relationships. The document outlines different types of case studies and methods for data collection and analysis, including pattern matching, explanation building, and time series analysis. Limitations and best practices for case studies are also discussed.

1. CASE STUDY
Presented to:
Dr. Anjum Zia
Presented By:
Hina Anwar

2. What is Descriptive Research??
 Descriptive research involves the collection
of information directly from individuals
who possess the information. e.g. you are
walking across your Department and some
one stops you to provide some opinions
concerning University services and facilities.

3. Categories of Descriptive research
Descriptive data-collection techniques fall into
three categories:
Surveys
Interviews
observations
The observation method gathers data through
systematic watching, studying or interpreting
the source of data and source may be an
individual, a group, or a document.

4. What is a Case study
The term "case study" has multiple meanings. It
can be used to describe a unit of analysis (e.g. a
case study of a particular organization to explore
its strengths and weakness) or to describe a
research method.
A case study is a research methodology common
in social science. It is based on an in-depth
investigation of a single individual, group, or event
to explore causation. (changing cinema culture: a
case study of Lahore)

5. Definition of case study
 Yin defines a case study as an empirical
enquiry that:
– investigates a contemporary phenomenon
within its real-life context, (e.g. what
problems a HIV/AIDS positive person is
facing in society ) especially when
– the boundaries between phenomenon and
context are not clearly evident" (
Yin, 1994: 13).

6. Historical Roots
 Case-study method was first introduced into social
science by Frederic Le Play in 1829 as a
handmaiden to statistics in his studies of family
budgets. From the early 1900's until 1935, The
Chicago School was on the top in the field of case
study methodology. (Les Ouvriers Europeans (2nd
edition, 1879
 Theory in social sciences has been further
developed by the sociologists Barney Glaser
and Anselm Strauss who presented their research
method, Grounded theory, in 1967.

7. Difference between case study and
grounded theory
 Case study  Grounded theory
to describe one or more to inductively generate a
cases in depth and address grounded theory
the research questions and describing and explaining
issues a phenomena.
 Multidisciplinary roots,  sociology
including business, law,  Interview with 20-30
social sciences, medicine, people. Observations are
and education. also frequently used.
 Multiple methods are used
interviews, observations,
documents

8. Types of case study
 Robert Stake classifies case study research into three
types:
 Intrinsic case study (when the researcher has an interest
in the case ). e.g. a researcher has interest to conduct a
study on Benazir assassination
 Instrumental case study (where the interest is in
understanding something more general than the case).
E.g. Benazir assassination focus on the family
background of the Benazir and after effects of the
assassination.
 Collective case study (where interest is in studying and
comparing multiple cases in a single research study).
E.g. Literature review based studies. Agenda setting role
of mass media in Pakistan

9. Methods of data collection
 Multiple methods of data collection are often used in
case study research
 Interviews e.g. Structured or non-structured
 Direct observation
 Participant-observation
 Physical artifacts e.g. a tool, a piece of furniture, or even
computer printout.
 Documents e.g. letters, study reports , minutes,
agendas, historical record.
 Archival records service records, maps, charts, lists of
names, survey data, and even personal records such
as diaries. (Ethical rules should be followed)

10. Features of case study
 Use multiple source of evidence.
 Data can be collected over a period of time, and it
is contextual. (respondent's environment breast
cancer health facilities)
 Real life context. (In depth interviews, informal
conversations also observed)
 It involves detailed and holistic investigation. E.g.
special news reports
 The case study method is not recommended in all research
situations.

11. Features of case study
 Case studies are Not
– Only qualitative
– Case studies can be based on any mix of
quantitative and qualitative evidence and
should not be confused with qualitative
research.
 Case studies lend researcher to both generating
and testing hypotheses.for example: Benazir
assasination focus political killing but some one can
focus on investigation points.

12. Steps to design a case study
 1st Design the research questions
-the first concern in a case study is what to
ask? Which begin with “How” or “why”.
-A second design concern is what to analyze?
What exactly constitute a “case”?

13. 2 construct a study protocol
nd
 A protocol contains the procedures to be used in the study and also
includes the data gathering instrument or instruments.
 A good case study protocol contains the procedures necessary for
gaining access to a particular person or organization and methods
for accessing records.
 It also contains the schedule of data collection and
addresses the problems logistics.
For example: the protocol should note whether copy machine will be
available in the field to duplicate record.
 The protocol should also list the questions central to the
inquiry and the possible sources of information to be
tapped in answering these questions.
 If interviews are to be used in the case study, the protocol
should contain the question to be asked.

14. 3 Data Collection
rd
 At least five sources can be used in case
studies.
4 Data Analysis
th
 There are no specific formulas to guide the
researcher in analyzing the data. Yin (1984) has
suggested three broad analytic strategies:
-Pattern matching
-Explanation building
-Time series

15. Pattern matching
 This technique compares an empirically
based pattern with a predicted one.
 Campbell (1975) asserted that pattern-
matching is a situation where several pieces
of information from the same case may be
related to some theoretical proposition.
 Example: Suicide bombing, intelligence
agencies? Religious? Non Muslims?
Poverty?

16. Explanation building
– Explanation-building is an iterative process that
begins with a theoretical statement, refines it,
revises the proposition, and repeating this
process from the beginning. This is known to be
a technique that is fraught with problems for
the investigate . As we can say it as part of a
hypothesis-generating process

17. Time series
 In the third analytic strategy, time series
analysis, the investigator tries to compare a
series of data points to some theoretic trend
that was predicted before the research, or
some rival trend.
 For example: media curbs in Musharaf regime,
Nawaz sharif era, Benazir era and present situation.
Time to time conducted data and after analyze it.

18. 6 Report writing
th
 The case study report can take several
forms.
 the report can follow the traditional
research format: problem, methods,
findings and discussion. Or it can use a
nontraditional technique. For example: a
case study report written for policy makers
would be done in a style different from one
that was to be published in a scholarly
journal.

19. Limitations of case study research
 Researchers do not focus on the discovery of a
universal, generalized truth, nor do they typically
look for cause-effect relationships; instead,
emphasis is placed on exploration and description
 Another disadvantage is that the researcher has
no control over the situation
 Case study research can be time consuming and
may occasionally produce massive quantities of
data that are hard to summarize.
 Because of its emphasis on "deep data," the case
study is out of reach for many large-scale research
projects.

20. What makes an exemplary case
study?
 The case study must be ‘interesting’
 The case study must display sufficient
evidence
 The case study must be ‘complete’
 The case study should be written in an
engaging manner
 The case study should contribute to
knowledge.

21. Conclusion
 Case study is a valuable method of
research, with distinctive characteristics
that make it ideal for many types of
investigations. It can also be used in
combination with other methods. Its use
and reliability should make it a more widely
used methodology.

22. Conclusion
 Case studies are complex because they
generally involve multiple sources of data,
may include multiple cases within a study,
and produce large amounts of data for
analysis.
 Case study results relate directly to the
common readers everyday experience and
facilitate an understanding of complex real-
life situations.()

23. Future Agenda
 A comparative case study of the newsroom
practices at Voice of America, the BBC, two of the
world’s largest international radio stations, can be
conducted. Interviews of the staff members of the
two stations, observations of their editorial
meetings, and actual newsroom practices and
access to their corporate documents, these sources
can be applied to find out what are the common
problem both stations are facing dealing with
foreign language services.

24. References
 Research in speech communication, Raymond K. Tucker,
Richard L. Weaver ii, Cynthia Berryman-Fink
 Mass media Research An Introduction second addition,
Roger D. Wimmer, Joseph R. Dominick Unversity of
Georgia.
 Yin, R. (1989). Case study research: Design and methods
(Rev. ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publishing.
 Yin, R. (1993). Applications of case study research.
Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publishing.
 Miles, M., & Huberman, M. (1984). Qualitative data
analysis: A source book for new methods. Beverly Hills, CA:
Sage Publications.

25. References
 Pyecha, J. (1988). A case study of the application of
noncategorical special education in two states. Chapel Hill,
NC: Research Triangle Institute.
 Tellis. W. (1997, September). Application of a case study
methodology [81 paragraphs]. The Qualitative Report [On-
line serial], 3(3).
Available:http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR3-3/tellis2.html

26. Thanks