Case Study Analysis and Reporting

Case Analysis
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Introduction
A case study is a research design utilized in many scientific disciplines (such as social science, anthropology, psychology, and ecology). It is an in-depth analysis of a scenario and narrows down a broad research field into one that is easy to comprehend and research (Crowe et al., 2011). The design assesses a phenomenon using various sources to allow the viewing of the situation from multiple angles. Doing so guarantees adequate comprehension of the different sides of the subject under study. Additionally, it is used to test whether scientific models and theories apply in the real world and to real people. This study discussed the various methods of analyzing the evidence from case studies and reporting the findings. As per the methods of data analysis section, the paper will address qualitative case study methodology, data analysis, and generalizations and validity in future evaluations. It will also evaluate the typologies of case studies and how each is conducted, written, and reported.
Case Study Analysis
A researcher must first determine the case (unit) to be analyzed. Yin (2003) explains that the researcher should set boundaries that narrow it down to a specific unit to avoid having a broad topic for analysis. The boundaries can either be time, context, place, activity, or definition. Moreover, it is significant to determine the case study type to be performed as it paves the way for selecting the data analysis method. Yin suggests that a case study can either be explanatory, descriptive, collective, multiple, instrumental, or intrinsic. Explanatory case studies explore the causal associations of real-life measures that are intricate for experiments and surveys. Furthermore, these studies lack a clear outcome. An example is an observational study by Lotzakar & Bottorff (2001) on developing nurse-patient relationships.
Tolson et al. (2002) note that descriptive studies assess an intervention strategy and the actual event in which it took place. Multiple case studies (also referred to as collective studies) enable a researcher to compare and contrast the outcomes between two or more cases. Comparatively, intrinsic studies are conducted by researchers who desire to understand a phenomenon better, while instrumental studies are used to accomplish a goal rather than comprehending a scenario. For the efficiency of the case study results, Yin explains that the researcher must use multiple data sources, such as documents, interviews, physical artifacts, archival records, observations, and interviews. The information from the mentioned sources is then integrated and converged during evaluation to strengthen the study outcomes. The analysis design relies on the case study used by the researcher.
Yin discusses five analysis strategies to be used in case studies. They include explanation building, logic models, time series analysis, pattern matching, cross-case analysis, and linking data to prepositions. The cross-case analysis method is common among researchers. It assesses the interpretations and assertions of the themes and participants present in the study. On the other hand, Stake (1995) discusses direct interpretati...