Reading :: Case Study Research Methods

Case Study Research Methods
By Bill Gillham

I picked up this slim book at the used bookstore a month or two ago. Published in 2000, this book sells for $95 new, but you can pick a used copy up right now for a low $12. If you're interested in case study methodology, maybe you should do that—this 106-page book is a really excellent overview.

The book covers the basics of case study research, the relationship between evidence and theory, the literature review and its relationship to the case, the major data collection techniques (observations, interviews, artifacts), and even writing the research report. Each chapter is well structured, clearly written, and highly organized. We get examples, but we are not inundated with them. 

In fact, the book is really lucid in a way that methodology texts often aren't. Gillham covers everything from what qualitative research is good for, to what makes a case, to why "objective" (i.e., quantitative) research isn't enough to answer some questions, to the recursive relationship among research concerns, questions, and cases, to guidance for avoiding the trap of seeing what you expect in the data. And he does all of this with plain language and examples that (I think) a first-year college student could easily follow. That prose contrasts starkly with much of the guidance we get on qualitative research and theory-building, which tends to be abstract, abtruse, or heavily based on advanced theoretical literature. To be honest, I am not sure I realized how difficult some of these texts were until I read this one.

Not to gush, but I really like this book. If you are interested in getting into case study methodology—and certainly if you can pick this book up for $12!—take a look.