Now in a Fourth Edition, this how-to guide is an excellent starting point for anyone looking to begin case study research. The authors-all professors teaching graduate students in education and other professions-provide the structure, detail, and guidance needed for beginning researchers to complete a systematic case study. Improvements for this edition include more practical and detailed guidance for conducting a literature review, a more efficient and easy-to-understand reorganization of the case study examples, and updated citations throughout the text. As with previous editions, this succinct handbook emphasizes learning how to do case study research-from the first step of deciding whether a case study is the way to go to the last step of verifying and confirming findings before disseminating them. It shows students how to determine an appropriate research design, conduct informative interviews, record observations, document analyses, delineate ways to confirm case study findings, describe methods for deriving meaning from data, and communicate findings.Book Features: Straightforward introduction to the science of doing case study research. A step-by-step approach that speaks directly to the novice investigator. Many concrete examples to illustrate key concepts. Questions, illustrations, and activities to reinforce what has been learned.

Table of Contents:
Contents Preface ix Key Features x Rationale x Course Applications xi Acknowledgments xiii PART I: FOUNDATIONS 1 1.  Scientific Inquiry 3 Content Review 5 Activities and Applications 6 2.  Qualitative and Quantitative Research 7 Illustrations From Practice 10 Content Review 10 Activities and Applications 10 PART II: STAGES OF DOING CASE STUDY RESEARCH 13 3.  Setting the Stage 15 What Has Been Studied Using Case Study Research? 16 Illustrations From Practice 32 Content Review 34 Activities and Applications 34 4.  Determining What We Know 35 How to Do a Literature Review 37 Illustrations From Practice 39 Content Review 41 Activities and Applications 41 5.  Selecting a Design 42 Relations Between Design and Method 45 Illustrations From Practice 46 Content Review 50 Activities and Applications 51 6.  Gathering Information From Interviews 52 Illustration From Practice 54 Content Review 58 Activities and Applications 58 7.  Gathering Information From Observations 59 Design Illustrations 60 Illustrations From Practice 60 Content Review 62 Activities and Applications 62 8.  Gathering Information From Documents 63 Authenticity of Documents 64 Questions to Answer When Gathering Information From Documents 65 Illustrations From Practice 66 Content Review 67 Activities and Applications 67 9.  Summarizing and Interpreting the Information 68 Design illustration: Thinking About Method 69 Illustrations From Practice 70 Content Review 71 Activities and Applications 72 10.  Reporting Findings 73 How to Synthesize Findings 74 Design Illustration 75 Content Review 76 Activities and Applications 76 11.  Confirming Case Study Findings 77 Illustrations From Practice 78 Content Review 79 Activities and Applications 79 PART III: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER 81 12.  Preparing Proposals for Case Study Research 83 Introduction 83 Review of Literature 84 Method 84 Supporting Materials 85 Frequently Asked Questions About Research Proposals 85 Content Review 89 Activities and Applications 89 13.  Disseminating Case Study Research 90 Introduction 91 Method 91 Results 92 Discussion 92 Content Review 93 Activities and Applications for Prospective Researchers 93 Resources 93 Epilogue 95 Glossary 97 References 101 Annotated Bibliography 107 Other Resources 115 Index 117 About the Authors 129