Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods

About the Book

The Sixth Edition of Robert K. Yin's bestseller provides a complete portal to the world of case study research. Offering comprehensive coverage of the design and use of the case study method in addition to an integration of applications, the book gives readers access to exemplary case studies drawn from a wide variety of academic and applied fields. The integration of applications will enable users to see more directly how concrete case studies can implement the principles of case study research methods.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Preface Acknowledgments About the Author Chapter 1. Getting Started: How to Know Whether and When to Use the Case Study as a Research Method Being Ready for the Challenge, and Setting High Expectations Comparing Case Studies With Other Social Science Research Methods Variations in Case Studies, but a Common Definition Addressing Traditional Concerns About Case Study Research Summary Notes to Chapter 1 Chapter 2. Designing Case Studies: Identifying Your Case(s) and Establishing the Logic of Your Case Study General Approach to Designing Case Studies The Role of Theory in Research Designs Criteria for Judging the Quality of Research Designs Case Study Research Designs Modest Advice in Selecting Case Study Designs Notes to Chapter 2 Application #1: An Exploratory Case Study: How New Organizational Practices Become Routinized Application #2: Defining the “Case” in a Case Study: Linking Job Training and Economic Development Initiatives at the Local Level Application #3: How “Discovery” Can Occur in the Field: Social Stratification in a Midsized Community Chapter 3. Preparing to Collect Case Study Evidence: What You Need to Do Before Starting to Collect Case Study Data The Case Study Researcher: Desired Skills and Values Preparation and Training for a Specific Case Study The Case Study Protocol Screening the Candidate Cases for Your Case Study The Pilot Case Study Summary Notes to Chapter 3 Chapter 4. Collecting Case Study Evidence: The Principles You Should Follow in Working With Six Sources of Evidence Six Sources of Evidence Four Principles of Data Collection Summary Notes to Chapter 4 Application #4: Doing Interviews in the Field: Citizens on Patrol Application #5: Making Field Observations: First Day in an Urban Neighborhood Application #6: Assembling a Question-and-Answer Database: A Case Study of a Community Organization Chapter 5. Analyzing Case Study Evidence: How to Start Your Analysis, Your Analytic Choices, and How They Work An Analytic Strategy: More Than Relying on Analytic Tools Five Analytic Techniques Pressing for a High-Quality Analysis Summary Notes to Chapter 5 Application #7: Using a Case Study to Compare Directly Competing Rival Hypotheses: Whether Military Base Closures Produce Catastrophic Economic Impacts or Not Application #8: A Nutshell Example of an Explanatory Case Study: How a Federal Award Affected a University Computer Department Application #9: An Explanatory Case Study: Transforming a Business Firm Through Strategic Planning Chapter 6. Reporting Case Studies: How and What to Compose Audiences for Case Study Research Varieties of Case Study Compositions Procedures in Composing a Case Study What Makes an Exemplary Case Study? Notes to Chapter 6 Application #10: A Multiple-Case Study Integrating Qualitative and Quantitative Data: Proposal Processing at 17 Universities Appendix A. A Note on the Uses of Case Study Research in Psychology Appendix B. A Note on the Uses of Case Study Research in Evaluations Application #11: An Evaluation Case Study: Evaluation of a Community Coalition’s Campaign Brief Glossary of Terms Directly Related to Case Study Research References Author Index Subject Index

About the Author :
Robert K. Yin is President of COSMOS Corporation, an applied research and social science firm.  Over the years, COSMOS has successfully completed hundreds of projects for federal agencies, state and local agencies, and private foundations. Outside of COSMOS, Dr. Yin has assisted numerous other research groups, helping to train their field teams or to design research studies. The most recent such engagements have been with The World Bank, the Division of Special Education and disAbility Research at George Mason University, the Department of Nursing Research and Quality Outcomes at the Children’s National Health System (Washington, DC), and the School of Education, Southern New Hampshire University. Dr. Yin has authored over 100 publications, including authoring or editing 11 books (not counting the multiple editions of any given book). Earlier editions of the present book have been translated into eight languages (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Swedish, Romanian, Italian, Polish, and Portuguese), and a second book on Qualitative Research from Start to Finish (2016) is in its 2nd edition and has been translated into four languages (Chinese, Korean, Swedish, and Portuguese).  Dr. Yin received his B.A. in history from Harvard College (magna cum laude) and his Ph.D. in brain and cognitive sciences from MIT.

Review :

"The book is filled with tips to the researcher on how to master the craft of doing research overall and specifically how to account for multi-layered cases."

"Yin covers all of the basic and advanced knowledge for conducting case study and why they are useful for specific research studies without getting lost in the weeds."

"The applications enhance the original material because it gives the reader concrete examples."

"Yin is much more in-depth on case study methods both within a general qualitative text and any other case study text I have seen."

Yin has developed the science and philosophy of Case Study research to a fairly high level over the years - 20 years ago case studies were not considered rigorous, perticularly for doctoral candidates, but he has changed that - this is the required text for case studies. This was the PERFECT text for my group of qualitative and action research students who were looking for a guide to be able to integrate case study research techniques and practices into their dissertation proposals. VERY helpful and easy to understand. It is a must-read for graduate students and researchers aiming to specialize in qualitative methods A comprehensive exploration of the issues and nuances of case study research, updated to consider applications in practice. Suited to a range of fields of study. We have used the early editions and are happy with this update. This is a great easy to digest resource for introducing postgraduate students to using and developing case studies in research. In our Doctor of Ministerial Leadership (DML), Case Study is the Methodology that is required in this program. Robert Yin′s book provides the foundational knowledge needed to conduct research using his Case Study design. The book is a really good introduction to case study research and is full of useful examples. I will recommend as the definitive source for students interested in pursuing this further in their projects. Very good introduction to Case Study design. I have used case study approach for my PhD study. I would recommend this book for an indepth understanding of case study design for research projects.

Dr Siew Lee
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedic Practice
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen.
In my personal opinion, the textbook of Yin is one of the best textbook for qualitative methods. It is straight forward book, easy to follow and useful for PG (MSc, MBA & PhD) students. An essential reading for people doing case studies. An interesting text which provides an alternative approach to Robert Stakes case study texts. Yin has long been at the forefront of Case study research and this latest edition takes it one step further, ideal for those with a background in case study that want to fine tune their skills/knowledge and the application examples evidence the full breath of this increasingly popular approach. Comprehensive and well -written. The strongest introduction to case study research. I have suggested this book to my DET/PGCE trainees for further or additional reading to help with module 4 of the course, which focuses on reflective practice. Although it is not a core text, there are certainly ideas here that can help to support the process they need to go through when completing their own write up of their supported experiment. A useful step by step guide to Case Study methodology. Accessible format with excellent illustrative examples and supportive discussion points. Highly appropriate for Masters Level Study within Education. A useful step by step guide to Case Study methodology. Accessible format with excellent illustrative examples and supportive discussion points. Highly approriate for Masters Level Study within Education. The book is an accessible read to evaluate the use of Case Study as a research method.
It is well laid out and written in an accessible format.
I would recommend to my students in their Year 2 of teacher training to use this if using Case Study as an approach. Very reader friendly-easy to read using simple language.
Chapters 2 and 3 very useful. This book cleverly unpicks the complexities around a case study research design using an easy to read approach, without loss of credibility. It argues each point clearly and supports with good references to other sources with a wide range of illustrative examples. An ideal read post graduate students deciding on the most appropriate research approach to take for their research questions. An ideal read for every tutor teaching undergraduates or postgraduates about different research methods and methodologies. It′s a complex area to grasp, yet this book provides a clear journey along that road of understanding. On demand used as recommendation for basic literature for case study research Selected this text for our newly verified Dissertation Module and it has proved very useful with positive feedback from students very thoruogh introduction