Embedded Case Study Methods
Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Knowledge
- Roland W. Scholz - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
- Olaf Tietje - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland
"If you were part of a study team trying to figure out what to do in a complicated (i.e., multi-party, multi-issue, technically complex) situation, you would want to rush out and get a copy of Embedded Case Study Methods by Roland Scholz and Olaf Tietje. Using their own Zurich North case study to explain the proper use of case study methods, they demonstrate how eleven different techniques -- including integrated risk assessment, multi-attribute utility theory, scenario analysis, future workshops, and a kind of mediation called Area Development Negotiation -- ought to be used to develop collaborative solutions. Along the way, they destroy conventional distinctions between quantitative and qualitative methods and offer (finally!) an integrated approach that applies equally well to problem framing, option generation, and the management of stakeholder encounters. Most of the relevant literature (from more than a dozen disciplines) is reviewed in detail. What more could a study team member want?"
"Scholz and Olaf have developed an important methodology to integrate complex cases. Their approach combines the best of quantitative and qualitative methodologies to create new insights that would not be available to researchers using more conventional approaches."
"This is an excellent book that serves an important purpose. It should become a valuable resource in research methods courses covering issues of case research. Doctoral students especially, should find the book particularly helpful. The conceptual material and methods of knowledge integration presented in this book provide scholars with the background and tools necessary to conduct case studies that meet the field's most rigorous scientific standards."
This book should be required reading for anyone involved with case study analysis.
This is a bold contribution to case study methodology, perhaps more suitable for postgraduate student considering a mixed methods approach, or a research team collaborating on a new type of project. Scholz and team introduce the transdisciplinary case study approach (TCS), which they developed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH). There are case studies from 5 different disciplines: neuropsychology, education, law, business, and environmental sciences. An excellent guide for any researcher contemplating a trans-disciplinary or complex case study.
The book is at the forefront of assessing good case study approaches, how they can be managed, and the conditions under which they are effective. The book makes academics aware of useful theories to explore ways in which case studies can be useful.
Embedded case study methods: Integrating quantitative and qualitative knowledge focuses on different aspects of the case study research approach, and argues that systematic embedded case studies can be used as a research methodology in its own right. The authors show how embedded case studies can be employed to qualitative, quantitative and mixed research approaches. The text provides examples of how embedded case studies can be used in different fields to solve complex research problems in areas such as: neuropsychology, educational sciences, law, business and environmental science. The book consists of 20 chapters which are divided into four parts. Part one covers case study design and synthesis which introduces the reader to different types of case studies and their design, as well as the purpose and methods of knowledge integration. Part two discusses methods of knowledge integration in relation to the different methods which can be applied to different types of embedded case studies in areas such as: integrated risk management, life cycle assessment, mediation – area development, bio-ecological potential analysis, methods for medical cases, and more cases are listed in the book, as well as how to choose the right method for different areas of research. Part three contains the largest amount of chapters within the book and its main focus is about discussing in detail the methods which were briefly present to the reader previously in part two of the text. Part four covers validation perspectives in terms of setting out the rationale for research projects and providing validation of embedded case studies. The text includes useful tables and illustrations throughout the book to aid the read and is assessable for both undergraduate and postgraduate students planning to employ embedded case study research.
This is a wonderfully in-depth reference for case study research. It does a fine job of presenting the analytic nature of case study research, which is suitable for doctoral level study.
