5. Basics of Qualitative Case Studies (Vít Střítecký)

This session introduces the fundamentals of case study design in qualitative research. It explains what distinguishes case studies from other research designs and presents key typologies used to classify different kinds of case studies. The lecture also discusses major paradigmatic approaches to conducting case study research and how these approaches shape choices about evidence, explanation, and inference. Finally, it highlights how case studies interact with other qualitative methods, including where they overlap, how they can be combined, and what methodological trade-offs these combinations involve.

Compulsory Reading (59pp):

-   Gray, David E. 2004. Doing Research in the Real World. Los Angeles: Sage, 123-151 (Chapter 6 Designing Case Studies).

-   George, Alexander L., and Andrew Bennett. 2005. Case Studies and Theory Development in the Social Sciences. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press, 355-356, 388-389, 405-406, 415-422 (Appendix with Case Study applications).

-   Yazan, Bedrettine. 2015. “Three Approaches to Case Study Methods in Education: Yin, Merriam, and Stake”. The Qualitative Report 20(2), 134-152.

Recommended Reading (19pp):

Gerring, John. 2005. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices. CUP, 17-36 (Chapter 2)