Lecture 3: Case studies & case selection Flashcards
X-centered study
Focuses on a cause and asks whether it has a (specific) effect on a given outcome (independent variabele)
Forward looking
Y-centered study
Focuses on the outcome and seeks to discern the relevant causes (dependent variabele)
Backward looking
Small N design
view units
Mechanism-centered study
Focuses on tracing a causal mechanism or a causal process
Inward looking
Units of analysis = Units of varation
On which units do X and Y variate, time and space.
Large N design
Many (time or space) units
Level of inquiry = Level of analysis
On which level does our argument take place
Cross-case level
more units and mechanisms (between these units and mechanisms)
Within-case level
One unit (one unit and mechanisms within this unit)
Causation
a type of co-variation where one phenomenon contributes to or produces another
Two views toward causation
Probabilistic view
Deterministic view
Probabilistic view
When the value of an independent variabele increase or decrease, this usually results in the values of the dependent variabele increasing or decreasing
Deterministic view
When the values of an independent variable increase or decrease, this always results in the values of the dependent variable or decreasing
Sufficient condition
something, if present guarentees that something else will occur
Necessary condition
something which must not be present for something else to be possible
Causal mechanism
X must be connected with Y in a plausible fashion
Case
a bounded empirical phenomenon that is an instance of a population of similar empirical phenomena
Causal homogeneity
causal effect and mechanisms are expected to be the same for other cases in the population
Population
Universe of cases, studied and unstudied cases
Sample
Studied cases
Theory centerd case study
try to advance our knowledge about the world beyond the cases purposefully in qualitative research
Distribution based case
you know where your cases are located with in a large sample. You use the degree of where your case is located
Theory based case study
you have a theoretical argument and you select your cases, depending on the argument that X and Y differ in a way so that you can discover the realtionship between the two
Theory based case selection strategies
Most similar (different outcome) case study design Most different (same outcome) case study design
Crucial case study designs
Most likely case study design
Least likely case study design
Distrubution based case selection
Typical, Diverse, Extreme, Deviant, Influencial case study design
Most simillar (different outcome) case studies
The chosen pair of case studies is similar on all the measured independent variable of interest (and the outcome, Y)
Most different (similar outcome) case studies
The most different methods of case selection is the reverse image of the previous research design
