Principles of Small-C Research

Question 1

What is Small-C Research? What methods do they typically use?

Answer 1

Small-C research comprises either single case studies or a comparative study of a small number of cases. They typically use qualitative methods, but can use quantitative methods too.

Question 2

What type of research questions can Small-C studies be useful for answering?

Answer 2

Small-C studies can help to answer descriptive research questions and explanatory research questions.

Question 3

What disadvantages are there of employing Small-C studies to answer research questions?

Answer 3

Can hamper ability to make population inferences due to small size of sample. Can also make it tricky to follow most similar design as can be difficult to find cases with all but one variable the same.

Question 4

What scenarios are there where Small-C research is a beneficial approach to take?

Answer 4

Small-C research can provide a rich, ‘thick’ form of analysis, allowing new hypotheses to be formed from a few cases. They can also help identify causal mechanisms, conduct better measurements and conduct inductive research.

Question 5

What problems does Small-C research encounter in terms of sampling?

Answer 5

Small-C research cannot use random sampling, and will not have samples which cover the entire population. This makes case selection all the more important.

Question 6

Describe purposeful sampling

Answer 6

Purposeful sampling is a method prioritising strategic case selection relating to a research goal. It means that cases are selected because of how they relate to a population. This involves no strict rules or prescriptions on what should be selected.

Question 7

Explain case selection for studies that focus on typical cases

Answer 7

Typical case approaches look at one or multiple cases which represent a larger population well on significant features. The goal is representativeness of a sample to facilitate inference to the population.

Question 8

Explain case selection for studies that focus on diverse cases. What is the aim of these?

Answer 8

Diverse case studies look at cases that are very distinct from each other. The aim of these are to show variation across a population.

Question 9

What are common selection techniques for small-C INDUCTIVE studies?

Answer 9

Extreme cases, deviant cases, most-similar cases, most-different cases

Question 10

What are common selection techniques for small-C causal hypothesis studies?

Answer 10

Crucial cases, most-similar cases, most-different cases

Question 11

What are common selection techniques for small-C mechanism studies?

Answer 11

Pathway cases

Question 12

Explain a most-similar cases design. Why are these adopted?

Answer 12

Most-similar designs involve a minimum of two cases which are similar in terms of background conditions (Z), but differ in terms of either X or Y. These are adopted as similarity in terms of background conditions helps to rule out alternative explanations

Question 13

Explain a most-different cases design. Why are these adopted?

Answer 13

Most-different designs involve a minimum of two cases which differ in terms of background conditions (Z), but are similar in terms of either X or Y
Mirror of most-similar design. They can be used for exploration: identify the common X that explains common Y

Question 14

What are extreme cases? What can they be used for?

Answer 14

Extreme cases look at unusual values in Y, and trying to find explanations for unusual cases (inductive search for a new explanation)

Question 15

What are deviant cases? What can they be used for?

Answer 15

Deviant cases are those that deviate from a common causal pattern. They can be used for explanation of anomalies through inductive searches.

Question 16

What are crucial cases? What are the two types?

Answer 16

Crucial cases are those which have a profound impact on our confidence in a hypothesis. These are either most-likely or least-likely cases.

Question 17

What are most-likely cases? How can these be useful?

Answer 17

Most-likely cases are easy tests, that if they fail, it casts strong doubt on a hypothesis. This can be useful, as if a theory does not work under favourable conditions, it is unlikely to work elsewhere.

Question 18

What are least-likely cases? How can these be useful?

Answer 18

Least-likely cases are difficult tests, that if they pass, it goes a long way to confirming a hypothesis. This can be useful, as if a theory does work under unfavourable conditions, it is likely to work elsewhere.

Question 19

What are pathway cases? What does this involve?

Answer 19

Pathway cases are the most common case deletion method for testing causal mechanisms. This involves deleting one or multiple cases in which both X and Y are present and using process tracing to establish the causal process leading from X to Y.