HD·R1·06 Research
Case Study & Grounded Theory Methods
Building theory from the ground up, or depth from a single case.
Case study methodology studies one instance in rich depth; grounded theory builds new theoretical explanations directly from data rather than testing an existing hypothesis. This course covers both methods and when each is the right choice for a design research question.
In Development
This course's full module content is being written. The outline below is final, subscribe for updates when it publishes.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- 01 Design a rigorous single or multiple case study appropriate to a research question
- 02 Apply grounded theory's iterative coding and constant comparison process
- 03 Distinguish theory-building grounded theory from theory-testing approaches
- 04 Select case study boundaries and units of analysis appropriately
- 05 Evaluate generalisability claims appropriate to case study and grounded theory findings
- 06 Avoid common methodological errors in both approaches
- Depth on one case can reveal mechanisms breadth cannot
- Case study findings generalise analytically, not statistically
- Undefined case boundaries lead to incoherent analysis later
- Boundary decisions should be justified and stated upfront
- Grounded theory generates rather than tests theory
- Iterative coding, not a pre-set hypothesis, drives the analysis
- Categories are continuously tested against new incoming data
- Sampling decisions are driven by the emerging theory, not fixed in advance
- Analytical generalisability is a legitimate, distinct claim from statistical generalisability
- Misapplying statistical generalisability language to these methods is a common error
- Overclaiming generalisability undermines an otherwise sound study
- Documentation of the analytical path is what makes either method rigorous rather than anecdotal