Nature and the Significance of Case Analysis in Development Studies

Abstract

Do case studies have broader significance than mere description of a particular event or incidence? How can they be applied to other cases? These are the challenges that most fieldworkers dealing with a small sample face. Small-N studies are often ranked lower in terms of scientific rigor in comparison to Large-N studies and laboratory experiments. However, if appropriately conducted, case studies can reveal processes and mechanisms that large scale statistical analysis often cannot. In other words, in close contacts with the data source and in-depth understanding of the contexts would allow case studies to generate observations with high validity. This is primarily due to its flexible and “grounded” nature of qualitative research. On the other hand, additional effort is needed to enhance their reliability, i.e., increasing the transparency of data sources and collection methods; establishing external linkages with larger issues beyond the boundary of selected samples; and cross checking with quantitative data. Qualitative case studies can provide valid results to questions concerning processes and mechanisms, that are often vital to understanding how development operates. This strength should be explicitly stressed while their possible weaknesses in reliability should also be recognized. One way in which various disciplines related to development can communicate with each other is to discuss methods for analysis in comparative perspective. This should help uplift the academic quality of development studies in general.