- Definitions:
o What is a case study? What is actions research? Quantitative and qualitative aspects of a case study. Fixed and flexible factors in empirical studies.
o When is case study a feasible research method? - Setting up a case study.
o Defining scope and goal of a case study. Setting up contracts between the researcher and the studied organization.
o Units of analysis, theoretical framework, research questions, propositions and hypotheses.
o Legal, ethical and professional issues.
- Data collection:
o Defining procedures for data collection. Questionnaire design. Interviews. Metrics collection. Archival data collection. Focus groups.
- Data analysis and interpretation:
o Data filtering. Qualitative and quantitative analysis. Data interpretation in conjunction with the organization.
- Tools for data analysis.
- Reporting:
o What should be reported in a case study? Issues of secrecy and publicity. Audience for different types of reports.
- Validity issues:
o Analysis of validity and actions to improve the validity of a case study.
- Synthesizing case studies.
- Report case study proposals.
- Peer reviews of case studies.
