A case for case studies: exploring the use of case study design in community nursing research

The case study has become an accepted vehicle for conducting research in a variety of disciplines. However, the meaning behind the term is not always made explicit by researchers and this has given rise to a number of assumpt ions which are open to challenge, and to questions about the robustness of the method. This paper explores some of the issues arising from one particu lar definition of case study research, used in a study by Yin which examine d the practice of case management in community nursing. Four main areas are discussed. First, defining 'case' is seen to pose questions about the rela tionship of the phenomenon to its context, the degree of researcher control over case definition, the limits to what may constitute a 'case' and what is meant by the term 'unit of analysis'. Second, the relevance of external validity to case study research is supported through the use of a number of tactics, in particular Yin's concept of replication logic, which involves generalizing to theory, rather than to empirical data. Third, the use of me thod triangulation (multiple methods of data collection) is advanced as a m eans of enhancing construct validity in research where data converge around a particular theory. Finally, the relationship of the case study to theory construction, through the prior development of 'propositions' is discussed . Each of these issues is applied to the design and conduct of a research s tudy based closely on Yin's multiple case study framework. Thirteen 'cases' were selected of case management practice and data were collected through interviews and examination of literature and documentation, to explore the suitability of community nurses for the role. It is concluded that, given t he appropriate subject matter, context and research aims, the case study me thod may be seen as a credible option in nursing research.