PhD administrator Signe Berri: cbit-phdadmin@ruc.dk, Ph. 4674 2692.

The course is closed for subscription.

Professor Helle Neergaard, University of Aarhus.

Lokale 43-3.29, Roskilde Universitet

Reading:

Yin, RK (latest edition ) Case Study Research – Design & Methods

Thomas, G (2011) How to do your Case Study – A guide for students and researchers

Neergaard, H (latest edition) Udvælgelse af cases i kvalitative undersøgelser

4 selected articles (will be announced together with the course plan).

Writing:

Paper (5 pages) presenting and discussing the PhD project in relation to case study methodology to be handed in prior to the course as well as ½ page abstract about the project (for other students). Deadline April 7 , 2015 to Helle Neergaard, helle.neergaard@badm.au.dk.

Revised paper in light of the learning. Deadline June 5, 2015 to Helle Neergaard, helle.neergaard@badm.au.dk.

3 ETCS with paper, 2 ECTS without paper.

Course description

Case studies are widely used in organizational studies and across the social sciences. Case studies are analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems that are studied holistically by one or more methods. The case that is the subject of the inquiry will be an instance of a class of phenomena that provides an analytical frame — an object — within which the study is conducted and which the case illuminates and explicates (Thomas 2011). Case studies are also empirical inquiries that investigate a phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research can mean single and multiple case studies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence, and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused with qualitative research as they can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence.

This course assists doctoral students in understanding what precisely constitutes a case study (distinguishing it from a case), when to use a case study, advantages and challenges of using case studies, what is required to build a rigorous and solid case study, how to select cases, what type of data the case study can involve and how to collect and analyze these data. Finally, it addresses how to write up a convincing case study.

2.400 DKK. The course is free for PhD students from KJP, CBIT and Roskilde University and PhDs enrolled in the network of Danish PhD programs in media- and communication.

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