#National case study center professional#

He adds that 'the defining feature of qualitative work is its use of noncomparable observations-observations that pertain to different aspects of a causal or descriptive question', whereas quantitative observations are comparable. According to Gerring, case studies lend themselves to an idiographic style of analysis, whereas quantitative work lends itself to a nomothetic style of analysis. John Gerring defines the case study approach as an 'intensive study of a single unit or a small number of units (the cases), for the purpose of understanding a larger class of similar units (a population of cases)'. The term cross-case research is frequently used for studies of multiple cases, whereas within-case research is frequently used for a single case study. John Gerring writes that the N=1 research design is so rare in practice that it amounts to a 'myth'. For example, a case study of the French Revolution would at the bare minimum be an observation of two observations: France before and after a revolution. There is general agreement among scholars that a case study does not necessarily have to entail one observation (N=1), but can include many observations within a single case or across numerous cases. There are multiple definitions of case studies, which may emphasize the number of observations (a small N), the method ( qualitative), the thickness of the research (a comprehensive examination of a phenomenon and its context), and the naturalism (a 'real-life context' is being examined) involved in the research. Ĭase study research has been extensively practiced in both the social and natural sciences. Research projects involving numerous cases are frequently called cross-case research, whereas a study of a single case is called within-case research. A case study does not necessarily have to be one observation ( N=1), but may include many observations (one or multiple individuals and entities across multiple time periods, all within the same case study). Generally, a case study can highlight nearly any individual, group, organization, event, belief system, or action. For example, case studies in medicine may focus on an individual patient or ailment case studies in business might cover a particular firm's strategy or a broader market similarly, case studies in politics can range from a narrow happening over time (e.g., a specific political campaign) to an enormous undertaking (e.g., a world war). These individuals also participated in the process of developing the case studies.In-depth, detailed examination of a particular caseĪ case study is an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case (or cases) within a real-world context.

New cases will be added periodically to ensure that students are exposed to a wide range of scenarios.Įvery anonymized case study in our database has been included with explicit permission from the person who submitted the original consultation request. This initiative can fill a gap in many curricula and aims to enhance authentically Catholic medical-moral training. The use of real-world cases helps students improve their listening, critical thinking skills, and appreciation for patients’ experiences. The NCBC is developing and maintaining a database of anonymized case studies from ethics consultation requests.

#National case study center professional#

The National Catholic Bioethics Center invites professors and mission integration officers to take advantage of a new initiative of the Personal Consultations Department: real-life case studies for use primarily in university courses and professional training. Personal Consultations Case Study Database