Table 6.
Examples | Aim of paper | Citationsa | Key influences | Disciplinary home | Key messages for 3C | Key MNsb |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bergen A et al. A case for case studies [78] | To explore relevance of CS concepts to nursing research | 220 | Yin | Nursing | It is necessary to analyse case and context data; internal and external validity strengthened e.g. via theory building | 1 |
Crowe et al. The case study approach [79] | To introduce and assess different CS approaches, questions and methods | 1627 | Stake and Yin | Primary Care/ Population Health | Suggestions to address concerns about transferability, incl. Theoretical sampling respondent validation and transparency | 1,2 |
Payne et al. Case study research methods in end-of-life care [80] | To advocate for CS research in nursing and to summarise practical issues | 97 | Yin (Stake mentioned) | Nursing/ Palliative Care | Case selection is central to theoretical generalisation; mentions reflexivity in knowledge production | 2 |
Segar et al. Thinking about case studies in 3-D [81] | To reflect on methodology of their case studies of healthcare commissioning | 5 | Yin, Flyvbjerg | Health Services Research | Important to define boundaries of the case and to focus in-depth on place and local history to understand change | 2 |
Sharp. The case for case studies in nursing research [82] | To set out when CS useful for studying practice, including where there is a complex pathway of care | 121 | Yin, Stake and Walshe | Nursing | CS have limited capacity for representativeness and generalisation (only to similar situations) | 1,2 |
Van Eyk et al. Evaluating healthcare reform [67] | To reflect on methodological challenges of case study evaluation of healthcare reform | 17 | Yin | Public Health | CS should consider historical and political context to reform; research needs to be participatory and flexible to adapt to change during evaluation | 2 |
Walshe C. The evaluation of complex interventions in palliative care [25] | To advocate for CS to address complexity of interventions | 74 | Stake, Merriam, Yin, Flyvbjerg, Walshe | Palliative Care | More emphasis needed on case selection, longitudinal designs, and use of rival hypotheses to enhance study of complexity | 1,2 |
Wells et al. Intervention description is not enough [28] | To examine the relationship between context and intervention | 207 | Yin | Nursing | Context and intervention are co-constructed; complex interventions evolve during trials; such influences compromise RCTs | 1 |
a from Google Scholar; b 1 = Case studies develop and test complex interventions; 2 = Case studies analyse change in organisations