The Case for Case Studies
Methods and Applications in International Development

This volume demonstrates how to conduct case study research that is both methodologically rigourous and useful to development policy.

Jennifer Widner (Edited by), Michael Woolcock (Edited by), Daniel Ortega Nieto (Edited by)

9781108447980, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 26 May 2022

320 pages
24.5 x 16.9 x 1.7 cm, 0.58 kg

'In the face of rapid, unpredictable change and diverse implementation contexts, we need more and better case studies to understand complex phenomena and to use that understanding for better policies, programs and initiatives in other places and times. Evidence about 'what works' on average in randomised controlled trials cannot be simply generalised to other contexts. But too often case studies are not done systematically or carefully. This important volume provides practical, well-informed guidance from leading writers and researchers on how to plan, implement and communicate case studies which can effectively answer questions about those cases and what these mean for planning initiatives in other places in the future. This book should become an essential guide and reference for everyone serious about quality evidence to inform public policy and practice.' Patricia Rogers, founder of BetterEvaluation

This book seeks to narrow two gaps: first, between the widespread use of case studies and their frequently 'loose' methodological moorings; and second, between the scholarly community advancing methodological frontiers in case study research and the users of case studies in development policy and practice. It draws on the contributors' collective experience at this nexus, but the underlying issues are more broadly relevant to case study researchers and practitioners in all fields. How does one prepare a rigorous case study? When can causal inferences reasonably be drawn from a single case? When and how can policy-makers reasonably presume that a demonstrably successful intervention in one context might generate similarly impressive outcomes elsewhere, or if massively 'scaled up'? No matter their different starting points – disciplinary base, epistemological orientation, sectoral specialization, or practical concerns – readers will find issues of significance for their own field, and others across the social sciences. This title is also available Open Access.

1. Using case studies to enhance the quality of explanation and implementation: integrating scholarship and development practice Jennifer Widner, Michael Woolcock, and Daniel Ortega Nieto
Part I. Internal and External Validity Issues in Case Study Research: 2. How to learn about causes in the single case Nancy Cartwright
3. RCTs versus observational research: assessing the trade-offs Christopher Achen
4. Drawing contingent generalizations from case studies Andrew Bennett
5. Will it work here? Using case studies to generate 'key facts' about complex development programs Michael Woolcock
Part II. Ensuring High-Quality Case Studies: 6. Descriptive accuracy in interview-based case studies Jennifer Widner
7. Selecting cases for comparative sequential analysis: novel uses for old methods Tommaso Pavone
8. The transparency revolution in qualitative social science: implications for policy analysis Andrew Moravcsik
Part III. Putting Case Studies to Work: Applications to Development Practice: 9. Process Tracing for Program Evaluation Andrew Bennett
10. Positive Deviance Cases: Their Value for Development Research, Policy, and Practice Melani Cammett
11. Analytic Narratives and Case Studies
12. Using Case Studies for Organizational Learning in Development Agencies Sarah Glavey, Oliver Haas, Claudio Santibanez, and Michael Woolcock
13. Connecting Case Studies to Policy and Practice: Practical Lessons from Operational Experience Maria Gonzalez de Asis and Jennifer Widner.

Subject Areas: Economic growth [KCG], International relations [JPS], Development studies [GTF], Research methods: general [GPS]