led by Professor Melanie Simms
This session will reflect on the use of comparative case studies as a research design.
It is aimed at students who are undertaking – or plan to undertake – a comparative case research design. It is not primarily aimed at disciplines that have well-developed methodological positions on this approach (e.g. comparative political economy) although researchers from those disciplines are welcome to join us. It is aimed at researchers who think they will or may develop multiple case studies as (part of) their doctoral research and is an opportunity to discuss issues that need to be considered when designing and operationalising such studies.
The session draws on my own extensive research using comparative cases and will include plenty of space for discussion.
Key questions that will be discussed include:
* What is a case study?
* Why do we design comparative studies?
* How do we select cases?
* What are you explaining? How to identify points of comparison.
* How to get access?
* What kind of data do you need to develop robust comparison?
* How do we share meanings across cases?
* When to stop?
* How to theorise from comparative cases?
* How to build impact with comparative cases?
Who’s it for?
Participants should be at least considering undertaking a comparative case design.