Harper School

The Art of Case Study Research
[Robert E. Stake]
“It is important to provide details of the physical context. What readers understand about the subject should be considerably enhanced by knowledge of the setting” (p. 138)

“It is always important for me to make myself visible to the reader so as to establish the interactivity between researcher and phenomena. I try to provide lots of uncontestible description but still remind that these views are my views.” (p. 140)

“Although references and citations interrupt the flow of the story, they do remind the reader that interpretations have a research connection.” (p. 141)

“The positive ring in my opening pages reflects the impressions I first had at Harper. It was a feeling I believed my readers would have had had they been there too.” (p. 143)

“Taste is an issue for report writers. This one word ‘pussy’ caused objection and partial rejection of this case study.” (p. 153)

“Again I am reminding my reader of my presence and the subjectivity of my account.” (p. 153)

“There is no agreed-on format for presenting interview data. It is important that it is clear who is speaking.” (p. 155)

“One of the important steps in triangulation assertions is the seeking of evidence that contradicts the assertion. It is hard for researchers to seek assiduously for something to counter their carefully developed insightful conclusions, but the good ones develop a pride in self-challenge.” (p. 159)

“I close the report with the most issue-pertinent and understanding-generating commentary I can make about the case.” (p. 159)

“Had I started (as my model in chapter 8 suggests) with a vignette, I would have ended here with a vignette.” (p. 160)