Selecting Cases for Intensive Analysis: A Diversity of Goals and Methods. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gerring, John; Cojocaru, Lee
• Other Names: Elman Colin guest-editor.; Gerring John guest-editor.; Mahoney James guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Sociological methods & research. Volume 45:Number 3(2016:Aug.)
• Page Start: 392
• Page End: 423
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: case study -- case selection -- qualitative methods -- methodology -- social science; Sociology -- Research -- Periodicals; Sociology -- Methodology -- Periodicals; 301.072
• DOI: 10.1177/0049124116631692
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0049-1241

Abstract

This study revisits the task of case selection in case study research, proposing a new typology of strategies that is explicit, disaggregated, and relatively comprehensive. A secondary goal is to explore the prospects for case selection by algorithm, aka ex ante, automatic, quantitative, systematic, or model-based case selection. We lay out a suggested protocol and then discuss its viability. Our conclusion is that it is a valuable tool in certain circumstances, but should probably not determine the final choice of cases unless the chosen sample is medium-sized. Our third goal is to discuss the viability of medium-n samples for case study research, an approach closely linked to algorithmic case selection and occasionally practiced by case study researchers. We argue that medium- n samples occupy an unstable methodological position, lacking the advantages of efficiency promised by traditional, small- n case studies but also lacking the advantages of representativeness promised by large- n samples.