Understanding Complex Resource Management Issues in their Real World Context:

1. Understanding Complex Resource Management Issues in their Real World Context: Case Study Approaches to Research Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

2. Workshop Objectives • Become familiar with the utility and limitations of case study research • Become familiar with the design, implementation, and analysis of a case study • Practice designing a case study using a real world example Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

3. Workshop Outline • Asking effective research questions • Matching methods to questions • What is a case study? • Case study design exercise • Data analysis • Generalization, case quality, and other issues Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

4. Workshop Programme Wednesday, June 13, Morning 8:30 Introductions, Learning objectives, course schedule Asking effective research questions Matching methods to questions What is a case study? Case study components 10:00 Break Case study design Background on nursery case study exercise Preparation for field exercise 12:00 Lunch Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

5. Workshop Programme Wednesday, June 13, Afternoon 1:00 Transport to Inopacan, Leyte Tour nursery Discussion with nursery project participants 3:00 Return to campus Meet with participants from second nursery project Discussion 5:00 Adjourn Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

6. Workshop Programme Thursday, June 14, Morning 8:30 Preparation for group presentations Groups assemble case study plans 10:30 Break Group presentations Discussion 12:30 Lunch Tuesday Afternoon 1:30 Interviews and field notes Data analysis, Coding 3:00 Break Generalizing from case studies Judging case study design quality Questions, comments, discussion 5:30 Adjourn Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

7. Asking Effective Research Questions • Why is it important? • Who cares (or should care) about the question? • What body of theory will it contribute to? • Has it been asked before? • Can it be answered with the time, expertise, and resources available? Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

8. Matching Research Approach to Questions • Write a one-sentence research question relevant to your work or interests. • What data would be required? • What disciplines? Types of knowledge? • What research approach would be appropriate? What specific methods? Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

9. Fig. 1. A simplified social science research approach decision tree. Research Question? Done Existing Data Adequate? ● Generate Hypotheses ● Explain Relationships ● Depth ● Test Hypotheses ● Estimate Parameters ● Breadth Principle Purpose? Primary Approach: Qualitative Primary Approach: Survey Scale of Target Population Scale of Target Population Rel. Small Rel. Large Rel. Small Rel. Large Ethnographic Methods Structured Group Door-to-Door Telephone, Mail Check Results With Survey Data Check Results With Qualitative Data Yes No Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

10. Inductive and Deductive Reasoning • Deductive reasoning: The process of reasoning from general principles to particular examples. • Inductive reasoning: The process of reasoning from particular examples to general principles. Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

11. Table 2. Partial, Illustrative List of Social Science Research Methodologies Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

12. Table 1. Comparison of Qualitative and Standardized Questionnaire Survey Methodologies (from Bliss and Martin 1989) Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

13. Research Syndromes • Best Available Data • The Hammer and the Nail • The Streetlight Syndrome • Excessive Expertise Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

14. Case Study Definition “Case study is a strategy for doing research which involves an empirical investigation of a particular contemporary phenomenon with its real life context using multiple sources of evidence.” Yin, 1981 Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

15. Case Study Components • Strategy • Empirical investigation • A particular contemporary phenomenon • Within its real life context • Using multiple sources of evidence Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

16. Triangulation Key informant interviews Literature Census data Content analysis of newspapers Household survey Ecological inventory data GIS analysis Historical accounts Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

17. Designing the Case Study • What is the phenomenon being studied? Define the case – What are the boundaries? • What are the research questions? • Who are the key players? • What are the key social, economic, ecological, political factors? (Describe the context). Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

18. What data will be required? • How will data be collected? • How will data be analyzed? • What will be the utility of study results? For whom? • How will study results be disseminated? Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

19. Questions to Ponder • What’s going on here? • What is this an example of? What does this illustrate? • Who are we hearing from? • Who aren’t we hearing from? • Who stands to gain? • Who stands to lose? Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

20. Generalizing from Case Studies • Statistical generalization: describing a population based upon a sample. • Theoretical (analytical) generalization: describing a phenomenon based upon a case. Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

21. Data Analysis • Data management • To record or not to record • Transcribing interviews • Coding • Pattern recognition • Writing as analysis Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

22. Themes or Networks Interview Text Coding Text “Selective Coding” Families Increasing Abstraction “Axial Coding” “Open Coding” Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

23. Theme Increasing abstraction Coded text Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

24. Director of community organization on community forestry: • “I want the rural communities to be seen as the stewards of the public lands that surround them. I don’t want us to be seen as loggers, rapers, pillagers, grazers, you know, cow shitters. Whatever is that we’re perceived to be now. Because I believe we have the knowledge and the ability, if we’re allowed, to stay on the landscape, to steward those lands in a way that the public will be proud of for generations to come and I know that’s the motivation. Because when we talk about community forestry, we talk about management for the next generation.”

25. Family forest owner on oak conservation: “I would hate to see the oaks disappear. Maybe on my south hillside here where I have a lot of oaks I should just let them grow. The oaks tend to grow up and not shade like the maples do. Douglas-fir grows right up through them . . . I like the diversity. I certainly would not clean out all the oaks. I mean, three or four big logs, I might sell those for a good price, but the main thing is to leave other oaks coming along so that in 50 years there’s another big stand. “

26. Judging Case Study Design Quality(after Yin 2003). Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University

27. Case Study Research References Ragin, Charles C., and Howard S. Becker, eds. 1992. What is a case? Exploring the foundations of social inquiry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Robson, Colin. 2002. Real World Research, second ed. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing. 599 p. Stake, Robert E. 1995. The art of case study research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 173 p. Yin, Robert K. 2003. Case Study Research, Design and Methods third ed.. Applied Social Research Methods Series Vol. 5. London: Sage Publications. 179 p. Yin, Robert K. 2003. Applications of case study research, Second Edition. Applied Social Research Methods Series, Vol. 34. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 173 p. Yin, Robert K. 2004. The case study anthology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 271 p. Case Study Workshop, 2007John C. Bliss, Oregon State University