Case Study Method for Design Research: A Justification

TLDR

Case studies are widely used in design research to analyze phenomena, generate hypotheses, and validate methods, yet no accepted systematic approach exists and researchers often question their validity. The objective of this paper is to present a brief overview of the case study method, compare it with other qualitative and quantitative research methods, and study its merits and limitations in design research. Requirements are derived from the general characteristics of design research, and four popular research strategies are evaluated against these requirements. A preliminary benchmark study suggests that the case study method is suitable for conducting design research.

Abstract

Case studies are used in design research to analyze a phenomenon, to generate hypotheses, and to validate a method. Though they are used extensively, there appears to be no accepted systematic case study method used by design researchers. Considering its nature and objectives, the case study method could be considered as a suitable method for conducting design research. Many times, design researchers have to confront questions about the validity of using case studies and their results. The objective of this paper is to present a brief overview of case study method, compare it with other qualitative and quantitative research methods, and study the merits and limitations of using the same in design research. Requirements are derived from the general characteristics of design research. Four popular research strategies are evaluated with respect to the requirements. A preliminary benchmark study suggests that case study method is a suitable method for conducting design research.