Design & Philosophical Foundations of the Case Study Method

This methods paper provides a structured overview of case study research, outlining its core design principles, philosophical foundations, and standards of rigor. Case study research is defined as an in-depth approach for examining contemporary phenomena within clearly bounded, real-world contexts, particularly when addressing how and why questions. The paper distinguishes among single, multiple, and intrinsic case study designs and clarifies analytic generalization in contrast to statistical generalization. It explains the importance of defining a bounded system to ensure alignment between research questions, unit of analysis, and evidence collection. Major philosophical orientations, including positivism, post-positivism, interpretivism, constructivism, and pragmatism, are examined to show how epistemological assumptions shape research design and interpretation. The paper concludes by outlining key strategies for ensuring rigor, including triangulation, replication logic, maintaining a clear chain of evidence, and addressing rival explanations, offering scholars a concise foundation for conducting coherent and methodologically sound case study research.