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1、QualitativeInquiryVolume12Number210.1177/1077800405284363QualitativeInquiryFlyvbjerg/Case-StudyResearchMisunderstandingsApril2006219-245FiveMisunderstandings©2006SagePublications10.1177/1077800405284363AboutCase-Studyhttp://qix.sagepub.comhostedatResearchhttp
2、://online.sagepub.comBentFlyvbjergAalborgUniversity,DenmarkThisarticleexaminesfivecommonmisunderstandingsaboutcase-studyresearch:(a)theoreticalknowledgeismorevaluablethanpracticalknowledge;(b)onecannotgeneralizefromasinglecase,therefore,thesingle-casestudycan
3、notcontributetoscientificdevelopment;(c)thecasestudyismostusefulforgeneratinghypotheses,whereasothermethodsaremoresuitableforhypothesestestingandtheorybuilding;(d)thecasestudycontainsabiastowardverification;and(e)itisoftendifficulttosummarizespecificcasestud-
4、ies.ThisarticleexplainsandcorrectsthesemisunderstandingsonebyoneandconcludeswiththeKuhnianinsightthatascientificdisciplinewithoutalargenumberofthoroughlyexecutedcasestudiesisadisciplinewithoutsystematicproductionofexemplars,andadisciplinewithoutexemplarsisani
5、neffectiveone.Socialsciencemaybestrengthenedbytheexecutionofagreaternumberofgoodcasestudies.Keywords:casestudy;caseselection;criticalcases;validityincasestudieshenIfirstbecameinterestedinin-depthcase-studyresearch,IwasWtryingtounderstandhowpowerandrationality
6、shapeeachotherandformtheurbanenvironmentsinwhichwelive(Flyvbjerg,1998).Itwascleartomethattounderstandacomplexissuesuchasthis,in-depthcase-studyresearchwasnecessary.Itwasequallyclear,however,thatmyteachersandcolleagueskeptdissuadingmefromemployingthisparticula
7、rresearchmethodology.“Youcannotgeneralizefromasinglecase,”somewouldsay,“andsocialscienceisaboutgeneralizing.”Otherswouldarguethatthecasestudymaybewellsuitedforpilotstudiesbutnotforfull-fledgedresearchschemes.Othersagainwouldcommentthatthecasestudyissubjective
8、,givingtoomuchscopefortheresearcher’sowninterpretations.Thus,thevalidityofcasestudieswouldbewanting,theyargued.Atfirst,Ididnotknowhowtorespondtosuchclaims,whichclearlyformedtheconventiona
