Case Studies
What demographic can be too complex to generalize?
Parents, cultures and other
What does "internal validity" refer to in the context of development research?
Internal validity refers to the accuracy of causal claims within a specific study.
or identification and casualty within specific study
What is the importance of generalization?
theoretical progress and policy relevance, as it allows for simplification and broader application of findings.
When is it fair to generalize findings from a single case study?
If the case study has a strong theoretical framework, sufficient understanding of causal mechanisms, and comparable contexts.
What type of generalization focuses on specific casual mechanisms?
Mechanism-Based Generalization
Low Casual Density is more suited for?
RCTs
... logic, which updates degrees of belief based on evidence
Bayesian logic
What does the concept of "process tracing" refer to in the context of case studies?
Process tracing refers to documenting the evolution of cases over time and explaining the conditions under which specific outcomes occur.
What kind of development interventions are referred to as "complex" in the article?
Complex interventions are those dealing with nonlinear, context-specific, and challenging issues.
What is the methodological advantage of case studies over randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in complex development problems?
Case studies are better suited for addressing context-specific complexity, where RCTs struggle with external validity.
Woolcock argues that for ___ interventions, the assumption should be that their results are not generalizable unless proven otherwise.
complex
How do various methods of research —statistical analysis, experimental methods, and case study research—handle generalization differently?
- Statistical Methods: Generalization is often about identifying the "average effect" of an independent variable on a dependent variable across a population, using regression models.
- Experimental Methods: Generalization involves estimating the "average treatment effect," comparing outcomes between treated and untreated groups in randomized experiments.
- Case Study Research: Instead of focusing on average effects, case studies aim for "contingent generalizations" that apply to subsets of a population sharing specific conditions or variables.
What are the key differences between Bayesian and frequentist approaches to generalization, and why might one be preferred in certain research contexts?
Bayesian approaches update beliefs based on new evidence and are well-suited for studies with few cases or complex variables, as they do not require large samples. Frequentist approaches, on the other hand, rely on population-level analysis and require large samples to make valid inferences. Bayesian methods are preferred when dealing with unique or rare cases where frequentist assumptions may not hold.
What is Typological Theorizing and why its important?
Constructing ideas regarding the relationship of variable combinations under certain circumstances.
What are the similarities in the approaches of Bennett and Woolcock to generalization of case studies?
----