title: Case studies: a research strategy appropriate for palliative care?
abstract: Selecting an appropriate research strategy is key to ensuring that research questions are addressed in a way which has value and is congruent with the overall topic, questions and purpose of the research. This paper will argue that there are situations when a case study strategy is appropriate to use in palliative care research. These include: when complex situations need to be addressed; when context is central to the study; when multiple perspectives need to be recognized; when the design needs to be flexible; when the research needs to be congruent with clinical practice; when there is no strong theory to which to appeal; and when other methodologies could be difficult to conduct. Using case study strategies rigorously and appropriately can contribute to knowledge in a way which is sensitive to the complex, context-dependent and multiprofessional nature of palliative care.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, UK. catherine.walshe@manchester.ac.uk
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Walshe
authors.forename: Ann L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Caress
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chew-Graham
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Todd
mesh_terms: D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design