Transparency in case studies: Methodological appendices

When writing qualitative case study research, most of us find that the very stuff of analysis—that is, the qualitative data—is lengthy and nuanced. Additionally, qualitative methods are often used in situations where “theories are underdeveloped and concepts are vague” (Ragin, Berg-Schlosser, and de Meur 1998, 750). To be robust and compelling, the data we use may require lengthy explanation, precisely because we wish to capture complexity. Overall, qualitative research relies on words—often lots of them—to get our point across.