Tapausanalyyttinen

Tapausanalyyttinen, or case-analytic, is a methodological approach in which the case or cases themselves are the primary unit of analysis. It emphasizes detailed, context-rich examination of particular instances to understand processes, causal mechanisms, or decision-making sequences that produce observed outcomes, rather than relying solely on variables aggregated across many cases.

In practice, researchers using a tapausanalyyttinen approach select a small number of cases through purposeful sampling, based on theoretical relevance, typicality, or the presence of critical characteristics. Data sources typically include interviews, documents, field notes, and archival records. Analysis involves constructing thorough case narratives, coding for mechanisms and linkages, and often tracing causal sequences within and across cases (process tracing). When cross-case comparison is employed, researchers seek patterns that explain similarities or differences and refine theoretical propositions accordingly.

Applications of this approach span various fields, including political science for explaining policy decisions, organizational studies for change processes, criminology for incident-level analyses, public health, and education. The tapausanalyyttinen stance is well suited to investigating complex causality, contextual factors, and dynamic processes that are difficult to capture with purely variable-centered methods.

Strengths include deep, theory-driven understanding and the ability to reveal mechanisms and contingencies. Limitations involve limited generalizability beyond the studied cases, potential selection bias, and the resource demands of collecting rich, qualitative data. The approach complements broader comparative methods and can be integrated with techniques like process tracing and qualitative cross-case synthesis.