Meeting the burden of proof with case-study research

The case-study research method is popular across various disciplines; however, critics of the method argue that results from this form of research are applicable only to the case studied and cannot be generalized further. In the field of construction engineering and management (CEM), the number of papers employing case-study research methods over the past decade has increased substantially. As the method proliferates, the question arises: are CEM case studies being performed with sufficient validity and reliability to meet the burden of proof to generalize from the case-study findings? Meeting the burden of proof is particularly critical in CEM because of the unique, site-based nature of the projects and industry. This paper presents a review of 156 papers employing case studies published in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, of which the writers identified 33 theory-building case-study-method papers. This subset of theory-building papers was examined to induce a set of requirements and guidelines derived from these case-study research efforts to aid researchers in meeting the burden of proof. The writers anticipate that more methodologically consistent and comprehensive case-study research will yield new lines of inquiry and rich theoretical models that enhance and expand CEM research.