Abstract In this article the author focuses on the book by Robert K. Yin, entitled "Case Study Research: Design and Methods." According to the author in this book Yin goes beyond his training as an experimental psychologist to explain when field research, which he calls case study research, is most appropriate and how it should be done. The book is not about the preparation or use of case studies such as those which are used in classroom teaching or discussion. The author remarks that for Yin, choosing to do research by studying cases in the field is a necessity dictated by research questions, and not all research questions can be answered by field studies. He also remarks that the principal weakness of the book may be due to its brevity. There is little advice or guidance on how to choose good research sites and how to gain access to them. Although Yin writes of some of the difficulties of completing a case study, he argues that careful planning can reduce the difficulties and complexities that one will encounter.
William J. Bruns (1989) studied this question.