Pooled Case Comparison: An Innovation for Cross-Case Study

Abstract

Comparative studies offer a means for developing more robust theory, but they are plagued by problems of decontextualization of data and marginalization of the voices of the researched. This article introduces pooled case comparison, a means of cross-study comparison that has the potential to minimize some of the limitations often inherent in such comparisons. In pooled case comparison, raw data from separate studies are combined for a fresh analysis. This article provides a rationale for pooled case comparison and situates the method within a framework of other approaches. A detailed example from one pooled case comparison is offered. This example, in the form of a playlet, juxtaposes voices of participants from two separate studies. The example illustrates how this particular form of data presentation maintains the centrality and integrity of partici pants' voices within their specific contexts. Finally, the authors consider potential contri butions of pooled case comparison as well as possibilities for other applications of this method. © 1995, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.