Estudo de caso: uma reflexão sobre a aplicabilidade em pesquisa no Brasil

Abstract

It is more and more frequent to conduct scientific research based on qualitative evaluations, usually named qualitative research. The research strategy discussed on this paper �?? Case Study �?? asks for qualitative evaluation as its objective is the study of a social unity that is deeply and intensely analyzed. We seek to apprehend the situation in its whole and describe, comprehend and interpret a concrete case complexity in a creative way, by an exhausting and deep diving into a bounded object. Epistemological studies have been showing that a great number of researches oriented by Case Studies present serious deficiencies: intuitive, primitive and impressionistic analysis, that cannot transcend mere historical reports, obviously very far from what is aimed from a scientific work. There are several sources of mistakes that compromise a Case Study. The objective of this paper is to raise and discuss the limitations of the Case Study as it is conceived by Robert Yin, especially due to the enormous difference between Brazilian researchers�?? infrastructure condition and the North American ones. We deal with the limitations of the type of study, single cases x multiple cases, collaborators�?? staff, time and financial resources.