With the validity of qualitative research currently under scrutiny, this paper by Sarah McGloin considers the contribution of the case study to the evidence base in health care. The author argues that case study methodology offers a creative and credible approach to help underpin contemporary practice

Case study research is gaining increasing credibility as a suitable research methodology for healthcare research studies (Thompson 2004). There is much debate about the validity, trustworthiness and rigour of qualitative research (Rolfe 2006, Porter 2007), the paradigm associated most with the case study approach. Consequently, the issue of the trustworthiness of case study research is under scrutiny (Hamel et al 1993, Zucker 2001, Pegram 2000, Bryar 2000). The aim of this paper is to analyse the trustworthiness of the case study approach for qualitative research studies. The case study methodology will be defined and analysed, and strategies to enhance studies’ trustworthiness will be explored.