Studying Rare Events Through Qualitative Case Studies
- 1 November 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in Sociological Methods & Research
- Vol. 31 (2) , 174-217
Abstract
This article considers five methodological challenges in studying rare events such as school shootings. Drawing on the literature on causal analysis in macro-historical and other small-N research, it outlines strategies for studying school shootings using qualitative case studies and illustrates these strategies using data from case studies of two rampage school shootings: Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky, and Westside Middle School outside Jonesboro, Arkansas. Strengths and limitations are discussed as well as lessons for studying rare events.Keywords
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