Reilly, Rosemary C. Encyclopedia of case study research Participatory case study The participatory case study is a mode of case study research that involves the participants, local groups, or the community in all phases of the research process, from conceptualizing the study to writing up and disseminating the findings. It is ideologically oriented in its focus and explicitly emancipatory in its goals. It generally takes the position of social critic, and proposes radical change in social structures/processes, as well as reformulating the entire approach to research, voice, power, and knowledge production/use. Emerging from the liberation and anti-colonial philosophical approach of Paulo Freire, participants are not incidental to the curiosity of the researcher, but are experts into the underlying causes of the issues within their social world. The research process becomes a means of moving their voice from the margins into a place of centrality. In participatory case research, the case participants become contributing researchers. Conceptual Overview and Discussion Participatory research is research that is fully collaborative and emphasizes deliberate participation, contribution, empowerment and emancipation of all relevant parties in actively examining some issue, which participants experience as problematic. An outcome of the research process is to change and improve the social situation under investigation. Participatory case research is designed to address specific issues identified by local people, and the results are directly applied to the problems at hand. Therefore, it is ideally by the local people and for the local people. It has emerged in recent years as a significant methodology for intervention, development, and change within communities and groups. It is now promoted and implemented by many international development agencies.