The Case Study of the Case Studies: What Happens If the Case Study Solves Itself?

Abstract

A case study investigates a bounded phenomenon in context; a system that optimizes a supplied task has not necessarily performed the upstream work of discovering that phenomenon, selecting its boundary, or determining which evidence matters. This paper examines whether parts of case formation can become explicit, recursive computational operations. We combine a critical methodological review, a purposive comparison of twenty bounded cases, a formal architecture, and prospective experimental designs. Thirteen cases reconstruct documented technological or scientific episodes, six specify unexecuted investigations of adaptive environments, and one examines the human-guided revision of the present research artifact. The comparison distinguishes objective revision, relational capability, evidence production, validity-domain failure, physical transformation, and changes in evaluation boundaries. These distinctions motivate a versioned case representation and an implementation of PLANTA Trees as adaptive, nested perceived PathSpaces within Architecture of Freedom Intelligence (AFI).