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Case Analysis

A case study is a detailed examination of a specific subject such as a person, group, event or organization. Case studies use qualitative research methods like interviews and documents to provide an in-depth understanding of real-world situations. Case studies are well-suited for gaining concrete knowledge about a research problem and exploring its characteristics. They allow focused research when time and resources are limited.

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Priyanka Goyal
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60 views

Case Analysis

A case study is a detailed examination of a specific subject such as a person, group, event or organization. Case studies use qualitative research methods like interviews and documents to provide an in-depth understanding of real-world situations. Case studies are well-suited for gaining concrete knowledge about a research problem and exploring its characteristics. They allow focused research when time and resources are limited.

Uploaded by

Priyanka Goyal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place,

event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social,


educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative


methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing, comparing,
evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete,


contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to
explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation. They keep your project
focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale
research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth,
or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your
research problem.

tep 1: Select a case


Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions, you should
be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study
should have the potential to:

 Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject


 Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
 Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
 Open up new directions for future research

Unlike quantitative or experimental research, a strong case study does not require a
random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on
unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research
problem.
Example of an outlying case study

In the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low
rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study
for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.
However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a
particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Step 2: Build a theoretical framework


While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have
some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated
description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

 Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation


 Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
 Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct
a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework. This
means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

Step 3: Collect your data


There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case
studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews, observations, and
analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g. newspaper articles, photographs, official
records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.
Example of a mixed methods case study

For a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data
on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions
and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.
The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

Step 4: Describe and analyze the case


In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as
complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies
are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis, with separate sections or chapters for
the methods, results and discussion.

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and
analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse
analysis).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the
literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

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