Doing case studies as research

Ross Woods, 2022, '24

Case study is primarily a delimitation of scope, and is not a specific method. It is usually seen as qualitative, although a researcher may add quantitative information.

What is a “case”?

Every case is a system of some kind with its own patterns of behavior, its own context and history, and boundaries. Examples include:

1. Individual people
2. Groups of people
3. Incidents
4. Institutions
5. Programs, especially new or innovative programs.

Cases also often have:

1. Assumptions or shared beliefs
2. Personal or collective cultures
3. Causes for why it is as it is
4. Observable phenomena
5. Consequences or implications for their beliefs and actions

When is a case study the most appropriate method?

Case studies are most appropriate in cases that are unusual, unique or rare, non-routine or occur in unique circumstances. Even if only one example exists, it can still be a research topic for a case study. This aspect of being unusual or unique seems to be one of the defining characteristics of case studies as a method.

Case studies are most helpful in these cases:

• In program evaluation and incident analysis, case studies can reveal and explain unintended consequences of an action. Case studies can also reveal complex events or factors that were unexpected and could not be planned for.
• Rare medical conditions are studied on a case-by-case basis.
• Case studies are useful for teaching, because students must work with real cases to build a concept of practice.

Why select a particular case?

You need good reasons for selecting a particular case, for example:

1. It has intrinsic value; you aim to understand a case because it has some kind of complexity that is not yet understood.
2. It will give you insight into a particular issue.
3. It might help you to refine a theory. For example, you might find a case that seems contrary to a current dominant theory.
4. It might help you to generate hypotheses that could be tested later on a broader collection of data.

Write a clear research question. This is necessary to keep you focused and to enable you to draw a conclusion.

Components of a case study

Case studies follow the normal outline of reseach, but consider the following:

1. As part of the introduction, describe the case. It is often best to tell it as a story, and the following questions might be helpful:
• What is the case? (If necessary, define the bounds of the case.)
• What is its history?
• What is its context? (e.g. physical setting, political, demographic, etc.)
• Do any other aspects make this case particularly important?
2. In the methodology chapter, say how you plan to gather information. In many cases, this will be to identify the informants and say how you will gather information from them. Case studies most commonly use description, interviews based on questionnaires, and detailed analysis. You might also collect other kinds of information, such as statistical data.
3. During the study, keep looking for issues that are arising; they are frequently unexpected.

Risks

1. It is often difficult to make generalizations based on findings.
2. Beware of bias when reporting the story. Unless readers have reasons to think otherwise, they will treat your writing as a statement of fact.
3. Unexpected findings are often the most valuable and interesting, and indicate that the research has actually been successful. However, some students think they’ve failed when their research doesn’t go as they expected, which often means that it didn't support the conclusions they wanted.
1. You might find out that the actual problem is very different from what you expected.
2. You might find that the answer to your research question is actually very simple. (That’s the moment when you slap your head and say “Of course! It’s obvious.”)
4. You must maintain the uniqueness of the case and resist the temptation to make generalizations that apply to other contexts. Instead, consider them to be implications or questions for further research.

Comparing cases

You can also compare cases to better understand a particular phenomenon. This has some theoretical risks, because you should start by assuming that each case could be unique. Make comparisons on an aspect by aspect basis so that you can see what can be compared and what can’t. You need to compare like with like and give each point of comparison a context, so that you qualify any statements carefully.

Others might want to compare your research with other cases. Write in such a way that readers won’t create spurious interpretations of your description.