A case study investigates and analyzes a particular subject. It can explain a phenomenon, event, place, individual, process, organization, or group. Additionally, a case study relies on research methodologies to generate a deep understanding of a complex issue.
Case studies provide us answers to why, where, and when questions.
The Importance of a Case Study
- A case study explains why certain things occur in real life.
- It often features in psychology, social sciences, anthropology, education, business research, and ecology.
- Unlike pure science, it may introduce new or unexpected results that can challenge existing research. Pure science attempts to prove or disapprove a hypothesis.
- In marketing, case studies show what your products or services can achieve.
How to Design and Conduct a Case Study?
We have different kinds of case studies, and the investigator’s selection depends upon the goals and objectives of the study. Below are the common subdivisions of case studies:
- Pilot or exploratory Case Studies
- Critical Instance Case Studies
- Illustrative Case Studies
- Cumulative Case Studies
The ultimate goal of a case study is to link up the data after collection, and the conclusions drawn to the initial questions of the problem. Moreover, it should address at least four critical issues, such as:
- What questions to study?
- What are the essential or relevant data?
- What data to collect?
- How to analyze the data?
A case study explains specific and intriguing cases, and they deal with diverse topics. So, it is impossible to outline a strict or universal method for conducting it.
Here comes the trick; you need to focus on small study groups to make it impactful as opposed to a statistical survey that targets big data.
Data collection aligns to research methodologies, and we can use qualitative or quantitative data. Some researchers prefer to conduct interviews, observations, or analyze different sources of data. You can draw data from primary and secondary sources such as:
- Newspaper articles
- Official records
- Photographs
- Physical artifacts
Read also: How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
5 Tips to Draft a Case Study
- Define your objectives
- Picks a particular target audience
- Outline the case study as follows: Introduction, Literature Review, Method, Discussion, and Conclusion
- Make a list of credible sources
- Do not leave out any crucial evidence; figures, tables, and graphs can help convince readers
Read also: 5 common essay writing mistakes
Parting Shot
Once you have the data, it becomes easy to understand the case better. You can proceed to create a report. Some researchers use a narrative style to explain their case studies. Regardless of the techniques used, ensure you give comprehensive information about the case. If you need help creating one today, contact our researchers at Falcon Writers Hub.