Case Study

Posted on 27th Jul 2023 10:05:34 in General

Case Study

What is a Case Study?

A case study is an analysis of an event, a phenomenon, an individual or a group. A case study is used to conduct a thorough research to gain an understanding of the subject in question. Case studies are common in fields such as business, medicine, psychology, sociology and education. The main purpose of a case study is to examine a real-life situation, explore its complexities and draw meaningful conclusions.

The structure and content of a case study varies depending on the discipline, research objective and subject matter. Here is a general template of a case study:

Template of a Case Study

  1. Title page
  • Write the title of the case study
  • Write the author’s name
  • Indicate the institution affiliation
  • Write the date
  1. Executive Summary
  • Write a summary of the case study by highlighting the key findings.
  1. Introduction
  • Introduce the subject
  • Discuss the purpose of the case study
  • Provide background information on the relevance and context of the case.
  • State the research question
  1. Case Description
  • Discuss the subject of the study, be it an event, organization, group or individual.
  • Provide background information such as history, challenges, goals etc.
  1. Methodology
  • Explain the approach and research design used in the case study.
  • Discuss the methods you used to collect data such as interviews, observation etc.
  • Discuss the limitations and ethical considerations.
  1. Findings
  • Present the data collected
  • Analyze the data using appropriate techniques
  • Discuss key themes, patterns or insights drawn from the analysis
  1. Discussion
  • Discuss the findings in relation to the research question
  • Relate the findings to existing literature, theories or frameworks in the field.
  • Discuss potential biases, limitations and implications of the case study.
  1. Recommendations
  • Provide practical strategies based on your findings
  • Address the problem being studied
  • Support your recommendations with evidence
  1. Conclusion
  • Write a summary of the main points of the case study and the conclusions drawn from it
  • Stress the relevance of the study to the field.
  1. References
  • Write a list of your citations and format them using the required style.
  1. Appendices
  • Provide materials that are relevant to the study. The may include surveys, interview transcripts etc.

Case studies enable researchers to explore complex phenomena. This provides rich and contextualized information which makes us understand the phenomena and the factors influencing them. Case studies inform decision making and provide valuable insights for future research.