In a case study you examine a
real-life situation with all its complexities to discover what factors might
contribute to outcomes.
A case study is used to study a particular
situation in depth. It is not possible to generalise from the findings of a
case study, but it can be used to test whether, and how, theories and
scientific models work in the real world (Shuttleworth, 2008). It is
qualitative, not quantitative research, which can give rise to hypotheses and
new directions in research. It is often used in the social sciences.
Conducting case studies gives you
a chance to draw from your knowledge and research, practise your skills of
analysis and reasoning, and draw conclusions. As a case study is taken from
real life, it can be complex, and different readers of your case study may draw
different conclusions.
If you are conducting a case
study in your community, make sure you:
Obtain permission to conduct the
case study, making it clear:
what
you will need to do
where
you will need to go
who
you will need to speak to.
Don’t use people’s names unless
you have their permission. Respect their privacy and the confidentiality of
your results. Refer to SACE Board of SA Conducting Ethical Research.
Steps in a case study
Choose your case study problem.
Research the problem.
Interview people. Prepare
questions that:
will
help you understand their opinions
will
give you information you can’t get from books or articles
are
open-ended; that is, they can’t be answered just with ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
Sort through your information.
What is relevant and what isn’t?
Does your case study problem (or
guiding question) need to be modified?
Do you need more information, or
do you need to do more research?
Break the problem down into its
parts.
Analyse the information in each
part.
Think about what the answers to
the problem might be.
Write up your case study:
Introduce
the problem or guiding question.
Give
the background to the case study.
Present
the information you have discovered, perhaps under headings.
Evaluate
and analyse the information.
Summarise
your findings in a conclusion, but remember that a case study may not always
produce a neat conclusion.
Check that your points flow
logically and that you have restricted your writing to the case study problem.
This style of case study does not
apply to all subjects. Your teacher will discuss appropriate case study methods
with you.
