A Case of Case Study

Case studies are one of the most intricate modes of certain analyses. A successful case study can yield critical results necessary to generate key insights about certain aspects of the organization or person or the issue being studied. The secret behind a good case study is to consider oneself as an investigator being hired to solve a mystery.

Good planning prior to beginning the case study is crucial. This shapes the procedure followed later on and thus the overall outcome of the study. Planning must entail identification of the entities involved, which could range from an entire company, the stakeholders, consumers, or even the environment. Correction identifications will propel the case study incorrect direction. Missing out or incorrectly identifying an entity as a major factor can delay the outcome. This must be followed by recognizing all the major factors connecting the major elements identified. These could be the finances, protocols, law or anything else which determines the reason for undertaking the case study.

Thorough knowledge of various research methods is important. One must not only know about them theoretically; but their practical applications, restrictions, and modes of the application must also be understood. The use of single or multi-modal ways of data accumulation must be clearly comprehended before resorting to one because there might be no turning back during the later stages of the study. All the types of data collection, namely field-studies, surveys, volunteer questionnaires should be well-read upon. Some clever research may lead to information about sources that can provide you with much-required data. This could, in most cases, simplify the process of data collection. Various sources of errors in the data collection process must be identified clearly; this could be useful in certain aspects of data analysis.

This might be critical to comment on the credibility of the study as a part of the penultimate section of the case study entailing the applicability of the case study.  One must not stick to conventional methods of statistical analysis of the data collected. Sometimes unconventional statistical analysis methods can fetch unexpected results.  Finding correlations in the data collected or finding any subtle pattern requires an eye for detail. Possessing knowledge about the history of the field of a case study or the social dynamics which affect it can be key benchmarks in recognizing the implications of the data acquired.

A large number of data may be collected in due course of the case study. Being skilled in data management makes the task of segregating the data easy. Besides, it helps in collaborating if the case study is undertaken in a group. It may sound trivial, but the back-up of the data acquired is extremely crucial, even if the size of data is less.

Case study documentation can be the least interesting part of the case study if the outcome is not perceived well or if its practical implications are superficial. Boehrer’s words are apt in this regard: “A case study is generically a story; it presents the concrete narrative detail of actual or at least realistic events, it has a plot, exposition, characters, and sometimes even dialogue.”