How to use a case study in your dissertation

First, a case study provides a platform that allows you to study a situation in depth and produce the level of academic inquiry that is expected in a master's ... Findouthowtoacasestudydissertation ProfMartynDenscombe,authorof“TheGoodResearchGuide,6thedition”,givesexpertadviceonusingacasestudyforyourmaster’sdissertation.Quantitativeandqualitativecasestudiescanbeagoodbasisforamaster’sdissertation.Therearetwomainexamplesforthis.First,acasestudyprovidesaplatformthatallowsyoutostudyasituationindepthandproducethelevelofacademicinquirythatisexpectedinamaster’sdegree.Inthecontextofanymaster’sprogrammethedissertationoperatesassomethingofashowcaseforastudent’sabilities. Itcaneasilymakethedifferencebetweengettingameritandadistinctioninthefinalawardofdegree.Itisimportant,therefore,tobasetheworkonanapproachthatallowsthingstobeexploredinsufficientdepthanddetailtowarrantagoodgrade.Second,casestudiescanbeusefulinapracticalsense.Itispossibletocompleteacasestudyinarelativelyshortperiodofintensestudyandsoitisthekindofresearchthatisfeasibleintermsofthekindoftimeconstraintsthatfacemaster’sstudentsastheyenterthefinalstagesoftheirprogrammeofstudy. Addedtowhichacasestudycanalsobearatherconvenientformofresearch,avoidingthetimeandcostsoftraveltomultipleresearchsites.Theuseofcasestudies,then,wouldappeartobeanattractiveproposition.Butitisnotanapproachthatshouldbeusednaivelywithoutconsiderationofitslimitationsorpotentialpitfalls. Tobeagoodcasestudytheresearchneedstoconsidercertainkeyissueswhich,iftheyarenotaddressed,mightconsiderablylowerthevalueofthecasestudyaspartofamaster’sdegree.Forinstance,agoodcasestudyneedsto: Becrystalclearaboutthepurposeforwhichtheresearchisbeingconducted Justifytheselectionoftheparticularcasebeingstudied Describehowthechosencasecompareswithothersofitstype Explainthebasisonwhichanygeneralizationscanbemadefromthefindings ThisiswhereTheGoodResearchGuide,6theditionbecomessovaluable.Itnotonlyidentifiesthekeypointsthatneedtobeaddressedinordertoconductacompetentquestionnairesurvey,itgetsrighttotheheartofthematterwithplentyofpracticalguidanceonhowtodealwiththeissues.Inastraightforwardstyle,usingplainlanguage,thisbestsellingbookcoversarangeofalternativestrategiesandmethodsforconductingsmall-scalesocialresearchprojectsandoutlinessomeofthemainwaysinwhichthedatacanbeanalysed. NextSteps ReadProfMartynDenscombe’sadviceonusingaquestionnairesurveyforyourpostgraduatedissertation