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How to Do Your Case Study
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How to Do Your Case Study

Third Edition
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April 2021 | 320 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
This accessible guide takes you through the process of designing, conducting and writing up a research project using case study methods. In his characteristic warm and friendly style, Gary Thomas covers each step at a confidence-building pace, helping you to get to grips with the theory and practice of doing a case study.

Focusing on vital issues like validity, reliability and quality in research, the author helps you ensure your research is rigorous and methodologically sound. This third edition:

·       Offers an expanded discussion of key ethical issues in case study research

·       Provides up to date information about using social media in research

·       Presents a new navigation tool to help you plan your case study project

·       Enables you to develop the skills you need to become a critical and reflexive researcher

Covering international examples of case study in practice and accompanied by downloadable checklists and templates, this book is the perfect companion to help you successfully complete a case study.


 
Stage I: Getting Your Bearings
 
Chapter 1: What is a case study?
 
Chapter 2: The case study and research design
 
Chapter 3: The whole is more than the sum of the parts: seeing a complete picture
 
Chapter 4: Rigour and quality in your case study: what’s important?
 
Chapter 5: Ethics
 
Stage II: Choosing a case and structuring your study
 
Chapter 6: Different kinds of case studies: selecting a subject for your case study
 
Chapter 7: Your purpose: thinking about the object of your study
 
Chapter 8: Your approach: theory testing or theory building; interpretation or illustration
 
Chapter 9: Your process: the shape, style and manner of your case study
 
Stage III: Collecting evidence, analysing and writing up
 
Chapter 10: Out in the field: some ways to collect data and evidence
 
Chapter 11: Analysis: a toolkit for analysing and thinking in case study
 
Chapter 12: Writing your study

The learning features are excellent. I love the highlight boxes and the ‘If you take only one thing...’ feature. It is also good to have further reading at the end of each chapter. Overall, this is an excellent book on case study design.

Shirley Larkin
University of Exeter

On demand used as recommendation for basic literature for case study research

Mrs Stefanie Neumeister
Economics and Social Science Faculty, University of Rostock
May 4, 2023

Have used previous editions and this book is very student user friendly and easy to understand.

Mrs Gail Sheppard
Faculty of Health & Wellbeing (Canterbury), Canterbury Christ Church University
February 21, 2022

Moved to a new university. Will consider adoption on courses there as the content was relevant and accessible, especially for postgraduate course.

Dr Seren Roberts
School of Healthcare Sciences, Bangor University
July 22, 2022

This is an essential text for students doing case study. I work from version 2 because I have the hard copy and do not like electronic books. However, the students are signposted to this text because it is the updated version and it is a superb text. Not all students will have it as essential - just those choosing to do case study

Professor Angela Kydd
School of Nursing & Midwifery, Robert Gordon University
July 8, 2021

I would like to consider this text as essential for those designing case studies. Thomas' text is comprehensive, clear and gives something more critical and thought provoking than the texts we consider seminal and classic - Yin, Stake, Bassey. Fresh, prepares for designing real research.

Mrs Eleonora Teszenyi
Faculty of Education, The Open University
June 17, 2022

A good book to be placed on the student reading list.

Mrs Chrissie Draper
Educational Psychology, Derby College
March 19, 2021

I have already recommended the previous editions of the book as essential reading. The book provides an accessible background on case study research for both undergraduate and postgraduate education students.

Dr Nicoleta Gaciu
Department of Education, Oxford Brookes University
February 19, 2021