Case studies

Applying theory

It is important to link theory to your case study - it is not appropriate to conduct your analysis using common sense or personal opinion. You need to show your understanding of theories which are relevant to your subject area, from a wide range of academic sources. Think of theory as being important because it offers explanatory power, and can help you to compare your case to similar real-world examples.

First, check what theories have been covered in your lectures and seminars - your RLO (Reading List Online) in Blackboard is a good place to start. Theory should form the knowledge base that informs your practice. For example, if you are training to be a teacher you will have knowledge of theories about learning, metacognition, pedagogy, inclusion and classroom management. You could use this evidence in a case study to demonstrate why you have taken certain decisions in your practice, and to support any ideas you have for recommendations and solutions.

Dealing with a large amount of reading

If your chosen case or topic generates a long list of results in Library Search, you will need to quickly sift through the most promising results to decide if they are relevant and useful for your case study assignment. In this short video, we cover three quick checks that you can carry out to filter out irrelevant or unwanted sources:

Refining your search

If you are asked to consider an evidence base for ideas, you are expected to find journal articles with recent published research that direct potential actions and support recommendations. Consider what higher authorities are referred to in your subject field. You could consider legal proceedings, laws, local and national policies, research papers published by professional bodies, journals published for professional groups such as a Journal of Project Management or Journal of International Project Management, serious case reviews, industry reports, analysis of competitor approaches through their published materials or Public Inquiries. NICE guidelines are a common starting point for recommendations in clinical practice, and the National Curriculum can be used as a similar authority for education.

Connecting reading to your chosen case

Your lecturers will expect you to be able to bring in different academic sources, and show where there is debate or disagreement in how a problem should be tackled. For example, in healthcare, a compelling topic for debate is the effectiveness of public health interventions in tackling obesity. Some argue that interventions like educational programs and taxes on sugary drinks effectively reduce obesity rates by promoting healthier lifestyles. However, others contend that these measures may not address underlying socioeconomic factors that contribute to obesity, such as access to nutritious food and opportunities for physical activity. Your case study will need to consider these different perspectives, and show how existing research has informed your recommendations or proposed solutions.

To deepen your critical thinking, try to anticipate the consequences of your proposed actions: is there a contingency plan if they fail? What would happen if you did nothing? Your assignment brief will give guidance on how to achieve higher marks for critical thinking, or you could attend a Skills Centre session on Advanced Critical Writing to build your skills in this area.

Using models

As well as theories and academic literature, you may find it useful to use an existing model to structure your analysis. Take the example of a business case study. The assignment task might ask you to analyse the challenges a small software company is facing in relation to its position in the market and likely competition. You would need to select a model that can shed light on the scenario: SWOT, PESTLE and Porter's Five Forces are common models for analysis, but you could also look for a model tailored to analysing competitive forces, or analysis of markets.

When you choose a theory or model in your analysis, remember to justify why it was chosen - show why it is relevant to your chosen case. If you considered other models in the planning process for the assignment and ultimately decided not to use these, you could explain the reasons for this omission as another way of showing your critical thinking.

For more on this topic:

Explore LinkedIn Learning resources on case study assignments. To sign up for free access to LinkedIn Learning as Sheffield Hallam student, visit the Hallam Digital Skills pages.