The Anatomy of the Case Study

This sharp, stimulating title provides a structure for thinking about, analysing and designing case study. It explores the historical, theoretical and practical bones of modern case study research, offering to social scientists a framework for understanding and working with this form of inquiry. Using detailed analysis of examples taken from across the social sciences Thomas and Myers set out, and then work through, an intricate typology of case study design to answer questions such as:

How is a case study constructed?
What are the required, inherent components of case study?
Can a coherent structure be applied to this form of inquiry?

The book grounds complex theoretical insights in real world research and includes an extended example that has been annotated line by line to take the reader through each step of understanding and conducting research using case study.

Author Biography

Gary Thomas is a professor of education at the University of Birmingham. His teaching and research have focused on inclusion, special education and research methodology in education, with a particular focus on case study. He has co-edited the International Journal of Research and Method in Education and the British Educational Research Journal and is currently executive editor of Educational Review. Kevin Myers is senior lecturer in Social History and Education at the University of Birmingham. He works on the history and sociology of education, and has specific interests in the application of psychological knowledge in school systems. He serves on editorial boards for the journals History of Education, History of Education Review and Paedagogica Historica: International Journal for History of Education.