Contextual background in a case study

If you are pursuing a management degree, there is high probability that you would have been asked to conduct a case study. There is a twist in the research format when a case study is being done, since the subject here is an individual sample. A case study is a typical dissertation which focuses on a particular example. To make the readers acquainted with the subject matter, you must include some background information about the ‘case’.

You are the researcher and would have observed the subject from close quarters, spent time studying it, and would know a lot about the case. But, the people who are reading your case study are completely new to the same. So, including these points to facilitate an easy understanding of the case study would be a great idea:

• The name, location and history of the organization or group that you are studying to tell how the development occurred over the years
•  Information about the national and international scenario of the industry which you are studying will be beneficial in giving and idea about the recent occurrences which impact the case, as well facilitate some comparison
• If there is a corporate entity being studied, then the details of day-to-day working will be also mentioned. If it is a social group, then there must be details about the members of the group and their activities
• The currently accepted theory, being practiced in the organization must be mentioned. General management theory can also play a significant role in defining the working culture and methodologies at a corporate group.

Though the background is important, it must be give only that information which is pertinent to the readers and does some value addition to the study. So, do not go into the minor details. Finally, it’s your discretion that you will have to use to judge the importance of some information.

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Use Research Note Cards to ease your task

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There can be no end to writing and taking notes when you are conducting research. You may have filled up notepads, diaries and, at the end of it, be confused by the bulk of notes. In the frenzy of noting down each and every point, you may just skip the necessity to stay organized. This is really detrimental to your research, as you will spend more time searching for the relevant matter and stating it clearly.

One way in which you can note all you want, without creating a mess, is by using research note cards. These cards are prepared in such a manner that each card contains a particular idea. It is best to use lined cards, which are large enough to include a paragraph on a topic. The cards can be color coded to differentiate between notes from one source and another. Though it is advisable to use a card with a decent size, do not try to fit in two ideas on one card to save space. This will again make them ambiguous.

You can either write directly on research cards, or refine the notes you make in your diary to write on the cards. They will be useful when you are taking notes on the move, during observation. Do not hesitate to include more matter than you need. It is always up to you to choose the information wisely for your research report; but you will not be able to find or remember which you do not note at the right time.

When you are making notes from a published source, you will have to cross check all the matter at least once after writing it. Each note card must contain the source name, or number if you have created a coding system; information about the publication; author’s name and your comments. Being exact and having even the page numbers included is a good idea. You must have your own system to organize your notes, so that later, you can use them accurately. Last tip for today; do not use abbreviations while making notes. A few months later, when you sit down to document your work, you may have no idea of what you wrote.

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Shaping the research objective, step by step

What you are trying to achieve through your research is a question that your peers and guides will ask right at the beginning. When starting a task, you must be sure of its end as well; otherwise, it is very easy to be misled, or leave the task midway. The goal must be very clear. In fact, unless you are sure of the objectives of research, you cannot determine the research questions and move on with the study. So, look before you leap; and identify the purpose of your study.

There are a few steps which you can follow for deciding the objective:

• A review of the literature: go through the studies and reports which have been created based on the subject by other researchers. There can be various sources, like the internet, college libraries, newspaper reports, journal papers and books on the topic, which you can explore for finding out what has been written and discussed earlier.
•  Find the knowledge gap: after you have briefly studied all the literature you can find, note down the results and see their scope. Thus, you will be able to locate the area which has not been explored, or has many facets untouched.
• Focus your study: the next step will be to adjust the focus of the study in such a manner that it addresses the knowledge gap and seeks to fill it. The research aim will be crafted accordingly.
• Explore the society: if you are a social researcher, you can consider looking around yourself in the society and finding areas which need attention. There can be issues which need to be resolved, and matters which require attention. You can aim to solve a part of these problems with the help of your research team.

Whether your research objectives are social, medical or legal or simply literary in nature, they must be properly defined. If the conditions in which you are working are dynamic, then the objectives can change during the course of the research. To allow for such changes, the goals must be kept flexible to some extent.

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