what are the components of a case study coursera

• Online Degree Explore Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees
• MasterTrack™ Earn credit towards a Master’s degree
• University Certificates Advance your career with graduate-level learning
• Top Courses
• Join for Free

Google Data Analytics Capstone: Complete a Case Study

This course is part of Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate

Taught in English

Instructor: Google Career Certificates

Top Instructor

Financial aid available

442,132 already enrolled

(13,788 reviews)

Recommended experience

Beginner level

  No prior experience with spreadsheets or data analytics is required. All you need is high-school level math and a curiosity about how things work.

What you'll learn

Differentiate between a capstone project, case study, and a portfolio.

Identify the key features and attributes of a completed case study.

Apply the practices and procedures associated with the data analysis process to a given set of data.

Discuss the use of case studies/portfolios when communicating with recruiters and potential employers.

Skills you'll gain

• Data Analysis
• Creating case studies
• Data Visualization
• Data Cleansing
• Developing a portfolio

Details to know

Add to your LinkedIn profile

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

Build your Data Analysis expertise

• Learn new concepts from industry experts
• Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
• Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
• Earn a shareable career certificate from Google

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV

Share it on social media and in your performance review

There are 4 modules in this course

This course is the eighth and final course in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. You’ll have the opportunity to complete a case study, which will help prepare you for your data analytics job hunt. Case studies are commonly used by employers to assess analytical skills. For your case study, you’ll choose an analytics-based scenario. You’ll then ask questions, prepare, process, analyze, visualize and act on the data from the scenario. You’ll also learn about useful job hunting skills, common interview questions and responses, and materials to build a portfolio online. Current Google data analysts will continue to instruct and provide you with hands-on ways to accomplish common data analyst tasks with the best tools and resources.

Learners who complete this certificate program will be equipped to apply for introductory-level jobs as data analysts. No previous experience is necessary. By the end of this course, learners will: - Learn the benefits and uses of case studies and portfolios in the job search. - Explore real world job interview scenarios and common interview questions. - Discover how case studies can be a part of the job interview process. - Examine and consider different case study scenarios. - Have the chance to complete your own case study for your portfolio.

Learn about capstone basics

A capstone is a crowning achievement. In this part of the course, you’ll be introduced to capstone projects, case studies, and portfolios, and will learn how they help employers better understand your skills and capabilities. You’ll also have an opportunity to explore the online portfolios of real data analysts.

What's included

3 videos 5 readings 1 quiz 1 discussion prompt 1 plugin

3 videos • Total 14 minutes

• Introducing the capstone project • 4 minutes • Preview module
• Rishie: What employers look for in data analysts • 2 minutes
• Best-in-class • 7 minutes

5 readings • Total 100 minutes

• Course 8 overview: Set your expectations • 20 minutes
• Explore portfolios • 20 minutes
• Your portfolio and case study checklist • 20 minutes
• Revisit career paths in data • 20 minutes
• Next steps • 20 minutes

1 quiz • Total 20 minutes

• Data journal: Prepare for your project • 20 minutes

1 discussion prompt • Total 10 minutes

• Introduce yourself • 10 minutes

1 plugin • Total 10 minutes

• Refresher: Your Google Data Analytics Certificate roadmap • 10 minutes

Optional: Build your portfolio

In this part of the course, you’ll review two possible tracks to complete your case study. You can use a dataset from one of the business cases provided or search for a public dataset to develop a business case for an area of personal interest. In addition, you'll be introduced to several platforms for hosting your completed case study.

3 videos 9 readings 1 quiz 4 discussion prompts 1 plugin

3 videos • Total 7 minutes

• Get started with your case study • 3 minutes • Preview module
• Unlimited potential with analytics case studies • 1 minute
• Share your portfolio • 2 minutes

9 readings • Total 150 minutes

• Introduction to building your portfolio • 10 minutes
• Choose your case study track • 20 minutes
• Track A details • 10 minutes
• Case Study 1: How does a bike-share navigate speedy success? • 20 minutes
• Case Study 2: How can a wellness company play it smart? • 20 minutes
• Track B details • 10 minutes
• Case Study 3: Follow your own case study path • 20 minutes
• Resources to explore other case studies • 20 minutes
• Create your online portfolio • 20 minutes

1 quiz • Total 60 minutes

• Hands-On Activity: Add your portfolio to Kaggle • 60 minutes

4 discussion prompts • Total 40 minutes

• Case Study 1: How does a bike-share navigate speedy success? • 10 minutes
• Case Study 2: How can a wellness company play it smart? • 10 minutes
• Case Study 3: Follow your own case study path • 10 minutes
• Optional: Share your portfolio with others • 10 minutes
• Capstone roadmap • 10 minutes

Optional: Use your portfolio

Your portfolio is meant to be seen and explored. In this part of the course, you’ll learn how to discuss your portfolio and highlight specific skills in interview scenarios. You’ll also create and practice an elevator pitch for your case study. Finally, you’ll discover how to position yourself as a top applicant for data analyst jobs with useful and practical interview tips.

6 videos 7 readings 1 quiz

6 videos • Total 27 minutes

• Discussing your portfolio • 4 minutes • Preview module
• Scenario video: Introductions • 7 minutes
• Scenario video: Case study • 5 minutes
• Scenario video: Problem-solving • 3 minutes
• Scenario video: Negotiating terms • 3 minutes
• Nathan: VetNet and giving advice to vets • 3 minutes

7 readings • Total 110 minutes

• Introduction to sharing your work • 10 minutes
• The interview process • 20 minutes
• Scenario video series introduction • 20 minutes
• What makes a great pitch • 10 minutes
• Top tips for interview success • 10 minutes
• Prepare for interviews with Interview Warmup • 20 minutes
• Negotiate your contract • 20 minutes
• Self-Reflection: Polish your portfolio • 20 minutes

Put your certificate to work

Earning your Google Data Analytics Certificate is a badge of honor. It's also a real badge. In this part of the course, you'll learn how to claim your certificate badge and display it in your LinkedIn profile. You'll also be introduced to job search benefits that you can claim as a certificate holder, including access to the Big Interview platform and Byteboard interviews.

3 videos 4 readings 2 quizzes 1 discussion prompt 1 plugin

3 videos • Total 5 minutes

• Congratulations on completing your Capstone Project! • 1 minute • Preview module
• From all of us ... • 1 minute
• Explore professional opportunities • 3 minutes

4 readings • Total 80 minutes

• Showcase your work • 20 minutes
• Claim your Google Data Analytics Certificate badge • 20 minutes
• Sign up to the Big Interview platform • 20 minutes
• Expand your data career expertise • 20 minutes

2 quizzes • Total 4 minutes

• Did you complete a case study? • 2 minutes
• End-of-program checklist • 2 minutes
• Connect with Google Data Analytics Certificate graduates • 10 minutes
• End-of-program survey • 10 minutes

Instructor ratings

We asked all learners to give feedback on our instructors based on the quality of their teaching style.

Grow with Google is an initiative that draws on Google's decades-long history of building products, platforms, and services that help people and businesses grow. We aim to help everyone – those who make up the workforce of today and the students who will drive the workforce of tomorrow – access the best of Google’s training and tools to grow their skills, careers, and businesses.

Recommended if you're interested in Data Analysis

Data Analysis with R Programming

Share Data Through the Art of Visualization

Ask Questions to Make Data-Driven Decisions

Analyze Data to Answer Questions

Why people choose coursera for their career.

Learner reviews

Showing 3 of 13788

13,788 reviews

Reviewed on Aug 6, 2023

I enjoyed the course. Getting to know the basics of SQL, Tableau, and R was a challenge at first but was explained in great detail and definitaly helped that it was a streamlined process.

Reviewed on Nov 10, 2022

An elevator pitch gives potential employers a quick, high-level understanding of your professional experience. What are the key considerations when creating an elevator pitch? Select all that apply.

Reviewed on Jul 24, 2022

Great Courses and Life Changing new skills learning experience for the present job market. The courses and presentations, from Google Employees and insiders, were above all my expectations

New to Data Analysis? Start here.

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions

What is data analytics.

Data is a group of facts that can take many different forms, such as numbers, pictures, words, videos, observations, and more. We use and create data everyday, like when we stream a show or song or post on social media.

Data analytics is the collection, transformation, and organization of these facts to draw conclusions, make predictions, and drive informed decision-making.

Why start a career in data analytics?

The amount of data created each day is tremendous. Any time you use your phone, look up something online, stream music, shop with a credit card, post on social media, or use GPS to map a route, you’re creating data. Companies must continually adjust their products, services, tools, and business strategies to meet consumer demand and react to emerging trends. Because of this, data analyst roles are in demand and competitively paid.

Data analysts make sense of data and numbers to help organizations make better business decisions. They prepare, process, analyze, and visualize data, discovering patterns and trends and answering key questions along the way. Their work empowers their wider team to make better business decisions.

Why enroll in the Google Data Analytics Certificate?

You will learn the skill set required for becoming a junior or associate data analyst in the Google Data Analytics Certificate. Data analysts know how to ask the right question; prepare, process, and analyze data for key insights; effectively share their findings with stakeholders; and provide data-driven recommendations for thoughtful action.

You’ll learn these job-ready skills in our certificate program through interactive content (discussion prompts, quizzes, and activities) in under six months, with under 10 hours of flexible study a week. Along the way, you'll work through a curriculum designed with input from top employers and industry leaders, like Tableau, Accenture, and Deloitte. You’ll even have the opportunity to complete a case study that you can share with potential employers to showcase your new skill set.

After you’ve graduated from the program, you’ll have access to career resources and be connected directly with employers hiring for open entry-level roles in data analytics.

What background is required?

No prior experience with spreadsheets or data analytics is required. All you need is high-school level math and a curiosity about how things work.

Do you need to be strong at math to succeed in this certificate?

You don't need to be a math all-star to succeed in this certificate. You need to be curious and open to learning with numbers (the language of data analysts). Being a strong data analyst is more than just math, it's about asking the right questions, finding the best sources to answer your questions effectively, and illustrating your findings clearly in visualizations.

What tools and platforms are taught in the curriculum?

You'll learn to use analysis tools and platforms such as spreadsheets (Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel), SQL, presentation tools (Powerpoint or Google Slides), Tableau, RStudio, and Kaggle.

Which “spreadsheet” platform is being taught?

Learners can self-select which platform they want to use throughout the program: Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel. It’s up to the learner’s preference, and all activities throughout the syllabus can be performed on either platform.

Why would I choose to complete the optional capstone project in this certificate?

In the data analyst job hunt, it’s important to demonstrate that you’re able to ask the right questions and that you have the right skills to find the answers . Hiring managers often want proof that you can apply concepts in a meaningful way. Because of this, during the job application process, many employers ask for a link to a portfolio. Our optional capstone project will help learners produce meaningful artifacts for employers to reference during the job interview process. Learners will be encouraged to post these on a public Kaggle portfolio or on GitHub.

Do you need to take each course in course order?

We highly recommend completing the courses in the order presented because the content in each course builds on information from earlier lessons.

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.

The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

What will I get if I subscribe to this Certificate?

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Certificate, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

What is the refund policy?

If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy Opens in a new tab .

More questions

Niyander Tech

Learn with fun

• Coursera Answers

Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD Coursera Quiz Answers

Hello Friends in this article i am gone to share Coursera Course: Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD by Google All weeks quiz answers with you..

Enroll: Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD

ABOUT THIS COURSE

Responsive Web Design in Adobe XD is the sixth course in a program that will equip you with the skills you need to apply to entry-level jobs in user experience (UX) design. In this course, you will design a responsive website using Adobe XD, a popular design tool. You will complete the design process from beginning to end: empathizing with users, defining their pain points, coming up with ideas for design solutions, creating wireframes and prototypes, and testing designs to get feedback. By the end of this course, you will have a new design project to include in your professional UX portfolio.

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• Apply each step of the UX design process (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) to create a responsive website in Adobe XD.
• Plan information architecture and sitemaps for website designs.
• Apply common layouts for web pages.
• Complete a design project and include it in your professional UX portfolio.

SKILLS YOU WILL GAIN

• User Experience (UX)
• Usability Testing
• User Experience Design (UXD)

WEEK 1 QUIZ ANSWERS

Optional – test your knowledge on problem statements.

Question 1) What are the components of a problem statement? Select all that apply.

• User characteristics

Question 2) Consider the following sentence: “Andre is a competitive eater who needs to find an app that will balance their competitive billiards schedule because they are planning a special event next month.” Is this an example of a good problem statement?

WEEK 2 QUIZ ANSWERS

Test your knowledge on ideation techniques.

Question 1) Imagine that you kickstart the ideation process to translate issues your users experience into opportunities for design. You choose an ideation method that encourages designers to explore ideas, stay open-minded, and collaborate. Which method does this reflect?

• Wireframing
• How Might We

Question 2) Which ideation method involves brainstorming ideas under a specified time limit?

• Crazy Eights
• Competitive audit

Test your knowledge on website structures

Question 1) Which website structure allows users to follow their own path because content is linked in several ways?

• Sequential model
• Hierarchical model
• Matrix model
• Database model

Question 2) Hermes wants to create a web page design for a research database that makes it easy for users to search for information. Which website structure should they use?

Question 3) Javier starts work for a new client. The client wants Javier to design the look of a website plug-in for the quizzes on their educational platform. They want students to see one question at a time rather than the whole quiz. They want a simple yet modern look. What type of structure model should Javier use?

Question 4) What are the advantages of using common website structures? Select all that apply.

• Tested and effective
• Improved navigation
• Timeless design
• Meet user expectations

Weekly challenge 2: Create a sitemap for a website

Download file..

WEEK 3 QUIZ ANSWERS

Weekly challenge 3: refine wireframes to meet standards, week 4 quiz answers, test your knowledge on wireframes versus prototypes.

Question 1) Fill in the blank: A designer is developing a retail website and wants to test how well users can add items to the cart. The designer creates a _____ to get feedback on the early design.

• high-fidelity design
• design framework

Question 2) A design team is developing a new app for a photo editor. They want to discuss design options with stakeholders before proceeding to the next phase. How should the team use wireframes at this point of the design stage?

• To develop the interactive version of the final product.
• To explore and compare multiple ideas quickly before committing to a final design.
• To identify and solve problems related to the function of the app.
• To test the design’s functionality and navigation.

Test your knowledge on modifying designs based on research findings

Question 1) As designers work to analyze and synthesize results from their research, what is the next step they should take after finding themes in the data?

• Gather all data from the usability study in one place
• Come up with insights
• Make improvements to the design
• Organize the data

Question 2) You receive feedback from your usability study on your gym locator app prototype. Some users reported they could not find the map view to locate gyms in their selected city. Which design modification aligns best with this feedback?

• Add a filter based on a gym’s amenities
• Add a map view option to the search results page
• Add a sort option to the gym locations’ list view by distance
• Add a link to the Google search page

Weekly challenge 4: Update low-fidelity prototype based on usability study insights

Week 5 quiz answers, test your knowledge on the basics of mockups.

Question 1 What are common elements in a mockup? Select all that apply.

• Iconography

Question 2) Which of the following is an advantage of a high-fidelity mockup?

• High-fidelity mockups can offer designers a basic outline of a product or screen.
• High-fidelity mockups help designers map out a product during the early stages of design development.
• High-fidelity mockups help designers test the product’s functionality.
• High-fidelity mockups allow designers to make multiple iterations without affecting the design’s functionality.

Question 3) What design characteristics make a mockup different from a wireframe?

• A mockup includes minimal details and color.
• A mockup is clickable or highly interactive.
• A mockup is an outline or sketch of a product.
• A mockup is a static, high-fidelity design that closely matches the final product.

Test your knowledge on working with design systems

Question 1) Which of the following is a basic component of a design system? Select all that apply.

• UI components
• Visual styles
• Editorial styles

Question 2) A design team is creating mockups for a website, and wants these mockups to incorporate solutions for multiple pages. A teammate proposes the creation of a design system to ensure consistency. Which of the following is another benefit of a design system?

• Design systems help separate the product from the brand identity.
• Design systems allow designers to develop standards as they move through the process.
• Design systems help designers create scalable designs and increase efficiency.
• Design systems house single-use elements.

Test your knowledge on creating a homepage in Adobe XD

Question 1) Fill in the blank: When creating a mockup in Adobe XD, you can add images easily by creating a ___ first, then dropping the image inside of it.

Question 2) When creating a mockup in Adobe XD, where can you find the alignment tool?

• Property inspector
• Assets panel
• Components tab

Question 3) What is the assets panel in Adobe XD?

• An order of typefaces and fonts used to create divisions to aid users in where to focus and find information.
• A feature used to move or resize an element from a stack, and automatically move the rest of the elements, to preserve the defined spacing between elements.
• A static high-fidelity design used as a representation of a final product.
• A collection of the elements and preferences created in a design.

Test your knowledge on web accessibility

Question 1 Imagine a designer is creating a responsive high-fidelity webpage that should be accessible to people with disabilities. They place markers next to interactive UI elements on the page. What method is the designer using?

• Traversal order
• Annotations
• Hierarchical headings

Question 2 Imagine a designer is creating a responsive high-fidelity webpage that should be accessible to people with disabilities. They apply a method to scale the size of the text based on its importance on the page. What method is the designer using?

Question 3 Imagine a designer is creating a responsive high-fidelity webpage that should be accessible to people with disabilities. They apply a method to add descriptive language to the interactive UI elements on the site. What method is the designer using?

Test your knowledge on usability studies

Question 1) What are the main goals when conducting usability studies for high-fidelity prototypes? Select all that apply.

• Define the design problem
• Understand how users will interact with the final product
• Determine the design solution
• Identify areas to iterate on the prototype and improve the design

Question 2) A designer wants to test a high-fidelity design and conduct a usability study. Which of the following is an example metric that can be used to measure the design’s success?

• User error rate
• Color saturation

Weekly challenge 5: Create a high-fidelity prototype for a website

Week 6 quiz answers, test your knowledge on handing off designs.

Question 1) When building websites, what type of team members are crucial in building the UX team’s vision? Select all that apply.

• Data scientist
• Program manager

Question 2) Fill in the blank: Designers provide mockups, prototypes, and ____ so the engineering team can begin the coding process.

• specifications
• case studies
• research reports

Question 3) How does a designer determine when their designs are final before sending them off to the engineering team?

• If the design passes usability studies and participants seem mostly satisfied with the design, then it’s ready to be delivered to the engineering team.
• As long as assets have been finalized and the designer believes the product looks good, then it’s ready for the engineering team.
• If the designs are true representations of the intended user experience, assets are finalized, and users are able to interact with the designs without external guidance, then it’s ready for the engineering team.
• As long as design specifications have been finalized, then it’s ready to be delivered to the engineering team.

Test your knowledge on portfolio case studies

Question 1) What are the typical components of a case study? Select all that apply.

• Process the team followed
• Outcome of the project
• Usability study participant profiles
• Designer’s role in the project
• Project goal and objectives

Question 2) Fill in the blank: You complete a case study on your latest design project and add it to your portfolio. You should present your case study in a clear and _____ way to tell recruiters what they need to know as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Question 3) Fill in the blank: Sharing case studies in your portfolio is important because case studies are a visual demonstration of your _____. Select all that apply.

• design knowledge
• interests and hobbies
• willingness to collaborate with a team
• ability to see an idea through from start to finish, despite challenges

Question 4) You complete a design project for a photo sharing app and want to create a case study for your portfolio. What should you include in the case study to show recruiters you would be a strong candidate for a UX design role? Select all that apply.

• Sketches, wireframes, and final polished designs
• Explanation of learnings from the design process
• Disagreements with team members
• Rough drafts of every idea

Weekly challenge 6: Document design work and search for jobs

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• GDPR Privacy Policy
• Privacy Policy
• Terms and Conditions

Greetings, Hey i am Niyander, and I hail from India, we strive to impart knowledge and offer assistance to those in need.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

Methodology

• What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

• Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
• Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
• Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
• Open up new directions for future research

TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.

Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

• Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
• Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
• Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Degrees of freedom
• Null hypothesis
• Discourse analysis
• Control groups
• Mixed methods research
• Non-probability sampling
• Quantitative research
• Ecological validity

Research bias

• Rosenthal effect
• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Selection bias
• Negativity bias
• Status quo bias

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, primary vs. secondary sources | difference & examples, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is action research | definition & examples, unlimited academic ai-proofreading.

✔ Document error-free in 5minutes ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• Disclosures
• Insights & Reports

Owned by 186 member countries and consistently rated AAA/Aaa. IFC aims to achieve our mission of promoting development by providing debt and equity to the private sector, through a range of benchmark and bespoke products.

• Governments
• Apply for Financing
• IFC Careers
• General Inquiries

Case Study: Coursera

Toward ending educational privilege, coursera: an agile company partners with the best universities to rapidly scale higher education and lifelong learning.

Our latest case study profiles Coursera, an online education company whose mission is to provide anyone, anywhere with life-changing access to some of the world’s best higher education. An IFC client since 2013, Coursera uses technology to help students overcome access barriers like high tuition costs and lack of availability of desired courses in their region. Through partnerships with 170 top universities, the Coursera community has grown to 58 million learners in 50 countries. To help respond to the COVID-19 crisis, Coursera launched the Coursera Campus Response Initiative , which offers any affected university limited time access to a maximum of 5,000 licenses for free.

Quick Links

• More case studies on IFC clients in education