A case study is an in-depth, detailed examination of a particular case (or cases) within a real-world context. Generally, a case study can highlight an individual, group, organization, event, belief system, or action. A case study does not necessarily have to be one observation, but may include many observations (one or multiple individuals and entities across multiple time periods, all within the same case study). Comparative analysis, on the other hand, is a method that compares two or more of anything (documents, data sets, political systems etc.) – though sometimes a form of comparative analysis is used to compare two or more cases studies, demonstrating the links between these two methods. Text adapted from Wikipedia.
The resources below have been curated by the E-International Relations team. You can find more resources on our methods homepage.
Types of Case Study by Graham R Gibbs (YouTube)
Comparative Politics: What and how to compare by Patrick Theiner (YouTube)
Comparative Case Studies – Avoid bias, ensure case studies represent population, not anomalies by Delwyn Goodrick (YouTube)
Websites
Writing a Case Study by PLNU (Website).
Qualitative Comparative Analysis by Wendy Olsen (Website).
