A case study design means you study one thing in depth — one organisation, one community, one programme, or one person — instead of surveying many. You go deep rather than wide. It suits topics where the detail matters more than the count, and it is common in projects that examine a specific company, bank, hospital, or government agency.
When to Use It
- Your topic focuses on one specific organisation or setting.
- You want detailed understanding of how or why something happens there.
- You have access to documents, staff or records from that one case.
- A broad survey would lose the detail you actually care about.
When Not to Use It
- You want results that generalise to a whole population — a survey fits better.
- You need to compare many units statistically.
- You cannot get real access to the single case you have chosen.
Nigerian Project Example
"The impact of internal control systems on fraud prevention: a study of [Bank], [Branch]." You focus on one bank, gather data from its staff and records, and explain in detail how its controls work — rather than surveying every bank in Nigeria.
Undergraduate vs Postgraduate
Undergraduate case studies often combine a small questionnaire to staff of the case organisation with simple analysis. Postgraduate case studies go deeper — multiple data sources (interviews, documents, observation), a clear theoretical lens, and careful triangulation. Postgraduates are also expected to justify why this single case is worth studying.
Common Mistakes
- Claiming findings from one organisation apply to the whole country.
- Choosing a case you cannot actually access for data.
- Treating it as a mini-survey instead of going genuinely deep.
- No clear reason given for why that particular case was chosen.
Your design choice belongs in your methodology — see how to write Chapter Three and the full research methodology guide. Project Lab can help you frame a focused case study and justify your single case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a case study use a questionnaire?
Yes. Many Nigerian case studies use a questionnaire given to staff of the case organisation, sometimes alongside interviews or document review. The key is that all data comes from the one case you are studying.
Do case study findings generalise?
Not statistically. They give deep insight into one setting. State your findings as applying to that case, and be cautious about extending them to all similar organisations.