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.

What is case study? -- The history of case study and its epistemological status -- Generalization, phronesis and the case study -- Induction and the case study -- A typology for case study -- Working through the typology -- An example in depth: Contesting certification -- Conslusion: drawing from the anatomy and constructing the study.