Qualitative Case Study Research: Key Concepts and Common Misconceptions

Abstract

Qualitative case study is widely employed across disciplines to investigate contemporary phenomena within their real-life contexts. Despite its growing popularity, novice researchers frequently encounter conceptual misunderstandings that undermine the methodological coherence of their studies. Common misconceptions include confusing the research topic with the case, inadequately defining the boundaries of a case, overlooking the significance of context, relying on a single source of evidence, and applying quantitative notions of statistical generalisation to qualitative case study research. This paper provides an overview of six key concepts that underpin qualitative case study, namely the nature of the case, bounded systems, case selection, context, multiple sources of evidence, and the generalisation of findings. Drawing upon established methodological literature, each concept is explained through practical examples while addressing common misconceptions encountered in postgraduate research. Rather than presenting procedural steps for conducting qualitative case studies, the paper aims to strengthen conceptual understanding of the methodological principles that distinguish qualitative case study from other qualitative approaches. By clarifying these fundamental concepts, the paper seeks to support novice researchers in designing more coherent, rigorous, and contextually grounded qualitative case studies and to serve as a practical reference for research supervision and methodology courses.