Vibrant and insightful, this book introduces students and researchers to the basics of case study research. Adopting jargon-free language, it grounds its advice in concrete experience and real-world cases. Using examples from across the social sciences, Gary Thomas provides practical guidance on how best to read, design and carry out case study research with a focus on how to manage and analyze data. The new edition of this bestselling book addresses crucial issues around ethics and has improved coverage of key themes such as rigor, validity, generalization and the analysis of case studies. It demystifies case study research and answers important questions such as: What is a case study? When and why should case study methods be used? How are case studies designed? What methods can be used? How do we analyze and make sense of our data? How do we write up and write about our case? Bursting with real-world examples and multidisciplinary cases, and supported by a dynamic new website, this book is essential reading for any student or researcher in the social sciences and humanities.