However, the collection of information on an event is much easier if it is part of an ongoing process. Also, much information such as that from newspapers, TV news, etc. will be very difficult to retrieve if not preserved as it happens. Researching the Case Study Topic There are many potential sources of information for the development of case studies. Company documents and reports can be quite enlightening, but can be difficult to obtain. The most reliable and most easily obtainable sources of information are usually at large public libraries.
Periodicals are an excellent place to begin the research for a case study.
In aerospace engineering, trade magazines such as Aerospace America and Aviation Week and Space Technology provide a good balance of information about the technical issues, people, and politics involved in case- study events. When gathering material for a potential case it is important to keep in mind that people and politics are often more important than the physics. If available, books focusing on the particular event can be extremely useful because they often provide more insight into the activities behinds the scenes. Often gathering the technical details about a case is not difficult, but gathering information on the motivations of the people involved is difficult. If such a book is well written, the author will have done a lot of the background research needed for your case study.