Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of case studies in telecommunications policy research (TPR) and to compare and contrast usage with management, management information systems (MIS) and policy analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conducts a comparative analysis that examines the methodologies used to design and select case studies and the various theories used in their analysis.
Findings
The most sophisticated use of case studies is in management information systems (MIS), distinguishing critical realism, interpretivism and positivism to build theories. In policy analysis and TPR, theories are used to explain case studies, which are chosen as interesting sets of phenomena, rather than as means to extend, falsify or verify theories.
Research limitations/implications
Researchers in telecommunications policy should consider the approaches taken in MIS to determine whether they might improve their rigor. There is also scope for meta-analyses of the existing pool of case studies.
Originality/value
This appears to be the first article examining the use of case studies in TPR.