On starting to position your research objectives:
Seek out other research papers dealing with similar issues (perhaps in other fields), research that has influenced your or that you might consider modelling your study on?
On starting to gather data:
Keep your thinking open ended...
Investigation is often driven by questions:
"what's distinctive or unique about the situation?"
"why?"
"what works, what doesn't work so well?"
"why?"
"what would you do again, what would you drop?"
"why?
And always try to establish corroborating evidence for claims, through documents and artefacts, by direct observation...
Consider including actual quotes or vignette style 'episodes' to illustrate important features, e.g. key moments, or pattern of regularity.
Use photographs, diagrams, sketches.
As a basic principal social and organisational research should not harm or disadvantage those involved. Therefore you will nearly always need to anonymise subjects identities. You may also need to anonymise your broader case identifiers too (company names, product).
Likewise it should not be necessary to expose any proprietary material, architectural detail, code or other intellectual data.
On starting to analyse, interpret and theorise:
Analysis should be in an impersonal style.
Commence interpretation against chosen theory or theories.
Start identifying relevant research literature to position your case study.
Suggest future directions for expanded study or more focused study.
