Research Design and Case Selection

This chapter outlines the research methodology and presents the research questions and propositions that guide the study. It explains how the theoretical perspectives discussed in the previous chapter are adapted to form the conceptual framework for interpreting the empirical case. The study adopts a qualitative case study approach, focusing on Wujin district, whose administrative restructuring, land development trajectory, and participation in successive rounds of centrally rural land experimentation make it a representative and analytically valuable case. The chapter is structured into four parts. First, it introduces the three core research questions and their associated sub-questions. Second, it provides the historical, social, and economic context of Wujin District and explains the rationale for its selection as the case study site. Third, it details the data collection process, including field investigations, in-depth interviews, documentary analysis, and the iterative development of new questions as fresh information emerged. The chapter concludes with reflections on the suitability of Wujin for the case study and considerations related to research design. Observations from the study site further enrich the qualitative analysis and deepen the understanding of China’s rural land reform mechanisms.