"In cases when" vs. "in cases where"

Question

This is one I struggle with from time to time. Which is better?

• Methodology X is more suitable in cases where users' needs are well understood up front.
• Methodology X is more suitable in cases when users' needs are well understood up front.

Is one of these ungrammatical? Or is it purely a matter of personal preference?

Answer 1

Since you use "in cases..." I'd say where, because you specified a "location" when you said "is more suitable in cases where..."

You could instead use when if you deleted that part so:

...is more suitable when users' needs...

Answer 2

Go with 'where' because, as @Alenanno states, you have said 'in cases' which hints at a location, though an abstract one.

You could use 'when' with a slight reword: '...suitable at times when...'.

@Mickeyf 's suggestion (in which) would normally be a good substitute but in this particular case it would leave you with a repetition of 'in', which sounds clumsy. This option would fit better if you went with '...suitable for cases in which...'.

So, I would say that those are your choices.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

The sentence seems to me to be excessively wordy. The tendency to embellish sentences, in the hope of adding an air of authority, should be resisted.

Methodology X is more suitable in cases where users' needs are well understood up front.

Why not simply say

Methodology X is more suitable if users' needs are well understood.

Though the context ought also to tell us the specific methodology with which X is being compared.

Answer 4

From Gartner's modern usage guide, I gather avoid using cases altogether.

For example:

Methodology X is more suitable in cases where if users' needs are well understood up front.

Answer 5

I would say "in which user's needs...". You are referring neither to spatial nor temporal location.