Case studies

Question 1

Definition

Answer 1

A case study involves the detailed examination of a single example of something, thus a case study could involve the study of a single institution, community or social group, an individual person, a particular historical event, or a single social action. In general, case studies make no claims to be representative.

Question 2

Interpretivist or positivist

Answer 2

Interpretivist

Question 3

info

Answer 3

Usually the sample for the case study will be small and regarded as ‘typical’. Detailed focus on the sample using a range of methods is generally regarded as providing high validity. Triangulation and checking of data and interpretations through different or the use of multiple methods may contribute to higher validity. These methods tend to be high in validity and low in reliability. Ethical issues associated with case studies for example of permission, access, control over the disclosure of information and confidentiality, and the potential impact on the lives of those studied.

Question 4

bulletpoints

Answer 4

access 
gaining understanding of meaning and purpose 
seeing reality of social life 
ethical issues 
fitness for purpose

Question 5

Advantages

Answer 5

• Case studies allow a lot of detail to be collected that would not normally be easily obtained by other research designs. The data collected is normally a lot richer and of greater depth than can be found through other experimental designs.
• Case studies tend to be conducted on rare cases where large samples of similar participants are not available. Cases of brain damage are quite minimal and it is extremely rare to find people with the exact same parts of the brain affected
• detailed qualitative accounts often produced in case studies not only help to explore or describe the data in real-life environment, but also help to explain the complexities of real life situations which may not be captured through experimental or survey research.

Question 6

limitations

Answer 6

• cannot necessarily be generalised to the wider population since they use a small number of subjects, some conducted with only one subject.
• Some case studies are not scientific - reliable
• there also tends to only be one experimenter collecting the data. This can lead to bias in data collection, which can influence results more than in different designs.
• It is also very difficult to draw a definite cause/effect from case studies
• case studies are often labelled as being too long, difficult to conduct. The danger comes when the data are not managed and organised systematically.