-in depth study of one individual or a small group
what are the main aspects of a case study?
-the focus is normally on an individual rather than gaining information from larger groups as with an experiment
-a detailed record is often complied containing information relevant
-qualitative information is usually collected by unstructured interviews
what are the strengths of a case study?
collects a great deal of in depth qualitative information about a persons history- this is a strength because quantitative data often lacks detail
what are the weaknesses of a case study?
because of the qualitative nature of the method, comparisons between individuals are difficult and this makes generalisations to larger groups difficult
the individualistic nature of the method makes replication very difficult as no 2 studies are the same
