CASE STUDIES

• Case studies


  Detailed and in-depth investigations of a small group or an individual
• Case studies


  • Allow researchers to examine individuals in great depth
  • Behaviour is explored in a way where researchers can explain the feelings of the individual around particular behaviours and issues
  • Data is often collected through interviews or observations, generating mostly qualitative data, but can be triangulated with methods that generate quantitative data also
  • Most case studies tend to be longitudinal i.e. a participant's experience/progress is tracked and measured (qualitatively and sometimes quantitatively) over time
• Case study


  • The case of HM: qualitative data was obtained via interviews and observations; quantitative data was obtained via memory tests, IQ tests and MRI scanning of his brain
• Strengths of case studies

  • This is a holistic approach, where the whole individual and their experiences are considered
  • Allows researchers to study unique behaviours and experiences which would be unethical or impossible to manipulate in controlled conditions
  • Case studies provide rich, in-depth data which is high in explanatory power
• Limitations of case studies

  • Results are not generalisable or representative due to (usually) only one person being the focus of the study
  • The researcher may be biased in their interpretation of the information
  • Often case studies rely on their participants having a good memory which means that information/details can be missed which would impact the validity of the findings