What is a case study?
• A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or
event. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject's life
and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of
behavior. Case studies can be used in various fields, including
psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political
science, and social work.
• The purpose of a case study is to learn as much as possible
about an individual or group so that the information can be
generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to
be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to generalize
results to a larger population.
Benefits and Limitations
Pros
• Allows researchers to collect a great deal of information
• Give researchers the chance to collect information on rare or
unusual cases
• Permits researchers to develop hypotheses that can be
explored in experimental research
Benefits and Limitations
Cons
• Cannot necessarily be generalized to the larger population
• Cannot demonstrate cause and effect
• May not be scientifically rigorous
• Can lead to bias
Types of Case Studies
• Collective case studies: These involve studying a group of
individuals. Researchers might study a group of people in a certain
setting or look at an entire community. For example, psychologists
might explore how access to resources in a community has affected
the collective mental well-being of those living there.
• Descriptive case studies: These involve starting with a descriptive
theory. The subjects are then observed, and the information gathered
is compared to the pre-existing theory.
• Explanatory case studies: These are often used to do causal
investigations. In other words, researchers are interested in looking at
factors that may have caused certain things to occur.
Types of Case Studies
• Exploratory case studies: These are sometimes used as a prelude
to further, more in-depth research. This allows researchers to gather
more information before developing their research questions and
hypotheses.
• Instrumental case studies: These occur when the individual or
group allows researchers to understand more than what is initially
obvious to observers.
• Intrinsic case studies: This type of case study is when the
researcher has a personal interest in the case. Jean Piaget's
observations of his own children are good examples of how an
intrinsic case study can contribute to the development of a
psychological theory.
Case Study Format
• Executive Summary. Explain what you will examine in the
case study. Write an overview of the field you’re
researching. Make a thesis statement and sum up the
results of your observation in a maximum of 2 sentences.
• Background. Provide background information and the most
relevant facts. Isolate the issues.
• Case Evaluation. Isolate the sections of the study you
want to focus on. In it, explain why something is working or
is not working.
Case Study Format
• Proposed Solutions. Offer realistic ways to solve what
isn’t working or how to improve its current condition. Explain
why these solutions work by offering testable evidence.
• Conclusion. Summarize the main points from the case
evaluations and proposed solutions. 6. Recommendations.
Talk about the strategy that you should choose. Explain why
this choice is the most appropriate.
• Implementation. Explain how to put the specific strategies
into action.
• References. Provide all the citations.
How to Write a Case Study?
• Define your objective. Explain the reason why you’re
presenting your subject. Figure out where you will feature
your case study; whether it is written, on video, shown as an
infographic, streamed as a podcast, etc.
• Determine who will be the right candidate for your
case study. Get permission, quotes, and other features that
will make your case study effective. Get in touch with your
candidate to see if they approve of being part of your work.
Study that candidate’s situation and note down what caused
it.
How to Write a Case Study?
• Identify which various consequences could result from the
situation. Follow these guidelines on how to start a case study:
surf the net to find some general information you might find useful.
• Make a list of credible sources and examine them. Seek out
important facts and highlight problems. Always write down your
ideas and make sure to brainstorm.
• Focus on several key issues – why they exist, and how they
impact your research subject. Think of several unique solutions.
Draw from class discussions, readings, and personal experience.
When writing a case study, focus on the best solution and explore it
in depth. After having all your research in place, writing a case
study will be easy.
Introduction
• Statement of the issue: Alcoholism is a disease rather than a
weakness of character.
• Presentation of the problem: Alcoholism is affecting more than
14 million people in the USA, which makes it the third most
common mental illness there.
• Explanation of the terms: In the past, alcoholism was commonly
referred to as alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction. Alcoholism
is now the more severe stage of this addiction in the disorder
spectrum.
• Hypotheses: Drinking in excess can lead to the use of other drugs.
• Importance of your story: How the information you present can
help people with their addictions.
Body
• Background of the story: Include an explanation of why you
chose this topic.
• Presentation of analysis and data: Describe the criteria for
choosing 30 candidates, the structure of the interview, and the
outcomes.
• Strong argument 1: ex. X% of candidates dealing with anxiety
and depression...
• Strong argument 2: ex. X amount of people started drinking by
their mid-teens.
• Strong argument 3: ex. X% of respondents’ parents had issues
with alcohol.
Conclusion
• Concluding statement: I have researched if alcoholism is a
disease and found out that…
• Recommendations: Ways and actions for preventing alcohol use.
Finalizing the Draft
• Check that you follow the correct case study format, also in regards
to text formatting.
• Check that your work is consistent with its referencing and citation
style.
• Micro-editing — check for grammar and spelling issues.
• Macro-editing — does ‘the big picture’ come across to the reader?
Is there enough raw data, such as real-life examples or personal
experiences? Have you made your data collection process
completely transparent? Does your analysis provide a clear
conclusion, allowing for further research and practice?
Finalizing the Draft
Problems to avoid:
• Overgeneralization – Do not go into further research that
deviates from the main problem.
• Failure to Document Limitations – Just as you have to clearly
state the limitations of a general research study, you must describe
the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis.
• Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications – Just as you
don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you
also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible
outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings.
