Page 294 - DEDU502_GUIDANCE_AND_COUNSELING_ENGLISH

Guidance and counseling Kulwinder Pal, Lovely Professional University

Notes Unit 27: Case Study

CONTENTS
Objectives
Introduction
27.1 Meaning of Case Study
27.2 Types of Case Study
27.3 Case Study Methods
27.4 Sources of Information for Case Study
27.5 Preparation of a Psychology Case Study
27.6 Strength of Case Study
27.7 Limitations of Case Study

27.8 Summary
27.9 Keywords
27.10 Review Questions
27.11 Further Readings

Objectives

After reading this unit students will be able to:
• Explain the meaning of case study
• Discuss the types of case study
• Explain the case study methods
• Discuss the sources of information for case study
• Describe the preparation of psychology case study
• Explain the strength and limitations of case study

Introduction

Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single person, group, event or community. Typically
data are gathered from a variety of sources and by using several different methods (e.g. observations
& interviews). The case study research method originated in clinical medicine (the case history, i.e.
the patient’s personal history - idiographic method).

The case study method often involves simply observing what happens to, or reconstructing
‘the case history’ of a single participant or group of individuals (such as a school class or
a specific social group), i.e the idiographic approach.

Case studies allow a researcher to investigate a topic in far more detail than might be possible if

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