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Case Study Assignment
Department of Psychology: Liberty University
Psyc 255: Introduction to Research
Professor, Ioimo
June 13, 2022
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Case Study Assignment
When it comes to research one will come across an abundance of different methods and
techniques that can be useful when trying to obtain the information that is required. When an
individual is conducting research some of the many methods that can be helpful are the
quantitative and qualitative method, correlational method, and then there is the case study
method which will serve as the main topic throughout this paper. No matter which research
method is used an individual must understand that each method is different from one another and
comes with its own strengths and weaknesses.
Definition of a Case Study
Case studies are a helpful method that originated from clinical science but are mostly
used in social science. In clinical science, researchers were using this method as a way to try and
gain a better understanding of the personal history of a patient. However, when case studies are
used in Psychology a researcher is focused either on one person, a group, or multiple individuals
within a community in an attempt to try and understand a more compound issue (McLeod,
2019). Throughout a case study, researchers will collect data using different methods such as
observations/participant observation and interviews, which are the two main methods of data
collection in a case study and are used to try and understand the depth of the issue over a
prolonged period (Miller, 2020). The information that is obtained through a case study could
potentially lead to a credible conclusion or help researchers confirm a hypothesis. Depending on
how prepared a researcher is or the amount of information that is required, case studies can
sometimes take up to 3-6 months to be completed if conducted properly (Herfors, 2016).
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Advantages and Disadvantages of a Case Study
With any research method comes advantages and disadvantages and case studies are no
different. Case studies offer an abundance of information and have the potential to answer or
confirm a conclusion based off the researcher's findings. Case studies allow a researcher to better
understand phenomena that could not be studied experimentally (Crawford, 2018). Since case
studies sometimes only focus on one individual, the researcher is able to investigate a topic in far
more detail than might be possible if they were trying to deal with a larger number of research
participants (McLeod, 2019). This research approach also allows for researchers to conduct their
research in a way to where multiple methods can be used to obtain a vast amount of information
and heightens the possibility for future research questions to be developed in the process.
With case studies there are also limitations, but the advantages of a case study outweigh
those limitations. Even though there are more advantages, individuals should still be aware of the
disadvantages they are subjected to when using the case study method. One disadvantage is that
a case study is not an objective method and is in fact subjective which can lead to a variety of
errors. If a researcher interprets a participant's emotions throughout the study in an incorrect
manner this could lead to “information disruptions that could be problematic to the eventual
work of a hypothesis verification” (Miller, 2020). Another disadvantage of case studies is that it
is not free from research bias. This means that if a researcher feels the participants answers do
not support their hypothesis, researchers will ignore the participants answers and in return the
researcher will instead provide answers that “influence the systematic investigation to arrive at
certain outcomes which will take the investigation off-course and deviates it from its true
outcomes (Form Plus, 2022).
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When to Use a Case Study Approach
When picking which approach will be most beneficial to a study, one must know what the
objective of their study is. When using case studies researchers are attempting to obtain a more
in-depth understanding or appreciation of a complex issue in a natural real-life circumstance
(Crowe, et al, 2011). Questions such as, why? what? and how? are being asked and researchers
can use the case study method to try and attempt to answer these questions by obtaining
information through observations and interviews. Another reason for using case studies is, “The
case study approach can offer additional insights into what gaps exist in its delivery or why an
implementation strategy might be chosen over another (Crowe, et al, 2011).
Ways to Obtain Data for a Case Study
When conducting a case study there are a variety of ways to obtain data. As mentioned
earlier, interviews and observations/participant observations are the two main methods used
when acquiring the data that is needed. With interviews and observations there is also the use of
documents, and qualitative and quantitative data that can be obtained through a variety of
different sources. Documents provide a researcher with additional data that can benefit their
study. These documents can “contain data that no longer can be observed, provide details that
participants have forgotten and can track change and development” (Triad 3, 2016).
Conclusion
When picking a research method, one should understand what the objective of their study
is to make sure that the correct approach is being used. Using a case study approach allows for a
researcher to observe events in real time and hopefully help to confirm their hypothesis using the
data that was collected. Even though case studies have limitations, the advantages are sure to
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surpass those limitations. Conducting a case study correctly has the potential for future questions
to be answered and allows for future research to be conducted.
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References
Herfors, D., (2016). “The Time and Process Used to Write a Case Study” Retrieved from:
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1052966/FULLTEXT01.pdf
McLeod, S., (2019). “ Retrieved from: Case Study Method”
https://www.simplypsychology.org/case-study.html
Miller, B., (2020). “ Retrieved from: Case Study Method-18 Advantages and Disadvantages”
https://greengarageblog.org/case-study-method-18-advantages-and-disadvantages
Crawford (2018). “Introduction to Research: Less Fright, More Insight: A Customized Version of
Research Methods: Are You Equipped?” Second Edition by Jennifer Bonds-Raacke and
John Raacke (3rd Edition). Kendall Hunt Publishing. Retrieved from:
https://libertyonline.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9781524965457/pageid/88
Form Plus, (2022). “Research Bias, Definitions, Types, + Examples” Retrieved from:
https://www.formpl.us/blog/research-bias#:~:text=What%20is%20Research%20Bias
%3F,to%20arrive%20at%20certain%20outcomes
Triad 3, (2016). “An Introduction to Document Analysis” Retrieved from:
https://lled500.trubox.ca/2016/244#:~:text=Documents%20can%20provide
%20supplementary%20research,field%20(Bowen%2C%202009).
Research Bias: Definition, Types + Exam
Research Bias: Definition, Types + Example
Research Bias: Definition, Types + Examples
Research Bias: Definition, T
