Case Study
Kimberly Greenway
Liberty University

What is a case study?
In psychology a case study is an observation technique in which one person is studied in depth in the hope of revealing universal principles. A case study analyzes the subject’s life to understand pattern and causes of behavior.
What are some reasons for using a case study approach?
Case studies can be used to collect data that involves a person’s individual behavior. This allows a person to obtain a detailed profile of the person being studied. This can provide clear insight for further or future research. Case studies allow researchers a possibility to investigate which is impossible in a laboratory where other research may be conducted.
What are advantages and disadvantages of this approach?
Some advantage of case studies can help generate new methods that may help or be tested later by other research methods. Case studies can provide detailed information, as wells as in depth information on individuals. Also, some unusual cases can help give a clear understanding on some situations or problems that are unethical so they may be studied in other ways.
Some disadvantages of this approach are that vital information may be missing, or may be difficult to interpret. Someone’s memory may be selective or even inaccurate. The case study may also be difficult to replicate and can be very time consuming. Another disadvantage is it may also be difficult to draw definite cause-effect conclusions from your case study.
There are numerous sources that researchers can use for a case study. Here are six sources that have been identified by researchers. Direct observation, interviews, documents, archival records, physical artifacts, and participant observation have all been associated sources used for a case study. Direct observation can be used to gather as much information as possible. It is very