Cs1 - case document

A case study is a research method common in social science. It is based on an in-depth investigation of a single individual, group, or event. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. Thelatter type is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles.[1][2] They may be prospective, in which criteria are established and cases fitting the criteria are included as theybecome available, or retrospective, in which criteria are established for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the study.

Rather than using samples and following a rigid protocol(strict set of rules) to examine limited number of variables, case study methods involve an in-depth, longitudinal (over a long period of time) examination of a single instance or event: a case.They provide a systematic way of looking at events, collecting data, analyzing information, and reporting the results. As a result the researcher may gain a sharpened understanding of why the instancehappened as it did, and what might become important to look at more extensively in future research. Case studies lend themselves to both generating and testing hypotheses.[3]

Another suggestionis that case study should be defined as a research strategy, an empirical inquiry that investigates a phenomenon within its real-life context. Case study research means single and multiple casestudies, can include quantitative evidence, relies on multiple sources of evidence and benefits from the prior development of theoretical propositions. Case studies should not be confused withqualitative research and they can be based on any mix of quantitative and qualitative evidence. Single-subject research provides the statistical framework for making inferences from quantitative case-studydata.[2][4] This is also supported and well-formulated in (Lamnek, 2005): "The case study is a research approach, situated between concrete data taking techniques and methodologic paradigms."