The case studies have been chosen to provide examples of topics covered in previous sections. Compared to real-world instances, some rules outlined in workplace safety, accident frequency, workers' compensation, environmental pollution, waste management, disasters, and training will be more clearly understood. Due to the goal of making writing concise and manageable, there are some instances when precise laws and rules have been established but could not be presented in the text. Similarly, specific facts may be provided. Here, an attempt is made to compile such information and group it under case studies.
Case studies offer a methodical and scientific approach to observing or analyzing occurrences, gathering data, analyzing information, and creating reports. Consequently, the researcher may have a clearer grasp of why the incident occurred as it did and what could be crucial to examine in further detail in a subsequent study. Case studies are useful for both coming up with and evaluating theories. To put it another way, a case study should be considered a research strategy—an empirical inquiry that explores phenomena in their actual setting. Case study research includes single and numerous case studies, is supported by various sources of evidence, and gains from the earlier formulation of theoretical hypotheses. All available evidence from both quantitative and qualitative research supports case studies.
Illustrative case studies, exploratory case studies, cumulative case studies, and critical instance case studies are the four different types of case studies.
Descriptive Case Studies − These are studies that serve as examples. Usually, they use one or two instances of an occurrence to illustrate how a condition is. Illustrative case studies primarily familiarise the unknown and provide readers with a common language about the subject under discussion.
Exploratory (or pilot) Case Studies − These are carried out before a significant study starts. Before the primary study, they provide the fundamental purpose of assisting with question identification and measurement type selection. The main weakness of this kind of research is that preliminary results could be deemed conclusive too quickly.
Cumulative Case Studies − These compile data from many websites gathered over time. These investigations are based on the theory that pooling prior research will enable better generalization without requiring more funding or effort for brand-new, perhaps redundant experiments.
Critical Instance Case Studies − These look at one or more locations to study a scenario of particular interest with little to no interest in generalizability or to contest or refute a generalized or universal claim. For addressing cause and effect queries, adopt this approach.
In social research, the words case study and casework are frequently employed. Understanding the difference between these two phrases is crucial in this situation. Casework refers to the developmental and rehabilitative process after diagnosis, whereas case study refers to the comprehensive analysis of a specific unit. These two concepts are, of course, distinct aspects of the same problem-solving strategy; they are connected and complementary. According to M. H. Gopal, case studies are frequently viewed as a method, occasionally as a technique, rarely as an "approach" to social reality, and sporadically as a way to organize data in terms of specific units. He continues by saying that it is a method that carefully examines a situation while considering all relevant factors. It uses a person, organization, or group as the study unit.
Case studies can be used in a variety of ways, some of which are included below −
Composing a case study analysis − A written case study examination is likely to yield the most thorough results. You can utilize case studies in term papers and other relevant readings and sources.
Experts' panel − Even if group members miss out on the benefits of involvement, hearing a panel of experts discuss a case can be helpful, especially when learning about the case method. Using a panel of experts to analyze a case after a group has done so would be a version of this strategy.
Evaluation of comparable case studies − Collecting episodes from group members' experiences that are comparable to the case being discussed is another variant of the case discussion technique. Generalizations about the subject under discussion could also apply to other members' experiences.
Cross-examination − They will learn that thorough planning and preparation are required before beginning a case study by cross-examining group members with questions they have already prepared. The researcher is given several opportunities to ask participants to defend their points of view in light of the evidence offered by this approach, which is especially suitable for use in instances having much information.
A typical qualitative research technique, the case study, is widely utilized in anthropology, psychology, management, medicine, and history. The case studies may be traced back to the 1920s to 1950s, the early years of contemporary social and cultural study. The Chicago School was associated with the case study approach, particularly in the writings of Paul Lazarsfeld and Elihu Katz, and it followed the same principles as Frankfurt School. The definition of a case is a challenge for the case study technique. Individuals, social groups, cultural entities like media organizations, goods, and events, as well as interpretive communities or sociocultural processes, can all be considered cases. Focusing on case studies is a current trend in the Case Study Method.
Case studies are the best method for academics who wish to comprehend phenomena fully. Writing case studies of his patients is ascribed to Sigmund Freud in psychology, while Margaret Mead used them to do anthropological studies. However, to comprehend people, groups, events, and organizations, the case study researcher gathers information from as many sources as possible. The case study approach has also been defined as an empirical investigation that uses various sources of data to examine a current phenomenon in its actual setting, even though the boundaries between the phenomenon and its setting are not always immediately obvious.
The case study method's key characteristics are:
It may include many techniques and analytical frameworks.
A case study must be defined within the framework of an approach; otherwise, the phrase would remain ambiguous and imprecise.
Setting case study boundaries or limits is a crucial and challenging problem.
A case study is a significant field of research that aids in the individual's study and the creation of solutions for corrective education. This course aims to familiarise you with the methodical case study processes that may be used to create strategic interventions for the growth of a certain feature. Case studies are also helpful in psychology, and it alludes to the utilization of a descriptive research methodology to acquire a comprehensive study of an individual or group. Numerous methods can be used to study the topic, including in-person interviews, observation, psychometric testing, and historical documents.