There is no single definition of a case study; it can be best defined as an intensive and systematic study about a person, a group of people, or a unit that is aimed to generalize over several units. The researcher examines in-depth data relating to several variables to understand the complex phenomenon. According to coursework writing services, there are several types of case studies that students are required to work on during their academic as well as professional life.
These case studies differ from each other on the hypothesis or the thesis that has to be proved. It is a possibility that these types of case studies often overlap each other due to the nature of research of the type of hypothesis that is under discussion. These types of case studies can be used for any field of discipline from psychology to business and even arts and students and professionals can be them for dealing with various research questions. Discussed here are the different types of case studies and how they can be written the best way.
Explanatory Case Study:
This type of case study focuses on an explanation for a question or a phenomenon. Simply put, an explanatory case study is 1 + 1 = 2. The results are final and not up for interpretation. A case study with a person or group cannot be explanatory, as with humans, there will always be variables, modifications, and factors that keep on changing. There are always small variances that cannot be explained.
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However, event case studies can be explanatory. For example, a certain automobile has a series of crashes that are caused by faulty brakes. All of the crashes are a result of brakes not being effective on icy roads. When developing the case study, the researcher will explain the crash and the detailed causes of the brake failure. They will investigate what actions caused the brakes to fail, and what actions could have been taken to prevent the failure. This case study will be used by other car manufacturers to better understand what makes brakes fail. When designing safer products, looking to past failures is an excellent way to ensure similar mistakes are not made.
Exploratory Case Study:
An exploratory case study is usually the precursor to a formal, large-scale research project. The goal of this case study is to prove that further investigation or research is necessary. For example, an exploratory case study could be done on veterans coming home from active combat. Researchers are aware that these vets have PTSD, and are aware that it was the actions of war that cause PTSD. Beyond that, they do not know if certain wartime activities are more likely to contribute to PTSD than others.
For an exploratory case study, the researcher could develop a study that certain war events are more likely to cause PTSD. Once that is demonstrated, a large-scale research project could be done to determine which events are most likely to cause PTSD. Exploratory case studies are popular in psychology and social sciences as psychologists are always looking for better ways to treat their patients, and these studies allow them to research new ideas or theories.
Multiple Case Studies Or Collective Studies:
Multiple or collective studies use information from different studies to formulate the case for a new study. Using past studies allows students to collect additional information without spending more time and money on additional studies. The PTSD issue is an excellent example of a collective study. When studying what contributes most to wartime PTSD, a researcher could use case studies from a different war. Studies about PTSD in WW2 vets, Persian Gulf War vets, and Vietnam vets are an excellent sampling of which wartime activities are most likely to cause PTSD. This case study can also help to know more about differences and work on them.
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Intrinsic Case Study:
It is the study of a case wherein the subject itself is the primary interest. The researchers are interested in the person or the subject; it is not psychological but the experiences and what shape them.
Instrumental Case Study:
An instrumental case study uses a case to seek insights into a phenomenon. A researcher interested in child obesity rates might set up a study with middle school students and an exercise program. The focus of this case study is the learning relationships between children and exercise and why certain children become obese.
The general purpose of a case study is to describe an individual situation or a case such as a person, business, organization, or institution in detail, identify the key issues of the case, analyze the case with help of relevant theoretical concepts from unit or discipline and recommend a course of action for that particular case.
