Case studies.

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Case studies.

Advantages

  • Highly detailed and in depth data is provided which superficial methods might miss or ignore,
  • Can be used to investigate rare human behaviour and experience - it would not be ethical to generate certain conditions experimentally.
  • The complex interaction of many factors can be studied, in contrast with experiments where many variables are held constant.

Disadvantages

  • It is difficult to generalise as each individual case has unique characteristics.
  • Researchers may lack objectivity as they get to know the case.
  • Many ethical issues such as confidentiality - many cases are easily identifiable because of their unique characteristics, even when real names are not given.

Evaluation

Case studies are more useful than experiments in providing in depth and detailed data, especially regarding rare cases of human behaviour. However, as case studies are based on individual cases, they are difficult to generalise and hence are limited in terms of real world applications.

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