A case-study is a research method in which a single instance (or a small number of instances) of a phenomenon is examined in depth, using multiple sources of evidence to produce a rich, contextualized account. It is distinguished from survey or experimental methods by its focus on bounded systems and its use of triangulation across qualitative and quantitative data. The case-study persists through documentation, publication, and citation as a reusable analytical frame. [formal: casus | substrate: behavior | horizon: a life | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
case-study
A case-study is a research method in which a single instance (or a small number of instances) of a phenomenon is examined in depth, using multiple sources of evidence to produce a rich, contextualized account. It is distinguished from surv…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A research method consisting of an in-depth, contextual analysis of a single bounded case — a person, group, event, organization, or phenomenon — using multiple data sources to produce a rich, empirically grounded description. It is human-made through research training and persists by being taught, replicated, and published in academic and professional practice.
Names and aliases
- case-studyen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrvopivx01tz2cei02ow71t4INSTANCE_OF →
Direction tested: case-study INSTANCE_OF research-design. Is case-study a specific kind of research-design? Yes. Case study is a specific research design (Yin, Stake) involving in-depth investigation of a bounded system using multiple evidence sources. It is a recognized type of research design alongside experiments, surveys, and ethnography.
- cmrsphori001z145ry0zfwwzrINSTANCE_OF →
Case study IS a specific kind of method: a structured technique for examining a specific instance to draw conclusions. A competent speaker in education or research would call a case study 'a method.' The nearest kind is method — more specific targets like pedagogical-method don't exist.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 22, 2026, 6:21 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 3437eb59d1cfed958fca008cd3d3d04a5419e3e859575543a455d77b99bb58e2