Introduction Case Study Method of Data Collection
The credit of introducing case study method goes to Frederic Leplay, an English philosopher. Herbert Spencer adopted it and Healey was the first who supported this method and studied Juvenile Delinquency. Later on sociologists, Anthropologists, Ethnologists and other researcher were interested in the study of various cultures by case study method.
Meaning of Case Study
A case study is a comprehensive study of a social unit of society, which may be a person, family group, institution, community or event. A case study focuses attention on a single unit thoroughly. The aim is that to find out the influencing factors of a social unit and the relationship between these factors and a social unit.
Definitions of Case Study Method
- P.V. Young. Case study is a comprehensive study of a social unit, be it a person, a group of persons, an institution, a community or a family.
- Groode and Hatt. it is a method of exploring and analyzing the life of a social unit.
- C.H. Cooley. Case study depends our perception and gives clear insight into life directory.
- Johoda. Case study is a small inclusive and intensive study of an individual in which investigators brings to bear their skills and method.
Keeping the above definitions in view we conclude that case study is a method of studying a social unit and its aspects deeply and thoroughly.
Characteristics of Case Study
Following are the characteristics
- The number of unit to be studied is small.
- It studies a social unit deeply and thoroughly.
- It is qualitative as well as quantitative.
- It covers sufficient wide cycle of time.
- It has continuity in nature.
Stages in a Case Study Method of Data Collection
The techniques and processes of a case study method are given as following.
- Choice of a case or selection of a problem.
- Description of the events.
- Factors influencing study.
- Data processing.
- Data recording.
Sources of Data for Case Study
- Personal documents, viz diaries, memories, autobiographies, letters etc of the researcher.
- Qualification and interest of the researcher.
- Life history of the respondents.
- Motives and objectives of the study.
