The main limitation of the case study method is that

Information about the limitations of your study are generally placed either at the beginning of the discussion section of your paper so the reader knows and understands the limitations before reading the rest of your analysis of the findings, or, the limitations are outlined at the conclusion of the discussion section as an acknowledgement of the need for further study. Statements about a study's limitations should not be buried in the body [middle] of the discussion section unless a limitation is specific to something covered in that part of the paper. If this is the case, though, the limitation should be reiterated at the conclusion of the section.

If you determine that your study is seriously flawed due to important limitations, such as, an inability to acquire critical data, consider reframing it as an exploratory study intended to lay the groundwork for a more complete research study in the future. Be sure, though, to specifically explain the ways that these flaws can be successfully overcome in a new study.

But, do not use this as an excuse for not developing a thorough research paper! Review the tab in this guide for developing a research topic. If serious limitations exist, it generally indicates a likelihood that your research problem is too narrowly defined or that the issue or event under study is too recent and, thus, very little research has been written about it. If serious limitations do emerge, consult with your professor about possible ways to overcome them or how to revise your study.

When discussing the limitations of your research, be sure to:

  • Describe each limitation in detailed but concise terms;
  • Explain why each limitation exists;
  • Provide the reasons why each limitation could not be overcome using the method(s) chosen to acquire or gather the data [cite to other studies that had similar problems when possible];
  • Assess the impact of each limitation in relation to the overall findings and conclusions of your study; and,
  • If appropriate, describe how these limitations could point to the need for further research.

Remember that the method you chose may be the source of a significant limitation that has emerged during your interpretation of the results [for example, you didn't interview a group of people that you later wish you had]. If this is the case, don't panic. Acknowledge it, and explain how applying a different or more robust methodology might address the research problem more effectively in a future study. A underlying goal of scholarly research is not only to show what works, but to demonstrate what doesn't work or what needs further clarification.

Aguinis, Hermam and Jeffrey R. Edwards. “Methodological Wishes for the Next Decade and How to Make Wishes Come True.” Journal of Management Studies 51 (January 2014): 143-174; Brutus, Stéphane et al. "Self-Reported Limitations and Future Directions in Scholarly Reports: Analysis and Recommendations." Journal of Management 39 (January 2013): 48-75; Ioannidis, John P.A. "Limitations are not Properly Acknowledged in the Scientific Literature." Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 60 (2007): 324-329; Pasek, Josh. Writing the Empirical Social Science Research Paper: A Guide for the Perplexed. January 24, 2012. Academia.edu; Structure: How to Structure the Research Limitations Section of Your Dissertation. Dissertations and Theses: An Online Textbook. Laerd.com; What Is an Academic Paper? Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; Writing the Experimental Report: Methods, Results, and Discussion. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

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One major limitation of case studies is that it is often difficult to generalize findings from the individual studied to other individuals. If you are interested in uncovering cause-and-effect relationships between two variables, you would use the correlational method.

Which of these is a limitation of the case study?

The issues with case studies are that: They cannot lead to conclusions regarding causality. The individual studied may be atypical of the larger population. Researchers try to ensure that their studies are generalizable; that is, applicable to similar circumstances because of the predictable outcomes of repeated tests.

What is case study research method?

A case study is a research approach that is used to generate an in-depth, multi-faceted understanding of a complex issue in its real-life context. It is an established research design that is used extensively in a wide variety of disciplines, particularly in the social sciences.

Which best describes a case study?

Case studies are in-depth investigations of a single person, group, event or community. Typically, data are gathered from a variety of sources and by using several different methods (e.g. observations & interviews). In psychology, case studies are often confined to the study of a particular individual.

What are the 3 primary case studies?

There are three primary types of case studies: key cases, outlier cases, and local knowledge cases. Key cases are those which are chosen because the researcher has ​a particular interest in it or the circumstances surrounding it.

What is the greatest strength of a case study?

What is one strength of case studies? 🙂 Provide a deeper and more detailed as well as a more individually relevant understanding of a complex research prob. compared to studying many people in a more superficial way.

What is the main limitation of the case study research method?

Limitation: Case studies cannot be replicated and a single case study cannot be generalized to a wider population. Limitation: There is a potential risk for researcher bias in case studies, in that the researcher’s own beliefs can influence the way the data are collected and analysed.

What are the steps of case study?

  • Determine the research question and carefully define it. …
  • Choose the cases and state how data is to be gathered and which techniques for analysis you’ll be using. …
  • Prepare to collect the data. …
  • Collect the data in the field (or, less frequently, in the lab). …
  • Analyze the data.

What is the importance of case study?

Case studies are often used in exploratory research. They can help us generate new ideas (that might be tested by other methods). They are an important way of illustrating theories and can help show how different aspects of a person’s life are related to each other.

What are the objectives of case study?

The general purpose of a case study is to: → describe an individual situation (case), e.g. a person, business, organisation, or institution, in detail; → identify the key issues of the case (your assignment question should tell you what to focus on); → analyse the case using relevant theoretical concepts from your unit …

What is an example of a case study?

The case study of Genie allowed researchers to study whether language could be taught even after critical periods for language development had been missed. Her case also served as an example of how scientific research may interfere with treatment and lead to further abuse of vulnerable individuals.

What are the characteristics of case study?

  • 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.

What is a case study simple definition?

a case study can be defined as an intensive study about a person, a group of people or a unit, which is aimed to generalize over several units’.1 A case study has also been described as an intensive, systematic investigation of a single individual, group, community or some other unit in which the researcher examines in …

What is another name for case study?

In this page you can discover 10 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for case-study, like: case-studies, dossier, case-history, psychiatric history, multi-method, anamnesis, medical-history, medical-record, 862kb and 483kb.

How do you conduct a case study in qualitative research?

  1. Step 1: Select a case. …
  2. Step 2: Build a theoretical framework. …
  3. Step 3: Collect your data. …
  4. Step 4: Describe and analyze the case.

What is the first foundation of case study?

The first foundation of the case study is the subject and relevance. In a case study, you are deliberately trying to isolate a small study group, one individual case or one particular population.