title: Introducing single case study research design: an overview.
abstract: An overview of case study research The use of case study design in research has a long and distinguished history in many disciplines ( 1 ). It is used in law, education, history, medicine, psychology and business ( 2 ). Yin ( 3 ) stated that case studies are essential for social science and that they are used extensively in practice-oriented professions. Examples of studies include those of Freud, from which he derived his theories of personality ( 4 ), and Whyte's study of neighbourhood gangs in Chicago ( 5 ), which was found by other researchers ( 6 ) to be a typical case and again, as in the example of Freud, led to the development of theory. The term 'case study' refers to both a process of inquiry - that is, studying a case or designing and executing a case study - and its end product, the case study or 'case report' ( 7 ).
authors.affiliation: Napier University, Edinburgh.
authors.forename: Morag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gray