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The term ‘case study’ is used to describe a detailed descriptive account of an individual, group or collective. The purpose of case studies is to provide a ‘thick description’ (Geertz, 1973) of a phenomenon that would not be obtained by the usual quantitative or qualitative approaches. It requires the researcher to be expansive in the types of data collected, with a deliberate aim to link the person with the context, e.g., the sick person in the family. The researcher usually attempts to provide a chronological account of the evolution of the phenomenon from the perspective of the central character.

A challenge for the researcher is in establishing the boundaries of the case. These need to be flexible to ensure that all information relevant to the case under investigation is collected. The major strength of the case study is the integration of actor and context and the developmental perspective. Thus, the phenomenon under investigation is not dissected but rather maintains its integrity or wholeness and it is possible to map its changes over time.

There are several different types of case study. The empirical case study is grounded in the data. The theoretical case is an exemplar for a process that has already been clarified. The researcher can conduct interviews, or repeat interviews and observe the case in different settings. The process of analysis can be considered the process of shaping the case. Thus, the researcher selects certain pieces of information and discards others so as to present a more integrated case. One example is De Visser and Smith’s (2006) investigation of the links between masculine identity and social behaviour with a 19-year-old man living in London.