7 Pros and Cons of Case Studies

Many researchers have faith on case studies as they often base their findings on the data that they gather. However, not all people find this procedure quite effective and reliable as some consider this as a bias method that should only provide insinuated findings. To learn more about the significance of case studies, here are some of the pros and cons that you can use to determine if this is indeed useless or otherwise.

List of Pros of Case Studies

1. Shows Client Observations
The essence of case studies is that it can fully show the experience of the observer in the program. This can also show the input processes and results. For this reason, it can support the theory that surrounds the thought which requires the importance of case studies.

2. Influential Way to Portray Something
If a researcher wants to prove something to any person, it is his or her initiative to influence outsiders to believe. By presenting case studies, it will give an idea to a certain audience that the experiment or observation being done is indeed reliable and true. Most of the time, when a case study has been presented, it sends out a message to the reader that it is already of great importance and reliability.

3. Makes Practical Improvements
The creation or gathering of data to come up with a conclusion should be a way of making practical improvements. If a person would want to support his or her belief or understanding of something, reliable findings must be presented. Hence, it is necessary to release a case study in order to increase the understanding of people who are unfamiliar with a particular notion.

List of Cons of Case Studies

1. Lack the Essential Insights
Oftentimes, case studies lack the insights regarding what was happening in the company being the subject. In contrast, those that are written from the outer part of the company looking in should be considered unbiased. Meanwhile, those written from an inner point of view may have already been thoroughly sanitized by its legal department, communications group and public relations firms.

2. Unrealistic as a Definitive Roadmap
Case studies can sometimes be used either way when doing things. Despite being so tempting to apply clear definition, doing so can force you to disregard the almost infinite count of unique inputs and circumstances surrounding any given situation.

3. Encourage to Imitate than Inspire
When relying much on case studies, there is a tendency to imitate rather than to inspire which is a dangerous situation to be. So, presenting a case without formal study might just be the inspiration that people require to apply their own ideas and observations compared to relying on the analysis of other people. Thus, it will lead to inspire other people to write case studies one day.

4. Doesn’t Apply to Similar Cases
At some point, people would think that similar case studies have the same findings and results. In contrast, this does not guarantee that the findings presented would be applicable to others with similar cases.