Scientific prospective of case study methodology

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Abstract

The case-study researches are not used widely in academic psychology till now, though they are rather widespread genre in psychotherapy. In the article the question of possibilities of scientific use of cases is raised. The author focuses on the ways of generalisation of case-study results and also discusses the academic value of descriptive case researches which cannot be generalized. Besides, the author mentions the questions of research planning in case studies especially those which contribute to research improvement. The author argues that the case study methodology fits various epistemological systems and is rather useful either for adherents of "understanding" psychology, and for those who are interested in psychology as a classical science.

General Information

Keywords: case-study, different cases generalization, case-study research planning, analytic items of case-studies research, strategy of cases selection, interpretation, interpretation validity, interpretative relativity

Journal rubric: Theory and Methodology

For citation: Busygina N.P. Scientific prospective of case study methodology. Konsul'tativnaya psikhologiya i psikhoterapiya = Counseling Psychology and Psychotherapy, 2009. Vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 5–29. (In Russ., аbstr. in Engl.)

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Information About the Authors

Natalya P. Busygina, PhD in Psychology, Assistant Professor, Department of Counselling and Clinical Psychology, Chair of Individual and Group Psychotherapy, Moscow State University of Psychology an Education, Moscow, Russia, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2344-9543, e-mail: boussyguina@yandex.ru

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