One important vehicle for social sciences writing is the case study. This is an in-depth analysis of a ‘case’ subject over a defined period of time. A case can include a person, group, community, defined event or specific period.

The subjects of case studies are proxies for a larger population and allow the writer to illustrate ideas through the vehicle of a story. The assumption that they can be generalised to the larger population can be a weakness of the case study approach, and the writing must deal with this.

Case studies can use both qualitative and quantitative evidence. Several cases can be combined to layer the analysis (eg several students from one class, studied as individuals and as a whole unit).

See Accurate language for more information about evidence types.