* 2a particular instance of something used or analysed in order to illustrate a thesis or principle:airline deregulation provides a case study of the effects of the internal market
Source: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/case%2Bstudy
case study [countable] a detailed account of the development of a particular person, group, or situation that has been studied over a period of time
Source: http://www.ldoceonline.com/Education-topic/case-study
Documented study of a specific real-life situation or imagined scenario, used as a training tool in business schools and firms. Students or trainees are required to analyze the prescribed cases and present their interpretations or solutions, supported by the line of reasoning employed and assumptions made.
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A case study (also known as a case report) is an intensive analysis of an individual unit (e.g., a person, group, or event) stressing developmental factors in relation to context. The case study is common in social sciences and life sciences. Case studies may be descriptive or explanatory. The latter type is used to explore causation in order to find underlying principles. They may be prospective (in which criteria are established and cases fitting the criteria are included as they become available) or retrospective (in which criteria are established for selecting cases from historical records for inclusion in the study).
Thomas offers the following definition of case study: "Case studies are analyses of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or other systems that are studied