A case study is an in-depth analysis of one individual or a group of individuals. The case study looks at every aspect of a person's life to understand why they behave the way they do. During a case study, the researcher gathers information. This can be done in a number of ways including interviews with the person or persons being studied or with people that know the focus individual or individuals. Focus groups may be conducted to gather information in some case studies.
Content analysis in counseling looks at communication. Content analysis looks at what people say and how they say it to determine patterns and trends over time. In counseling, this approach is useful because researchers can identify similar traits in how their patients communicate with others. Content analysis is usually conducted over years with many different patients. Conversations with patients are usually recorded for further analysis.
When a topic of study comes up that is the subject of no current or previous theories, a grounded theory research procedure is used. Researchers gather data and compile information to identify new theories. The data collected is organized and compiled. Grounded theory researchers need to be careful not to use interpretive data when identifying new theories, because these interpretations can be misleading.
When trying to learn about an event and determine why something happened or how an event caused a change of behavior, oral history can be used. Oral history uses first-hand interviews to identify new details about an event. The goal of oral history is to hear from people who witnessed an event but may not have been asked about the event.