ENGLISH
REFERENCE

case study

compound.
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

compound. a detailed report about a specific person, group, or event to show how something works in real life.

compound. a research method involving an up-close, in-depth, and detailed examination of a particular case within its real-world context.


SIMPLE

We read a case study about a successful small business.

CONTEXTUAL

The professor presented a case study on how the company recovered from its financial crisis.

COMPLEX

The researchers conducted a longitudinal case study to evaluate the long-term psychological effects of the policy change on the local community.

Usage

commonly used in academic, medical, and business contexts to provide evidence for a theory.

Teaching tip

highlight that 'case' refers to the specific subject being examined, while 'study' refers to the investigation itself; it is a countable noun.

Pitfall

The professor did a case-study.The professor did a case study.while sometimes hyphenated as an adjective, it is standardly written as two separate words when used as a noun.

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