The Logic of Case-Study Methodology

Abstract

The question of how we deploy logic in developing and justifying scientific theories of any sort is an important one.  In this commentary, I consider William Stiles’ (2009) arguments about the logical operations that are deployed especially in theory-building case-study research in psychotherapy.  My commentary contains three sections, defined by three sets of distinctions:  (a) the distinction between description and explanation in theory building, (b) the distinction between theory building and theory justification, and (c) the distinction between nomothetic and idiographic approaches to theory building in case-study methodology.