Σύγκριση μεθόδων

	Διαχρονική Μελέτη Περίπτωσης Ενός Ατόμου	Ιχνηλάτηση Διεργασιών
Πεδίο	Ποιοτικές Μέθοδοι	Ψυχομετρία
Οικογένεια	Process / pipeline	Latent structure
Έτος προέλευσης	1984 (Yin's foundational codification); longitudinal case methods in use since early 20th century	2005
Δημιουργός	Robert K. Yin (systematic codification); roots in clinical and anthropological case tradition	Alexander George, Andrew Bennett
Τύπος	Qualitative research design	Qualitative causal inference
Θεμελιώδης πηγή	Yin, R. K. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods (6th ed.). Sage. ISBN: 978-1506336169	Bennett, A., & Checkel, J. T. (Eds.). (2015). Process Tracing: From Metaphor to Analytic Tool. Cambridge University Press.
Εναλλακτικές ονομασίες	single-case longitudinal design, in-depth longitudinal case study, idiographic longitudinal study, LSCS	—
Συναφείς	6	5
Σύνοψη	A longitudinal single case study is a qualitative research design that follows one bounded unit — a person, organization, program, or community — through multiple points in time. Unlike a cross-sectional snapshot, it captures how phenomena develop, shift, or respond to events across months or years, combining the contextual richness of case study methodology with the temporal depth needed to understand process and change.	Process Tracing is a qualitative research method developed by George and Bennett (2005) for studying causal mechanisms and causal chains within individual cases. It involves examining the sequence of events and decision-making processes within a case to infer whether a hypothesized causal mechanism actually operated. Process tracing aims to strengthen causal inference in case studies by looking beyond correlation to understand how causes produce effects.