A Review of Counseling Research Using Single-Case Research Designs

Single-case research designs (SCRDs) are a vital tool for counseling researchers to evaluate intervention effectiveness and for counselors to evaluate the impact of their treatment. The purpose of this content analysis is to provide a review of the application of SCRDs in counseling to highlight knowledge accrued and gaps in the literature. We evaluated the methodological quality and reporting of SCRDs to provide guidance that will enhance the credibility of research. We included 50 SCRDs published between 2015¬–2021 across 15 journals (out of 42 reviewed). Content results showed several trends, strengths, and areas of improvement in counseling SCRDs. We found 0 studies met the What Works Clearinghouse (2022) standards and low overall adherence to the SCRIBE indicators. We discuss how counselor researchers can enhance internal validity as part of the design process and ways to enhance transparency in reporting SCRD results.