Procedures

Above is an original graphic that follows the suggested procedures as outlined by Creswell & Poth (2017).

• This is an exploratory case study that takes an instrumental approach. The instruments used are the students' surveys and the rationale is to refine a theoretical explanation that students' mental health suffers as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns in Punjab.

• This is a retrospective, collective sample. The researchers outline their case selection as a sample from students who completed a web-based mental health survey that was previously administered by another party.

• The researchers have collected information through multiple data sources. The report states that they used a previously administered survey in Punjab and used a univariate analysis to develop themes between cases. The report also implies that the researchers undertook a historical literature review from previous pandemics, as well as a review of literature on mental health and isolation; and mental health and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

• The analysis was descriptive due to the recency of the observed phenomenon. The between-case analysis was correlative between differences in regional answers and the strictness and frequency of lockdown rules.

• The report is appropriately structured by the steps as outlined by Creswell & Poth (2017).

• The authors acknowledge the exploratory nature of the study, and that they can only be early contributors to a complex topic that requires more comprehensive research.