Embedded Case Study Methods: Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Knowledge

In an embedded case study, the starting and end point is the comprehension of the case as a whole in its real-world context. However, in the course of analysis the case will be faceted either by different perspectives of inquiry or by several sub-units. The book presents different methodological approaches to organize this faceting process. It uses the power of the system approach in order to apply methods, which allow a scientific treatment of complex cases in a way that will be also acknowledged by the quantitative research community. The authors emphasize that a qualitative analysis starting from the real-world level is an indispensable part of case analysis. Thus the book bridges the gap between quantitatve and qualitative approaches to complex problems when using the case study methodology.