What is a Case Study?Swanborn, P. (2010). What is a case study?. In Case Study Research: What, Why and How? (First Edition ed., pp. 1-23). SAGE Publications, Inc.
Abstract: “In this chapter we distinguish between extensive and intensive research in social science (section 1.1). The object of case studies – a social phenomenon – is discussed in section 1.2. After surveying some historical origins of the case study in section 1.3, section 1.4 examines the research question as a methodological point of departure. It determines which general type of design is to be used: an extensive design (e.g. a survey) or an intensive one (e.g. a case study). A definition of the case study is presented in section 1.5, and expanded upon in section 1.6. The popular point of view that a case study is characterised by an holistic approach is explained and discussed in section 1.7. In section 1.8 we review the contents of this chapter and we draw conclusions.”
