Embedded Case Study — Embedded Case Study Design

An embedded case study is a case study design in which one or more units of analysis are nested within a single overarching case. Rather than treating the case as a single, holistic entity, the researcher deliberately examines multiple sub-units — such as departments within an organisation, classrooms within a school, or programmes within a hospital — to build a richer, more nuanced understanding of the phenomenon under study. Formalised by Robert K. Yin, the design is contrasted with the holistic single-case study and with multi-case (multiple-case) designs.