Multiple Case-Based Single Case Study — Embedded Single-Case Design

A multiple case-based single case study — also called an embedded single-case design — is a qualitative strategy in which a researcher investigates one bounded case (the primary unit of analysis) by systematically examining multiple embedded sub-units within it. Rather than studying several separate cases for comparison, the design focuses all analytical attention on one overarching case while using variation across its internal sub-units to build a richer, more robust understanding of that single case.