The case study as a type of qualitative research

Adrijana Biba Starman

Summary:  This article presents the case study as a type of qualitative research. Its aim is to give a detailed description of a case study – its definition, some classifications, and several advantages and disadvantages – in order to provide a better understanding of this widely used type of qualitative approach. In comparison to other types of qualitative research, case studies have been little understood both from a methodological point of view, where disagreements exist about whether case studies should be considered a research method or a research type, and from a content point of view, where there are ambiguities regarding what should be considered a case or research subject. A great emphasis is placed on the disadvantages of case studies, where we try to refute some of the criticisms concerning case studies, particularly in comparison to quantitative research approaches.