Case studies differ in respect to what is studied, and can be divided into:
- those relating to formal institutions (official) – this process is based on regulated relationships, where a whole which represents the case is always part of wider society. So, within such society, case boundaries are clearly defined, and it can be objective;
- those relating to informal organisations (unofficial) – they are usually social groups whose boundaries are not clear-cut, and therefore attention should be paid to setting the criteria as to how to determine what constitutes the case.
Based on the way in which the case is generated, case studies can be:
- spontaneous – self-induced cases, interesting for research because of their social significance (these are usually different types of incidents);
- intentionally induced – the case is scientifically designed so that one can, in compliance with their needs, study an important problem.
In terms of the intent of the analysis, there are:
- a single or multiple-case instrumental case studies – the researcher focuses on an issue, and then selects one bounded case or several cases to illustrate this issue;
- an intrinsic case study – the focus is on the case itself because the case presents an unusual or unique situation (Creswell, 2007, p. 74).
According to Creswell (2007, p. 76), a case study procedure includes:
- defining the case within a bounded system;
- data collection using multiple information sources to ensure in-depth understanding;
- data analysis (a holistic analysis of the entire case or an embedded analysis of a specific aspect of the case) resulting in a detailed case description;
- focusing on a few key issues (themes) not for the purpose of generalisation, but to understand the complexity of the case;
- a broad interpretation of findings and reporting of the lessons learned from the case.
The research methodology literature also deals with different ways of reporting the findings of a case study. The chronological and problem-based approaches are most often mentioned, as well as their combination. In addition to them, the standard linear-analytical approach is mentioned, too, which starts with the theoretical defining of the problem, after which methods and data collection and analysis processes are described, and then conclusions are drawn, and their implications explained (Ševkušić, 2008, p. 254).
