Guidelines on how to Write a Case Study.

It is not an easy assignment for a significant number of students as some of them have a hard time even when writing the introductory part. There are many tips and examples which can help learners to complete their homework with ease. The main reason why instructors assign case studies to students is to test their ability to analyze the causes and consequences of a particular phenomenon. Case studies help to examine how different developments can influence the decision-making process.

In most cases, an instructor will assign the same topic to the whole class, and the students will be required to write a unique piece. Case studies help the learners to apply various theoretical concepts to different situations in real life. Traditionally, only medical and law students were assigned case studies. Currently, professors assign these types of academic assignments for most courses. The length of the work ranges from 20 to 50 pages, and this depends on the subject and aim of the case study.

The assignments may increase a student’s interest in a particular subject as it leads to unveiling interesting facts and real figures about a particular phenomenon. There are several types of case studies that an individual may be required to conduct during their studies, and they include the following:

•   Illustrative.

•   Exploratory.

•   Critical.

•   Cumulative.

These categories have different uses. Familiarize yourself with different types and styles of writing your case study to ensure that you meet instructors' requirements.

Tips for Writing a Perfect Case Study

1.   Develop an Outline.

A case study has several sections, and the writer is required to organize them in a presentable manner. It is advisable to use an outline to achieve that objective. You can even use a rough sketch for the work. Write down some headings and subheadings under each of them.

2.   Tell a Story.

Explain to your readers where and who can utilize the solutions that you identified in your case study. Highlight a scenario where your solutions can be of great help.

3.   Develop a Structure for all Sections.

Ensure that there is a logical flow of information in your case study. A good structure encourages readers to follow your work with ease.

4.   Come up with Catchy Headings.

Not every reader may have enough time to read the case study as it may be too long for them. Some readers tend to only skim through the work by taking note of headings and subheadings. Therefore, ensure that the headings can grab your readers' attention and encourage them to read the content of each section.

5.   Proper use of Images.

Images can be used to convey different messages. Always ensure a brief description after every image to allow the readers to understand what you are talking about.

6.   Materials to be used.

Gather all the materials that you will need before you conduct the case study. Most individuals record observations from their work in a spreadsheet. All the materials used to collect and record information must be kept together to make work easier when writing the case study.

Steps of Writing a Case Study

a)   Identify a suitable type of case study.

Different case studies are suitable for different settings. The illustrative approach is common in organizations, critical and cumulative are ideal for schools, while most legal representatives use the investigative method. All the approaches should help individuals to analyze a certain phenomenon and revealing crucial information about them.

b)   Develop a Topic for your Work.

Determine what you will write in your case study. If you have no ideas of how to do this, spend some time in the library and research. You will also get numerous ideas for your case study topic when you browse the internet. Identify a specific research problem and find out its various aspects that you will incorporate in your work. Some of the sources of inspiration for elements of a certain research problem include books, websites, and newspapers. Ensure that you have written enough notes for your case study.

c)   Find Similar Studies on the Topic.

This process aims to avoid duplicating already existing research work. You can find such studies by researching in the library or browsing the internet. Read articles written about the research problem you identified. Through the research work, you may identify other research problems in a specific subject area and help you to evaluate whether your idea will work.

d)   Interviews.

There are several activities in this section. Identify individuals who are knowledgeable about your research topic. The interviewees may also be a group of experts in the field. Interviewing a group of people may generate more and better ideas for your work. Gather as much information as you can to make sure that you complete the case study with ease.

Develop some interview questions and determine how you will go about it. The interview may be personal, in groups, or through the phone. Emails can also be used depending on the interviewees. In the interviews, seek to understand the opinions of the participants. Ensure that you ask similar questions about a topic to get different perspectives about it. Design the questions in a way that allows the interviewees to shed more light on the subject matter.

Request for relevant materials and data containing the information you are collecting to boost your work's credibility. Analyze all the data and observations you made during the interviews and organize them to prepare to write the case study.

e)   Formulate the Research Problem.

Use your creativity to generate a few statements from the data you collected from the interviews.

f)   Develop your Case Study.

The exercise will be easy as you will be required to use the data collected from different processes. The case study must have the following sections:

•   Introduction.

•   Background.

•   Findings.

•   Conclusion.

g)   Include References and Appendices.

It is a common practice in all academic papers. You will be required to cite all the sources of information in your case study. Include definitions for some of the terms that some readers may not understand.

h)   Proofread your Work.

The exercise aims to eliminate any grammatical and spelling errors you may have made when writing your case study. You can also request a friend to read your work and highlight some of the mistakes.