How to Write a Case Study - Analysis, Research, and Templates 📋

As a college student, you might face the need to solve a research problem with the help of a case study writing method. It might pop up in the shape of a specific question, issue to examine, or topic. Teachers may ask students to find solutions to the offered problems using this method one day. This document is different from ordinary academic tasks as it is closer to a research paper.

If you look at the examples of how to write a case study from the web, you can notice that this task and research projects are similar by their structure and purpose of the content. The definition of this assignment can be worded this way: a subcategory of research design that observes issues and generates possible solutions. A case study can be a part of the academic curriculum, as well as one of the efficient corporate promotional tools.

The scope of these tasks is vast, and if you are not sure how to handle this sort of homework assignment, we suggest that you explore this post and take the best out of it.

Types of Case Studies That We Can Help With 🎁

Before we move on to explaining how to do a case study, we want to add a few words. First of all, you might wonder when students need this piece of writing. Generally, you will have to solve such tasks for different classes and present them in the middle or end of the academic term, and the most popular types of this paper appear in these areas:

• Marketing
• Business
• Anthropology
• Sociology
• Psychology

It is necessary to pick the specific approach to research and stick to it throughout the entire project. Case study writing develops attention to detail, analytical, and research skills. It is a great chance for a student to develop storytelling or narrative chops as this piece of writing requires a lot of descriptions and interpretations.

Students wonder how long a great study should be. The document should not exceed 900 words, and that is approximately 3-4 pages, depending on the selected format (depending on whether the paper has to be double-spaced or not). If one chooses storytelling as the shape for a case study, it will flow like a narrative essay; if it is a project for business or law, it will remind you more of an official report or research paper. It is possible to use a system of three acts in a story. The outline will look this way:

• An intro
• Rising action
• Climax falling action
• Solution

This structure is mostly used by novelists. If we speak about the academic, scientific, or business ones, it is different. Before developing your case study, it is necessary to decide on their type as a lot of things, including the writing process and purposes, depend on this factor.

Major Types of a Case Study 🧷

The next part of our writing guide will tell you about the types of this paper. It will help you understand which direction and structure to pick for your assignment.

1. Problem-oriented 💭
   Does the project bring up and solve a specific problem(s)? If some theoretical events are discussed where one has to take part in some kind of simulation to resolve the issue, this is a problem-oriented case study. Senior managers and socio-economic experts deal with this type the most.
2. Historical 📜
   The provided solid evidence in this situation is based on historical facts and events. One needs to have a look at the events that took place in the past to realize how to solve the similar problems that exist today.
3. Critical 🤔
   This one explores a research problem and its reasons/consequences (learn how to write a cause and effect essay to understand how to deal with this type).
4. Cumulative 📑
   It is critical to gather data on your subject of analysis to let the audience see the value of a product or service (the audience is usually a client or customer).
5. Illustrative 📝
   The writer should use various details to help the audience visualize the issue or question from all possible aspects as well as possible solutions (like a descriptive essay).

Decide on the type of essay first. After that, you can move to the next stage, learning how to do a case study based on the proposed paper outline.

How to Write a Case Study: Suggested Structure ⌨️

• Executive summary: let the reader know what your product or service is, who participants are, the significance of the information provided, how it can be valuable for future research, and include thesis statement summarizing the main ideas of your work;
• Background info: isolate the problems, share the basic facts, and explain why you consider the topic important;
• Assessment: evaluate the case (investigate business problem), discuss specific strategies using supporting evidence from trusted sources, and tell them why some things work while others are not effective (review course readings);
• Offered solutions: after an in-depth analysis of the case, come up with an effective solution using the data collected (mention alternative solutions);
• Concluding part: sum up the findings from your case study research along with the possible solutions, explaining how the outcomes and analysis may help the next case study on the topic;
• Recommendations: pick the most effective solution and provide arguments (consider strong supporting evidence when doing so);
• Implementation: demonstrate how other scientists can use your results and interpretations to solve different relevant problems;
• References: apart from the fact that you should consider strong supporting evidence, you also have to cite and reference the sources used in your work (in other words, format case study properly, using MLA, APA, Turabian, Harvard, etc.). You may find out how to format a case study by downloading and examining writing style guides.

Other types of this project can include a case study design and methods (like your interview), the discussion section, findings from your project.

Once again, the contents depend on the course that you are taking and purposes. In a marketing case study, you may want to define your ideal customer, describe the product/service, and tell about the effective solution, such as how to promote the goods to your target audience.

That is how to write a case study. Do not forget to revise the final draft carefully.