A Detailed Guide To Help You Write A Good Case Study

by Maria Wilson Blogger | Writer.

A case study resembles a puzzle that has to be solved. Therefore, the 'case' in the case study should have a problem for the readers to solve. For example, let's say you have been asked to write a finance case study about ‘The Future of Malls: Was Downfall Necessary?’ That means you need to address the problems that led to the decline of shopping malls and recommend solutions to overcome them.

Your case study should consist of enough information that your readers understand the problem, analyze your research findings, and come up with a proposed solution.

All in all, whether you write a law case study or management case study, it is more than just a mere description. So here is a detailed guideline for you to write a good case study efficiently.

The Research Phase

The first step is to figure out a case site (an organization) and a case subject (a topic). For instance, in the example above, shopping malls are the case site, whereas declination of malls is the topic. Then, proceed to the research phase once you are done with the case site and case subject.

Library and Internet research

Read relevant articles about your case site to find out what has already been written before about the topic. This will help you find if there is an existing problem related to the case that requires solving.

Interviews

You can also find knowledgeable people to interview. The people may directly be at the site or work in an organization about which you are writing the case. Ask a question to understand their opinions.

The Analysis Phase

You may find a wide gamut of information during the research phase. Now it’s time for you to analyze the research findings and refine the information to use only the most significant ones in your case study report.

Put all the information in one place

Sort through the information you have collected. Take out the excess and arrange the details to make the case site understandable to your readers.

Figure out what is important

Try to understand what is important for your case readers to know about the situation. Then, refine the pieces of information accordingly.

Formulate the case problem in a few sentences

Define the problem that you want to convey to your readers. And for that, you need to break down the problem into several parts.

For instance, let’s say the case topic is: Downfall of Shopping Malls. Here's how the breakdown of the case problem looks like:

Shopping malls have lesser visitors due to the popularity of online shopping
Malls have always been a symbol of suburban consumerism
Lack of accurate investments led to the accelerated depreciation for new construction projects

Now you need to make sure you have enough information to let your readers discuss the points mentioned above.

Writing Phase

This guide focuses on the problem-oriented approach of writing a case study. It consists of eight sections.

Executive summary

State the key recommendations and points of the report in this section. Choose the parts in your document that matter the most to those who will read it. Include those points in the executive summary.

The executive summary should have the following sections in this order:

An opening statement along with a brief background information
Purpose o research study
Method of analysis and data collection
Overview of findings
A brief description of each recommendation along with a justification

Introduction

The introduction helps the reader move from a general subject field to a specific topic of inquiry. This is where you establish the scope, context, and significance of the case problem. Then, explain briefly the methodological approach you used to examine the problem and highlight the potential outcomes of the study.

Here’s what the introduction should convey:

Who is the main protagonist is?
What about the key decision-maker?
What is the nature of the problem?
When did the case take place?
Where did it happen?
Why the situation arose?

Findings

Identify the problems that you found out about the case in this section. You can do so by:

Analyzing the problem
Supporting your findings with relevant facts, theories, and course concepts
Looking for underlying problems

In short, you need to state the problem/s relevant to your case. This will prepare your readers to process and analyze the rest of the sections.

Discussion

Explain the importance of the study and what your readers can learn from it. A case study revolves around a particular situation, thereby eliminating generalizing the results to other situations. This section should focus on what readers can learn from that specific situation and the individuals involved.

Summarise the major problems
Identify possible solutions to these problems.
Outline each solution and evaluate its pros and cons

You needn’t have to refer to coursework or theory while discussing the case study findings.

Conclusion

No matter what your case study topic is, it needs a conclusion. Do not put your answer yet. Instead, leave the reader with some more questions. That is how you let your readers discuss the situation themselves. Sum up the major points from your discussions and findings.

Write the conclusion in clear, simple language.

Re-state the purpose of the study.

Provide a synthesis of the arguments that you presented in the study.

Indicate opportunities for future research, thereby highlighting the need for further research.

Recommendations

Recommending possible solutions to the problems is an integral part of case studies. Propose which alternative resolution the organization or the protagonist should adopt. The proposals should be able to improve the situation.

Justify your choice through detailed explanations about how it will solve the case problems.
Make sure the solutions are persuasive.
Use relevant theory and coursework wherever appropriate.

Wrapping Up,

Different countries have different cultures and languages. Make sure your readers can avail the case study help in another country as well. Stay organized throughout the paper, with the sections mentioned above in the right order. Use relevant facts, statistics, and evidence to validate the information you convey to your readers. Discuss the problems so that your readers experience the same things you did while starting the investigation.