Case Study

5. Lay out your case study outline.

Use primary sources to research the background and events, then write about what happened and why it is important.
Your method: A 2-3 paragraph section that describes how your product or service provided a solution to their problem.
What was the ultimate solution, and how long did it take to implement?
Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important!]. Collectively, your literature review should always place your case study within the larger domain of prior research about the problem. The overarching purpose of reviewing pertinent literature in a case study paper is to demonstrate that you have thoroughly identified and synthesized prior studies in the context of explaining the relevance of the case in addressing the research problem.
Does the case represent an unusual or atypical example of a research problem that requires more in-depth analysis? Cases often represent a topic that rests on the fringes of prior investigations because the case may provide new ways of understanding the research problem. For example, if the research problem is to identify strategies to improve policies that support girl's access to secondary education in predominantly Muslim nations, you could consider using Azerbaijan as a case study rather than selecting a more obvious nation in the Middle East. Doing so may reveal important new insights into recommending how governments in other predominantly Muslim nations can formulate policies that support improved access to education for girls.
How long have you been in business?

Expanding into a new market
How have you benefited from using our product or service? (Where applicable, always ask for data.)
Generating more leads
Place relevant works in the context of their contribution to understanding the case study being investigated. This would include summarizing studies that have used a similar subject of analysis to investigate the research problem. If there is literature using the same or a very similar case to study, you need to explain why duplicating past research is important [e.g., conditions have changed; prior studies were conducted long ago, etc.].
Closing on more customers

Include visuals.
In what ways does that enhance your competitive advantage?
Does the case challenge and offer a counter-point to prevailing assumptions? Over time, research on any given topic can fall into a trap of developing assumptions based on outdated studies that are still applied to new or changing conditions or the idea that something should simply be accepted as "common sense," even though the issue has not been thoroughly tested in practice. A case may offer you an opportunity to gather evidence that challenges prevailing assumptions about a research problem and provide a new set of recommendations applied to practice that have not been tested previously. For example, perhaps there has been a long practice among scholars to apply a particular theory in explaining the relationship between two subjects of analysis. Your case could challenge this assumption by applying an innovative theoretical framework [perhaps borrowed from another discipline] to the study a case in order to explore whether this approach offers new ways of understanding the research problem. Taking a contrarian stance is one of the most important ways that new knowledge and understanding develops from existing literature.
Open Power Point, then write your case study. Use charts, graphs and other visual representations.
Results: A 2-3 paragraph testimonial that proves how your product or service specifically benefited the person or company, and helped achieve its goals. Include numbers to quantify your contributions.
Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies. This refers to synthesizing any literature that points to unresolved issues of concern about the research problem and describing how the subject of analysis that forms the case study can help resolve these existing contradictions.

All of your competitors are now creating blogs, and case studies, and eBooks.If you haven't already done so in the discussion section, be sure to document the limitations of your case study and needs for further research.The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on a typical or regular event.

1. Determine the case study's objective and format.

2. "Shopify Uses HubSpot CRM to Transform High Volume Sales Organization," by HubSpot

Method Two of Four:

3. "Designing the Future of Urban Farming," by IDEO

Share:
What are some of the objectives of your department at this time?
Complying with government regulation
Who was involved in the process?
Reach out to your chosen subject.
Lay out your case study outline.
About the Subject: An introduction to the person or company you served, which can be pulled from a LinkedIn Business profile or client website.

Challenges and Objectives: A 2-3 paragraph description of the customer's challenges, prior to using your product or service. This section should also include the goals or objectives the customer set out to achieve.
Write your case study with a narrative that is memorable.
Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study. If applicable, review any research that has examined the research problem using a different research design. Explain how your case study design may reveal new knowledge or a new perspective or that can redirect research in an important new direction.
Design the case study so it's visually appealing enough for prospects to read.
Publish and promote your case study.
Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration of the case study's findings that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that emerges from your case study findings.

Method One of Four:

Writing Tip

Method Three of Four:

3. Reach out to your chosen subject.

In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass anything that can be observed or presumed to case study writing exist but is not fully understood.