What is The Best Case Study Format with Examples?

A case study is one of the different research processes students of any field of study use to write their college or university assignments, often exemplified through real-world business analyses such as the SWOT Analysis of Barclays. In this research method, we study an individual, a group of people, or a particular case or scenario. This guide is to help college or university students write case studies professionally. Here, we will also discuss the structure of a well-written case study, including conducting research and citing references.  Let us first see the types and examples of a case study.

What are the Different Types of Case Studies?

A case study is a research paper that includes an in-depth analysis of a person, event, or organisation.  It is the most common form of research design used to study business cases, healthcare studies, and social sciences. There are many ways in which a case study can be conducted, but there are six broad categories that we will be discussing.

Descriptive Case Study:

This approach is ideal when you aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation under investigation. Descriptive case studies begin with a well-established hypothesis of observing individuals, groups, or events to gather detailed data, which is then compared to the pre-existing theoretical framework. These case studies are commonly used in psychology, education, healthcare, and business, offering valuable insights while contributing to the refinement of existing theories. 

Explanatory Case Studies:

In this case study research, we uncover the causes of a particular event.  This approach often incorporates evidence-based research to show why an event happened and what its significance is in the future.

For example, in a case study on how remote work policies have reduced work pressure on employees in the corporate sector, a researcher can analyze the causal relationship between flexible work-from-home arrangements and reduced workplace pressure. This case study format would include a detailed account of the policy changes implemented, such as work-from-home schedules and flexible hours.

It would then evaluate the impact of the new policies on the profitability of the business using quantitative data (like productivity metrics) and qualitative data (like feedback from employees) to demonstrate how and why remote work helps employees to achieve their work targets on time. An explanatory case study is used to describe the underlying causes behind any incident or event that takes place in the real world. It is particularly used in business, healthcare, and educational domains.  

Exploratory Case Studies:

The exploratory case study format is a structure similar to the opening chapters of a research paper or a dissertation.  We use this type of research when we are starting to investigate a topic and gathering background information about an event.  These studies help you understand the problem and its significance to help you make a detailed research hypothesis. It is the starting point of your research topic, where you suggest why future investigation is required and what methods you will use to carry out the study—similar to forming a thesis statement that guides the direction of your case analysis.

An exploratory case study lets you learn more about uncertain real-world issues. Researchers often use this format to explore emerging topics and under-researched problems, especially when there are no previous studies available on the area they want to analyze.

Intrinsic Case Studies:

In this type of case study format, we study an individual because the individual is personally meaningful to the researcher. The main goal is to identify the psychology, behavior, and the unique context of the subject under investigation.  If you are conducting intrinsic research, you might also be interested in studying how an individual interacts with people around them.

During the intrinsic research study, we also studied the detailed experiences of the group to know their behavior in the environment. You’ll commonly find intrinsic case studies in fields like psychology, business, healthcare, and social work, where the researcher is understanding a single patient, a prospective client, or a community to study the preferences and behavior.

Instrumental Case Studies:

In an instrumental case study format, you’re trying to understand the larger picture. In this type of study, the researcher understands a broader issue beyond the already discovered theory. So even though you’re looking closely at a single case, your goal is to draw conclusions that apply to a wider group.  It helps explain the facts beyond the case itself. This type of case study is common in psychology, medicine, education, and business research. 

Collective Case Studies:

A collective case study looks at multiple cases at a time to understand a broader issue. Instead of focusing on just one situation or an individual, the researchers try to gather insights from case studies that are related to the situation. Collective cases are performed on instrumental case studies to gain more understanding of the complex problems. Researchers use this approach to:

• Compare findings from different yet related case reports.
• Identify trends or variations across different populations or settings.
• Explore a phenomenon from various aspects, such as cultural, economic, or geographical contexts.
• Provide supporting evidence before launching a larger research project.
• Use different examples to develop or test a theory.

This method is especially used while carrying out research in sociology, psychology, education, and public health domains because one case isn’t enough to fully understand the issue.

What is the Structure of a Case Study?

A case study format is an analysis of an individual or a situation. It generally follows the structure of an essay (including an introduction, body, and conclusion), but the format of case study is different for every university. A proper case study template includes distinct research-based sections that provide context of the problem and present possible solutions or recommendations to address the research question in real life.

Whether the subject is a business model or a community-based issue, a good case study outline helps readers clearly understand the research topic, the key findings of the investigation, and describes the results to the reader in the easiest possible way.  Here is a breakdown of the typical sections of a case study report and the purpose of each section.  

Executive Summary

This is the first part of the format of case study, which shows a quick summary of the entire research. In this, you give your readers a snapshot of the main objectives of your research paper without diving into the full document. This section tells the people why your research is significant, what it is about, and what key conclusions you have made from the study.

Introduction: 

A good format of case study begins by introducing the core problem the study will cover. It establishes the context by informing the reader about the study question. This step is essentially the thesis statement, which highlights the motivations for the investigation.  The introduction explains to the reader why your work is relevant in the business or academic field.

Background Information: 

The background section provides the contextual and historical data necessary to understand the case in depth. Here, you tell the story to your reader behind your research idea.

This may include information about industry trends, the organizational structure involved, or demographic characteristics relevant to the case. By offering this foundational context, the reader gains a clear picture of the environment in which the case takes place.

Problem Statement: 

It makes clear that a gap exists in the literature. This section looks into how much the problem influences the individuals or the system being studied.

Methodology

Here in this part, the case study outlines how the research was conducted. It is that part of the case study in which you describe the approach for data collection and analysis. This section is very important in the case study outline, which tells the reader whether your study relies on qualitative interviews or quantitative data and statistical tools. This part of the case study structure ensures that you have collected and analyzed data from credible resources. This section also shows that your study can be replicated for future related investigations and that it adheres to academic standards—one of which includes checking originality via tools like Turnitin.

Case Analysis / Findings

The findings section is the main body of the case study. It presents the core observations gathered during the study. This part often involves interpreting data and discussing key themes you have observed during data analysis. Here you relate your findings to your central issue.

Discussion

In the discussion of the case study outline, we always interpret the findings of our research and support those findings with existing literature. In this chapter, we analyze the causes and the implications of the issue. We also introduce alternative strategies that could be applied to the case.

Proposed Solutions

In this section, we outline the practical strategies to resolve the core issue of the case study.  A researcher derives each solution based on its feasibility and the potential outcomes that the specific solution may produce. The recommendations that a writer presents are backed by logical reasoning and opinions of industry experts.

Conclusion 

The last part of the format of case study is usually the conclusion.  In this section, we recap the main points and key findings of the case study. In the conclusion part, the writer also mentions how these findings are useful to address the present and future scenarios related to the research problem.

Future recommendations

In this part of our case study structure, we tell how the solution can be put into practice in real-world issues. It explains the lessons drawn from the case and highlights the faults in the present ways. After this, a researcher usually writes the best practices or guidelines to resolve similar future cases.

References

In this section of the case study outline, we cite the list of sources, such as academic articles, official documents, interviews, and other references, that we have used to write our case study.

How To Write a Case Study Assignment | Step-by-Step Guide

A good case study analysis always begins with a clear objective that explains why you have chosen this particular case and what insights you want to extract from this study. The objective of the study also sets the tone for your work and determines the best platform to present it, for example, in the form of a written document or a podcast. When presented in the right format, your intended audience is able to understand your findings more easily.

Once your format is established, selecting the right case study subject is essential. The next step after setting an objective is to set the subject of the study. By the right subject, we mean individuals or a group of individuals around whom the research will revolve. Whether you are focusing on a patient, a group of people, or any real-life scenario, make sure that the case is rich in learning potential for the readers. Make sure your case study is persuasive and includes quotes and data from reliable sources to strengthen your claim on the findings. 

This foundational work is the base of any effective case study analysis which helps you to make your paragraph analytical when you begin writing up your case study. To begin, write a case study, conduct comprehensive research using the available data, like academic journals, books, and expert interviews. This turns your case study into a compelling story that has a critical background and helps explain the context of the issue to the reader.

Now start shaping your case study through the identification of core problems, the root causes behind them, and the possible outcomes from the case study. When analyzing the situation, focus on why the issue existed and how it impacts the subject under study. This is where it becomes important to make your paragraphs analytical by comparing theoretical models or past case studies.

Now you’ve constructed the body of your research report. Arrange your data in clear headings and subheadings. Each component of your case study should have a clear objective for your audience. This is because well-structured subheadings guide the reader through the thesis statement of your case study. In your case analysis, propose multiple solutions or recommendations to the identified problem and evaluate each solution based on the relation with the specific case under study in your research paper.

Support your recommendations with tips and examples, such as those found in structured assignment responses like Care Certificate Standard 2 answers which demonstrate clear and practical applications of learning. Prioritize how these tips can be implemented in solving real-world scenarios. Consider possible challenges in applying this solution and suggest ways to mitigate them. Finally, wrap up your work and make the first draft of your case study stronger by including a conclusion that summarizes the findings of the study, and outlines practical recommendations for future study in the same domain..

If it is required, then present your case study in narrative form or infographic and highlight the lessons for the reader. Finally, end your case study with a section of references in the academic citation style followed in your study.

What are the Common Mistakes In Writing a Case Study?

A common mistake in writing a case study is not starting your case study without a clear problem statement. Secondly, not adding enough background for the readers to understand the full context is another mistake. The third mistake is that the researchers do not explain the solution and the possible impact of the solution in detail. The fourth mistake people make is that they do not write a case study in the format of story.

Always define the main issue your case in the starting of your case study. Take into account the real experience of your target subject. Tell the people the impact of the problem and the solution you are going to present to solve the problem. Use narrative to make the case study more compelling. End your case study with an engaging call to action (CTA) that connects your reader directly to the story you told.

How to present a case study?

Case studies may be presented to the reader in any of the following formats:

1. A research paper in an academic journal.
2. An interview with an industry expert on any educational or informational forum, like news or a seminar.
3. A detailed video documentary showcasing the history, causes, and the present scenario of the situation.
4. An interactive presentation using images and figures that summarize crucial themes.
5. An intricate infographic poster to be displayed during a symposium.