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The List of Case Study Topics On Various Academic Subjects

Updated 18 Jun 2024

case study topics

Although the majority of academic definitions of case study talk about some process or research work related to the development of a particular person, group of people, or events over a period of time, types of case studies also involve specific analysis to identify problems and find the outcomes. Therefore, the majority of case study topics already include some challenge or an assumption that requires additional research.

The case study usually includes a short description of a problem or an idea that must be explored with the data that should be helpful to let you explore and find the best solutions. For example, turning to a professional case study writing service , you will see that the case studies for nursing students will always differ from those that are used by engineering students. Keeping all these facts and related challenges in mind, we came up with a list of case study topics divided by category.

Case Study Ideas

Coming up with good and reliable case study ideas is essential for college students regardless of their course, existing skills, and academic objectives. Since case study writing explores a plethora of different research methodologies, choosing your topic correctly will help you to avoid such scenarios when your ideas become scattered all over your paper. Have a look at our list of case study ideas based on the subject and use them as a starting point for your future case study assignments. Need help with homework? Hire a professional essay writer .

Case Study Ideas For Psychology

The field of Psychology is quite challenging, which is why it is vital to choose your topic accordingly regardless if you already know the basics or want to overcome writer's block. Here are some interesting ideas to consider based on what is currently popular in various American universities:

  • Military operations and the PTSD recovery process.
  • The most common misconceptions about children with Autism.
  • The workplace leadership and the complex of Emperor.
  • The perception of danger in different cultures.
  • The origins of bipolar disorder through the prism of domestic violence.
  • Covid-19 and related anxiety cases among college students.
  • The dangers of advertisements on children's TV networks.
  • The negative influence of Instagram and distorted body image.
  • Mental recovery of child abuse victims.
  • Asthenic syndrome among teenage children.

Case Study Topics In Education

As you are dealing with Education, you should start by exploring the latest changes as the technology is constantly advancing. Compare old and new study methods used in schools or American universities to get the basic idea of competitive case study topics. 

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Here are some of them to explore:

  • The challenges of remote education in rural locations in the USA.
  • The teaching methods of Montessori schools.
  • How to motivate children with learning disabilities?
  • Pros and Cons of AI-based systems in education.
  • The degree of freedom in Scandinavian schools.
  • The role of self-motivation in European middle schools.
  • Is Summer Camp education worth it?
  • The consequences of improper examination methods.;
  • The educative methodologies commonly used by male teachers.
  • The changes that have taken place in education during the Covid-19 period.

Information Technology

The students majoring in Data Science or Information Technology sciences also have to face case study writing, which is usually based on various data analysis methods or the impact that technology has in certain fields of life. Still, you can always explore a little bit further and choose different topics for case studies like the ones below:

  • Does technology advancement has an end?
  • The limitations of the Python programming language.
  • The differences between modern programming methods and the "old-school" approaches.
  • The analysis of ethical hackers.
  • Should one learn to become a hacker to prevent the majority of cyberattacks?
  • Is user simplicity always good: WordPress case study?
  • The challenges of software development in modern times.
  • The safety of data analysis for medical purposes.
  • The use of drones in police operations.
  • Semantic methods in debugging.

Environmental Science

It is only natural to examine various case studies as you are learning all the complex environmental science aspects. Since the majority of tasks in this field will include either reflective writing or cause-and-effect essays, the use of case study writing cannot be underestimated. We're the  best law essay writing service  that you can trust: we get A grades from our customers.

Here are some ideas to use as the starting points:

  • The mobile vessel pump systems that reduce ocean pollution.
  • Is saving endangered species possible in our times?
  • The cons and pros of ecological tourism.
  • The use of politics in the Global Warming campaigns.
  • The Earthquake prevention systems in the United States.
  • The clarity of Carbon Dioxide Emission reports.
  • The reasons why the Kyoto Protocol has double standards.
  • The correct method of planting trees in an urban environment.
  • How can college students help promote environmental protection.
  • The use of Green Technologies during pandemic times.

Marketing Case Study Ideas

As a rule, marketing specialists always have enough to deal with, yet choosing a successful case study topic is not always easy! Do your best to narrow your ideas down to meet the main argument of your thesis statement and the educational objectives. You can browse through a wide range of subjects, including:

  • The differences between female and male target marketing methods.
  • The unique strategies and popularity of Apple Inc.
  • Brand development methods: the most common mistakes.
  • German Automotive Industry in the American market.
  • Online (digital) versus physical marketing.
  • The factors that create customer loyalty in the field of beverages.
  • The negativity commonly associated with McDonald's.
  • The controversy between Samsung and Apple.
  • Is marketing to children morally acceptable?
  • The future of marketing methods in the post-Covid-19 world.

Management Case Study Topics

Management is always complex because it involves a plethora of different subjects that must be combined and analyzed. The role of case studies here is vital because it is the best way to learn both old and new methods of management. Consider this list of case study topics on Management:

  • Corporate planning and strategic management by Nike Corporation.
  • The activity-based costs systems in the Asian markets.
  • Is child entrepreneurship taking away the aspect of childhood?
  • Should financial management be taught at schools?
  • Human Resources Management bias and ethnicity aspects.
  • The challenges of global management in modern times.
  • The management and social media.
  • Does immediate innovation has a place in marketing?
  • Sustainable development and globalization.
  • Civil rights and the responsibilities of corporate management specialists.

Applied Physics

As you may think that Applied Physics is all about theory or lab experiments, you are quite far from the truth because it also involves case study writing to determine the engineering mistakes or provide college professors with a piece of evidence that you understand the subject correctly.

  • Condensed Matter and Mechanical Engineering studies.
  • The most common misconceptions about Nanoscience.
  • The Green Energy systems in the domestic environment.
  • Why the study of Microfluidics is often considered dangerous?
  • Quantum Information Science and Data Transfer methods.
  • The benefits of Astrophysics lessons for the school children.
  • The application of synchrotron radiation and relevant dangers.
  • The engineering mindset specifics in Applied Physics.
  • Radiation therapy and related mental aspects.
  • The role of female scientists in Applied Physics.

SMM Case Study Topics

It is hard to imagine our lives without social media these days. It is only natural that SMM or Social Media Marketing case study topics are becoming even more popular.

Here are some of them you must definitely check:

  • The use of children in SMM strategies.
  • The challenges of influencers on social media.
  • Why the majority of SMM trends are dangerous?
  • The reasons why TikTok became popular.
  • The importance of impromptu dancing on social media.
  • Is SMM Marketing the next best thing for modern sales?
  • Online marketing dangers.
  • The differences between globalization and mass trend following.
  • Social media dangers for children.
  • The age gap differences in social media groups.

MBA Case Study Topic Ideas

MBA studies still remain one of the most popular subjects for those who want to start their personal business or promote something innovative. Once you have your MBA degree, you can get employed at some of the world's best companies. Still, as you only study, it is crucial to do all these writing tasks, including reflective journals and case study papers. Have no fear as we have some MBA case study ideas for you:

  • Operations management styles at Intel Inc.
  • Why the majority of human resource management methods used are outdated today.
  • The specifics of marketing research in Japan.
  • Customer relationship management and religion.
  • Strategic Thinking VS Leadership training.
  • MBA marketing specifics.
  • The attitude and professional success: Bill Gates personality.
  • Steve Jobs' marketing style.
  • Financial responsibility of CEOs in the United States.
  • The IT marketing through the prism of staff training in marketing.

Human Rights Case Studies

Even though we all have heard about human rights and related challenges these days, it is often uneasy to choose the right case study topic. If you are unsure what to choose, consider these examples of case study topics below:

  • The challenges of the Palestinian community.
  • Misconceptions about the Black Lives Matter Movement.
  • Should children be allowed to vote and participate in politics.
  • The gender injustice in the scientific community of American Universities.
  • The abuse of female personnel workforce.
  • The Anti-Discrimination Act controversies.
  • The human rights controversies in the United States versus cases in Canada.
  • How can minor children stand for their basic human rights?
  • The moral aspect of freedom of speech.
  • The human rights activists and their moral principles: South Africa.

Nursing Case Study Subjects

  • The privacy of the nurse and patient communications.
  • The importance of ER nursing stress reduction methods.
  • Should nurses be taught self-defense tactics?
  • The presence of ethnic bias in the nursing community.
  • The emotional bonds established by the nurses in a team.
  • How does team solidarity affect nursing responsibilities?
  • The healthcare system in Norway: Bergen hospitals case study analysis.
  • Should nurses be granted additional payments for the emotional turbulence that they endure?
  • Patients with Alzheimer’s and the modern nursing methods.
  • How can nurses help children to communicate more efficiently?

Business Case Study Topics

Regardless of what business field you may encounter for your college studies in the United States, the chances are high that you will need some inspiration for your next case study assignment. Consider taking a look at these topic ideas:

  • The quality production differences between Gibson and Fender.
  • The link between production quality and strategic thinking implemented by the CEOs.
  • The image of the modern business individual today.
  • Pricing optimization at Apple Inc.
  • The reasons why start-ups became so popular in 2022.
  • Market expansion in the Asian markets.
  • Industry Landscape in Australia for investment purposes.
  • Profitability and moral limitations in business in China.
  • Personnel management issues at Amazon business outlets.
  • The problems of consumerism in the United States.

Of course, these are only the starting points or the basic ideas that you can use as you think about how to choose a good case study topic for your next project! When in doubt, always consult your academic advisor or hire a professional case study writer to pick the best subject and methodology!

How To Choose Good Case Study Topics?

Starting with your case study topic hunting, follow these simple rules:

  • Choose something that inspires you.
  • Narrow things down to reflect your main idea the best way possible.
  • Explore similar research ideas on the topic.
  • Identify the problem(s) and opinions related to your chosen subject.
  • Choose relevant methodology that will make it possible to research this or that case study topic.
  • Find alternate wording for your case study assignment.
  • Brainstorm available case study topics for college students.

Remember that if you are not sure about something, always ask your college advisor and check your grading rubric twice to ensure that you are on the right track!

Analysis Comes First

It must be reminded again that every assignment that you approach must include a preliminary analysis of the topic because you must be aware of various research aspects related to your topic. Take your time to consider different wording patterns and always narrow things down if possible to let your case study writing reflect your thesis and the main ideas. Always provide good evidence and analyze all the available information that you have in the case study instructions. It will help you to provide enough evidence of your research based upon a specific case study. Therefore, brainstorm our case study topics and let your education struggles become easier with our help! And remember that you can always ask us to write my case study!

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Written by David Kidwell

David is one of those experienced content creators from the United Kingdom who has a high interest in social issues, culture, and entrepreneurship. He always says that reading, blogging, and staying aware of what happens in the world is what makes a person responsible. He likes to learn and share what he knows by making things inspiring and creative enough even for those students who dislike reading.

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Research Data Network

Case study titles and abstracts

Research data management: benefits and data reuse case studies, introduction.

Research Data Management (RDM) is an overarching term encompassing the organisation, storage, and documentation of data generated during research projects. RDM deals with the organisation and curation of active research data, with its day-to-day management and use, and with its long-term preservation. RDM is an important practice for both institutions and individual researchers. Data supporting results should be made available and preserved so as to allow its reuse and the verification of published research. Several other benefits can arise from the implementation of RDM, including increased citations, increased research collaborations, or increased visibility. Today, data has to be managed not only for preservation purposes, but also to fulfil the requirements of most research funders. Although RDM has been around for a while, the above benefits are usually described qualitatively and the lack of a solid body of evidence makes advocacy difficult. We have sought to fill this gap by using case studies to present a rich and varied picture of the impacts underpinned by RDM. ###Spread of disciplines The case studies assembled here come from a wide range of research fields. Due to inherent differences between disciplines, the benefits of RDM become apparent in different ways. They are more tangible in certain fields, and more abstract in others. Nonetheless, the case studies demonstrate that RDM is a worthwhile activity for all institutions and researchers. The examples below mostly involve large data management initiatives, as these are more likely to show the wide reach of the benefits of RDM. However, we would like to stress that even smaller data management efforts can have an impact. Unfortunately, this can be very difficult to track, as an individual researcher reusing data from other individual researchers is often lost in a sea of information. Similarly, impact sometimes cannot be traced to a specific source: in some studies, clear evidence of the impact of RDM is available, but they point to a whole repository rather than to a single study or dataset. ###Enablers of impact from RDM The effective implementation of RDM requires both cultural change and specific data skills. This makes its dissemination and practical realisation difficult and is the main obstacle to the above-mentioned benefits. It is, therefore, desirable to examine the RDM environment to investigate its enablers and what has worked historically to encourage future data curation and reuse. Our research into the benefits or RDM led us to discovering some of the circumstances and situations that facilitate it, along with some of the reasons why this practice should be pursued. A summary of our findings is as follows:

  • Open licensing (e.g., in the case of computer code and algorithms) is essential to allow crowd-sourced improvements.
  • Data repositories and infrastructures are among the most significant enablers of impact: without them, very few of the impact case studies below would have been possible.
  • Collaborations between international bodies or organisations strongly promote data re-use, especially in fields where it was not possible for a single player to take charge. These collaborations create the right environment for sharing and re-use of research data: cultural change is encouraged along with the use of joint infrastructures at a national or international level.
  • The impact of RDM is normally seen after a long time, when, i.e., after has been produced, curated, maintained, and reused. Thus, there is a need for sustained investment in this field, as benefits cannot be seen immediately.
  • Aggregation of data and digitisation of documents are key to encouraging the development of digital humanities. These initiatives often arise from the collaboration between museums, research libraries, and universities. When data that was spread between several sources (e.g., many different books/articles) or held in obsolete formats was organised and analysed through sound RDM, hidden findings could be uncovered. ###Presentation format The case studies are grouped into Long Form—more detailed with abstracts etc.— and Short Form. In all cases key information is presented in a table after the text.

Long-form case studies

1: Neurodegeneration and Dementia Research
Leveraging data from cohort studies to accelerate medical progress
Dementia and neurodegenerative diseases affect both individuals and society as a whole. However, neither cures nor treatments are available at the moment. The Dementias Platforms UK collaboration aims to turn dementia research into treatments as quickly as possible, to both improve people's lives and decrease the socioeconomic cost related to these types of diseases
dementia; Alzheimer; cohort studies
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Impact on health and wellbeing
850,000 people with Dementia, £53 million project (DPUK), £6.9 million project financed using DPUK
Recent (<5 years)
2014

Top of Long-form Case Studies

2: Biological Data Mining
Difficulties in data handling in the field of biology
Biologists often need to deal with heterogeneous data sources, which makes their work difficult and time-consuming. The InterMine system provides an easy-to-use data warehouse solution that biologists can exploit for their studies with little programming knowledge.
biology; data warehouse; data mining
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
574 citation
Long-standing (5+ years)
2012
3: Gene Expression Omnibus Data to Fight Cancer
Systems biology and enhanced cancer diagnosis
Sharing genomic data on the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) repository has a significant impact on medical research and improves the efficiency of the publishing environment. New approaches to cancer research were developed, including a novel method of diagnosis based on the study of exosomes.
medical research; cancer; repository; publishing
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed); Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
65,000 results from Google Scholar
Long-standing (5+ years)
2001
4: The World vs E.Coli
Researchers joining forces to sequence bacterial genomes
During the 2011 E.coli outbreak, the release of the bacterial genome in the public domain allowed researchers to reach conclusions quickly and effectively. The strain was tracked to a seed shipment from 2009 and the crow-sourced analysis received high media attention.
infection; e.coli; outbreak
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Impact on health and wellbeing
17 authors working in a crowdsourcing effort;
12 academic publications;
8 media outlets covering the initiative;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2011
5: Data-Powered Patents
Citation patterns in granted patents in the field of biology
The analysis of data citation patterns in the field of biology showed how over 8,000 patents were based on publicly available data. While this proves the usefulness of repositories as a whole, it also shows how the evaluation of researchers should consider data citations and alternative sources, too, as these are often key to uncover the broader industrial and societal value of academic research.
citations; patents; text mining
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed); Socio/Economic impact
Impact on economy and business
8,000 patents thanks to open data
Recent (<5 years)
2014
6: Sharing Research Data and Infrastructure to Study Proteins
A research group's impact on the study of circular dichroism
The DICHROWEB and PCDDB platforms are widely used for the study of proteins. Since their release, hundreds of thousands of users accessed them, from both academia and the private sector. In academia, the platforms fuel research and teaching, while they led to several advances in industry, including the development of 11 patents.
protein; repository; infrastructure
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Impact on health and wellbeing
375,000 analyses;
3,600 registered users;
over 1,000 citations;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2001
7: Using Flies to Understand The Human Brain
Harvesting published data to power neurobiology research
Studying the brain of fruit flies is helping researchers uncover how our brains work at the molecular level. Data repositories such as the Virtual Fly Brain help them curate, share, and re-use data in a structured way.
neurobiology; medicine; fly; brain;
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
Long-standing (5+ years)
2012
8: A Data-Based Approach to Preventing Curable Eye Diseases
Leveraging data to inform health policies
The Vision Loss Expert Group (VLEG) gathered and released data on vision loss all around the world. The data is localised, which means that every country can tackle local issues to reduce the burden of eye loss. The findings of the VLEG are far-reaching and were picked up by large organisations such as PwC, the World Bank, and the World Economic Forum, shaping policies, debates, and educations programmes worldwide.
ophthalmology; eye health; VLEG; GBD
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Impact on health and wellbeing; Impact on public services; Impact on politics and governance
15,000 articles harvested;
$2.2 per capita to eliminate avoidable blindness in developing countries by 2020;
collaboration between 79 scientists;
Long-standing (5+ years)
1990
9: Self Compacting Concrete
Advancements in engineering led by data aggregation
Data from over 250 academic sources was aggregated in the form of a database and used to inform future design of self-compacting concrete. This large-scale study allowed researchers to precisely describe the differences between self-compacting concrete and "traditional" vibrated concrete.
concrete; database; self-compacting
ENGINEERING
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
250 articles;
1500 concrete mixtures analysed;
Recent (<5 years)
2014
10: Preventing Drug Interactions On Your Mobile
Novel tools for patients and healthcare professionals
The iChart apps developed by the University of Liverpool help clinicians and patients with HIV or hepatitis C better deal with drug interactions. The apps allow clear and ubiquitous access to research data that has been arranged for maximum effectiveness and dissemination, thus, improving patient response and reducing the side effects experienced. In addition, clinicians can save time, as all the information they need is now available directly on their smartphones.
hiv; hepatitis; drug interactions
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Impact on health and wellbeing
128 countries;
17,000 downloads;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2010
11: Meeting Sustainability Objectives
Reducing carbon emissions from agricultural production
Meeting sustainability objectives is becoming increasingly important to reduce the impact of global warming. The field of agriculture has been deemed responsible for a third of our greenhouse emissions, thus, resources such as the Cool Farm Tool are essential to help people in the sector understand how they can reduce their environmental impact.
agriculture; carbon footprint;
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed); Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Environmental impact
800 global datasets for N2O;
100 global datasets for soil carbon sequestrations;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2011
12: Finding Offshore Hydrocarbons
Leveraging satellite data to improve the efficiency of exploration
Satellite data has been re-used to produced a more up-to-date and precise dataset helping with offshore exploration. The improved gravity data prepared by the researchers has shown a very high potential and is estimated to be 10% more accurate than previously-available work. The dataset has been used by major oil companies to drive decision-making and improve the safety of their exploration efforts.
oil; exploration; gravity
EARTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Impact on economy and business; Environmental impact
$2.5 million per project
£1.2 million received
10% improvement compared to previous data
Long-standing (5+ years)
1998
13: Geological Data Made Easy
The British Geological Survey and the OpenGeoscience portal
Geological data was released by the British Geological Survey to align their resources to the principles of open science. Their efforts took the form of the OpenGeoscience portal, where data is shared through an Open Government License. Users of OpenGeoscience resources are encouraged to reshape the data to develop new products, called mash-ups, and more than 20 of these are available on the BGS website.
geology; survey; NERC
EARTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Impact on economy and business; Environmental impact
Over 20 mash-ups (projects derived from OpenGeoscience data)
Long-standing (5+ years)
2010
14: Protecting The Oceans By Coordinating Data Sharing Efforts
UNESCO’s efforts to preserve marine environments
UNESCO's efforts to protect marine environments materialised with the creation of IODE in 1961. The programme aims to improve data management in the field and to guide and coordinate the data gathering work by a large number of countries. Such a high-level initiative allows data to be shared very effectively, as no country could possibly gather so much information on its own. In addition,
marine; ocean; coordination; unesco
EARTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Environmental impact; Impact on politics and governance; Impact on economy and business
Long-standing (5+ years)
1990
15: Corruption in Public Sector Procurement
Digital whistleblowing to quantify the cost of corruption
The DIGIWHIST project gathered and elaborated information on public procurement and accountability of public officials within the EU and in neighbouring countries. This was picked up by the European Commission, which released a study showing how corruption may cost Europe up to €990 billion per year.
corruption; european commission; transparency; public sector
STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY
Socio/Economic impact; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
Impact on politics and governance; Impact on public services; Impact on economy and business
up to €990 billion lost to corruption yearly
Recent (<5 years)
2015
16: Drones for Research
Using unmanned aerial vehicles to power new approaches to scientific investigations
Drones are becoming a constant presence in technology news and media, thus, it is not surprising that they also caught the attention of the research community. Drones allow researchers to capture aerial images easily and at a low cost, however, the data they gather needs to be properly curated to allow any applications. In the field of agriculture, drone-captured datasets are being used to spot plant diseases and help farmers better protect their yields. In addition, drone time-stamped drone image sets have been used to study how to best protect crops and land from floods.
agriculture; drones
AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Impact on economy and business; Economic; Environmental
Recent (<5 years)
2016
17: Data-Enhanced Archaeology
Using modern tools to study ancient times
In the field of archaeology, data is scarce and difficult to find. This is simply because it usually comes from excavations or physical operations on artefacts, which are normally expensive and can be performed only in certain conditions. The Archaeology Data Service (ADS) aims to fill the gap by freely providing more than 1.3 million metadata records on archaeological data and by driving developments in research data management in the field. The service enables increased efficiency thanks to data reuse and this is valued at at least £13 million per annum.
archaeological data; repository
HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
£13 million per annum savings due to increased efficiency;
2-fold to 8-fold return on investment;
44% of interviewed stakeholders could not have carried out their work without the ADS;
Long-standing (5+ years)
1996
18: Supporting Science and Industry by Sharing Computer Code
Sharing software as a form of research data
Sharing software is not as common as sharing other types of research data, however, it is sometimes very impactful. The Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) software in the field of neuroimaging is an example of how sharing computer code can lead to far-reaching effects. In this case, making the code public allowed the creation of a new field of study and led the software to become the leader in the sector. In addition, thanks to the licensing chosen, some companies were able to exploit the code to create derivative products, which are generating substantial income, while major pharmaceutical companies are using it in the field of drug research.
software; code; algorithms
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Economic; Technological; Health
64% of users in the field use the software;
€5,000 for each license (software derived from sharing);
Long-standing (5+ years)
1991
19: Citizen Science at Zooniverse
Sharing data and efforts via an online platform
It is not always easy to deal with large amounts of data. At times, algorithms can help researchers make sense of their large datasets, however, sometimes the human mind cannot be replaced. In these cases, platforms like Zooniverse come to the researchers' help, allowing them to have citizen volunteers analyse scientific data and enable new scientific discoveries. More than 130 articles were published thanks to citizen science, showing how wise research data management can allow the crowd-sourcing of scientific research.
crowd-sourced research; citizen science
INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
More than 130 articles published;
Over 1.5 million registered volunteers;
At least 58 web-based citizen science projects;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2009
20: History and Data
The link between disciplines that seem diametrically opposed
Access to ancient books, manuscripts, and artefacts is often limited due to their fragility and importance. In addition, they are spread between several locations, which makes the work of historians difficult. The digitisation of heritage data by the British History Online digital library bridges the gap by making material available to researchers from all over the world. The application of research data management in this field led to changes in the researchers' workflow and earned the library a large number of citations in the academic literature and mentions in the news.
British history; digitisation; library
HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
330,000 unique visitors a month;
1,410 Google Scholar results;
9 mentions in news;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2003
21: Saving the Earth from Mankind
How can we preserve Earth and develop sustainably?
Our planet needs to be protected, as human development tends to ignore sustainability and the effect business has on the environment and on biodiversity. Luckily, things are slowly changing, and better decisions and policies supported by research data can now be made. The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) plays a critical role in enabling sustainable development by hosting evidence on more than 1.6 million species and its data is featured in more than 1,400 research papers. GBIF data is used by scientists, policymakers, and journalists alike.
biodiversity; environment; sustainable development
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact; Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Political; Economic; Environmental
Evidence on more than 1.6 million species;
1,400 peer-reviewed articles citing GBIF data;
81 countries;
Long-standing (5+ years)
1999
22: Understanding Mobile Users and Evaluating Vulnerabilities
User data as an investigation tool
The Device Analyzer project gathers data on smartphone usage and curates it for re-use by companies, universities, and research institutes. The project's data led to the development of important statistics on the vulnerability of smartphones using the Android operating system. The researchers found that this is related to the slow pace of system updates and only manufacturers have the tools to address the problem.
Android; smartphone; mobile phones
INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
30,978 contributors; 87.7% of Android devices are exposed to at least one of 11 known critical vulnerabilities
Long-standing (5+ years)
2012
23: Understanding War
Data-powered insights into the motives and consequences of war
In the world, there are currently 58 ongoing conflicts. These cause tens of thousands of fatalities each year and are related to reasons that are obscure, complex, and often difficult to understand. Researchers and political scientists have been trying to uncover the reasons for war for a long time. Today, they can leverage data to explain conflicts, and geotagged datasets can be organised to build visualisations that greatly facilitate the understanding of contexts and actors in a war. The use of research data management is instrumental in helping us fully grasp the reasons for conflicts and, hopefully, preventing future ones.
War; conflicts
STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Political; Societal
4,000 citations: Correlates of War project
3,800 citations: Uppsala Conflict Data Program
Long-standing (5+ years)
2012
24: Surfing Gravitational Waves
Understanding gravity and Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity
Since 2002, the LIGO experiment has been running and collecting data in the domain of astrophysics. This very large facility created over 1 petabyte of information, which required management for several years. This effort has allowed researchers to confirm the existence of gravitational waves, ripples in space time hypothesised by Einstein. In addition, data from the experiment is being used to produce peer-reviewed publications and additional information on past detections, such as visuals, audio, and other media.
gravitational waves; relativity
PHYSICAL SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
111,000 news mentions;
Over 1 petabyte of data
Long-standing (5+ years)
1994
25: Art From The Comfort Of Your Chair
Aggregating arts metadata to power a digital museum
Educational institutions, museums, and other organisations hold a wealth of information on paintings, sculpture, and artefacts. This has historically been kept private or indexed locally, however, the Europeana project aims to aggregate metadata in the field of arts and make it publicly accessible. Over 3,000 organisation contribute to the portal, which hosts more than 54 million records from across Europe. The Europeana project has been using its material to promote creative thinking in a number of disciplines and led to the creation of a web exhibition platform for institutions holding art. In addition, Europeana tracks research arising from its data through the Europeana Treasures blogpost series.
cultural heritage; digitisation
LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Technological; Cultural
Collaboration of 3,000 institutions;
54,364,816 artworks, artefacts, books, videos and sounds from across Europe;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2008

Short-form case studies

1: A Performance Artwork Based on Datasets and Partnerships
music; sound; software
EARTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
>430GB of data created
Recent (<5 years)
2014

Top of Short-form Case Studies

2: Open Science Underpins Collaboration: The Structural Genomics Consortium (SGC)
protein structure
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Economic
over 1,500 protein structures and 75 kinase structures shared;
Protein Data Bank is worth $12 billion;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2003
3: Testing Doubts About the Reliability of Science: The Reproducibility Project
reproducibility; open science
PSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITIVE SCIENCES
Reproducibility
Only 40% of findings could be replicated
Long-standing (5+ years)
2011
4: Large Volumes of Data Engage Large Communities: Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS))
space; citizen science
EARTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Classification of nearly 900,000 galaxies
Long-standing (5+ years)
1998
5: Scholarly Communication is About Combining Effort: Polymath Project
collaboration; problem solving
MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
3 out of 12 mathematical problems solved;
6 published articles;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2009
6: Is Citizen Generated Data Suitable for Academic Purposes? Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI)
maps; volunteered data
EARTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Only 12% of photographs considered unusable
Long-standing (5+ years)
2004
7: A Specialist Research Data Archive: Crawdad
wireless; networks
INFORMATION AND COMPUTING SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
2378 papers using CRAWDAD datasets or mentioning CRAWDAD;
1217 downloads for the most popular datasets and 566 citations;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2004
8: A Large-Scale Research Data Service: The European Bioinformatics Institute
genome information
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Reproducibility; Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Economic
Efficiency gains worth £1 billion per annum;
Future research impact worth £335 million annually or £2.5 billion over 30 years
Long-standing (5+ years)
1992
9: Combining Data & Influencing Government Sustainability Policies
travelling; sustainability
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Political; Societal
Long-standing (5+ years)
2008
10: Objective Measures & Self-Reported Data Underpin Policy On Obesity: Health Survey for England (HSE)
health survey; obesity
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
Long-standing (5+ years)
1991
11: Archival Acceptance as an "Indicator of Quality": Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) Testimonial Data
crisis; diaries
MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Societal
3,200 weekly diaries leading to the understanding of how people react to abnormal events
Long-standing (5+ years)
2001
12: Improving Policy by Providing Data: Live Music Exchange (LMX)
live music
LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Socio/Economic impact
Political
Recent (<5 years)
2015
13: From Hard Copy Primary Sources to An Open Online Resource: Reading Experience Database, (RED)
reading
LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Methodological impact (e.g., new approaches developed)
contributions of >120 volunteers, who created over 6000 entries;
>1800 users per month from >135 countries;
Long-standing (5+ years)
1995
14: Qualitative Data in Many Formats, Archived Online: Tate Encounters
qualitative data; museum
STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY
Socio/Economic impact
Societal; Cultural
300 student questionnaires;
200 student essays on Tate Modern and Tate Britain;
12 student workshops;
12 in depth student research projects;
5 extended participant family edited ethnographic films;
38 Tate staff interviews and interviews with 72 participants through the Research in Process events at Tate Britain;
Long-standing (5+ years)
2010
15: Data Combination and Self Re-Use: Understanding Pauper Lives in Georgian London
pauper lives; London
HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
Over 300,000 records about over 50,000 poor individuals in the West End of London
Long-standing (5+ years)
2004
16: Ireland-Bristol Trade in the Sixteenth Century
trade; Ireland; England
HISTORY AND ARCHAEOLOGY
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
Long-standing (5+ years)
2006
17: Film and an Ethnographic Approach: Buddhist Cosmology in Food
buddhism; food
LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
6 videos created as a project output
Recent (<5 years)
2014
18: Data About Data Archiving: ICPSR’s Data Sharing in the Social Sciences
meta-analysis
STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
Long-standing (5+ years)
2010
19: Research Data Supports Restoration: Mackintosh Architecture
restoration; building
BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND DESIGN
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort); Socio/Economic impact
Societal; Cultural
350 architectural projects shared
Recent (<5 years
2014
20: Evidencing Value of Artistic, Cultural or Sporting Activities: UK Subjective Well-Being Data (SWB)
understanding society; sport; culture
STUDIES IN HUMAN SOCIETY
Efficiency in research and data re-use (e.g., reduce duplication of effort)
Recent (<5 years)
2016

Updated about 7 years ago

What is case study research?

Last updated

8 February 2023

Reviewed by

Cathy Heath

Short on time? Get an AI generated summary of this article instead

Suppose a company receives a spike in the number of customer complaints, or medical experts discover an outbreak of illness affecting children but are not quite sure of the reason. In both cases, carrying out a case study could be the best way to get answers.

Organization

Case studies can be carried out across different disciplines, including education, medicine, sociology, and business.

Most case studies employ qualitative methods, but quantitative methods can also be used. Researchers can then describe, compare, evaluate, and identify patterns or cause-and-effect relationships between the various variables under study. They can then use this knowledge to decide what action to take. 

Another thing to note is that case studies are generally singular in their focus. This means they narrow focus to a particular area, making them highly subjective. You cannot always generalize the results of a case study and apply them to a larger population. However, they are valuable tools to illustrate a principle or develop a thesis.

Analyze case study research

Dovetail streamlines case study research to help you uncover and share actionable insights

  • What are the different types of case study designs?

Researchers can choose from a variety of case study designs. The design they choose is dependent on what questions they need to answer, the context of the research environment, how much data they already have, and what resources are available.

Here are the common types of case study design:

Explanatory

An explanatory case study is an initial explanation of the how or why that is behind something. This design is commonly used when studying a real-life phenomenon or event. Once the organization understands the reasons behind a phenomenon, it can then make changes to enhance or eliminate the variables causing it. 

Here is an example: How is co-teaching implemented in elementary schools? The title for a case study of this subject could be “Case Study of the Implementation of Co-Teaching in Elementary Schools.”

Descriptive

An illustrative or descriptive case study helps researchers shed light on an unfamiliar object or subject after a period of time. The case study provides an in-depth review of the issue at hand and adds real-world examples in the area the researcher wants the audience to understand. 

The researcher makes no inferences or causal statements about the object or subject under review. This type of design is often used to understand cultural shifts.

Here is an example: How did people cope with the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami? This case study could be titled "A Case Study of the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and its Effect on the Indonesian Population."

Exploratory

Exploratory research is also called a pilot case study. It is usually the first step within a larger research project, often relying on questionnaires and surveys . Researchers use exploratory research to help narrow down their focus, define parameters, draft a specific research question , and/or identify variables in a larger study. This research design usually covers a wider area than others, and focuses on the ‘what’ and ‘who’ of a topic.

Here is an example: How do nutrition and socialization in early childhood affect learning in children? The title of the exploratory study may be “Case Study of the Effects of Nutrition and Socialization on Learning in Early Childhood.”

An intrinsic case study is specifically designed to look at a unique and special phenomenon. At the start of the study, the researcher defines the phenomenon and the uniqueness that differentiates it from others. 

In this case, researchers do not attempt to generalize, compare, or challenge the existing assumptions. Instead, they explore the unique variables to enhance understanding. Here is an example: “Case Study of Volcanic Lightning.”

This design can also be identified as a cumulative case study. It uses information from past studies or observations of groups of people in certain settings as the foundation of the new study. Given that it takes multiple areas into account, it allows for greater generalization than a single case study. 

The researchers also get an in-depth look at a particular subject from different viewpoints.  Here is an example: “Case Study of how PTSD affected Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Differently Due to Advances in Military Technology.”

Critical instance

A critical case study incorporates both explanatory and intrinsic study designs. It does not have predetermined purposes beyond an investigation of the said subject. It can be used for a deeper explanation of the cause-and-effect relationship. It can also be used to question a common assumption or myth. 

The findings can then be used further to generalize whether they would also apply in a different environment.  Here is an example: “What Effect Does Prolonged Use of Social Media Have on the Mind of American Youth?”

Instrumental

Instrumental research attempts to achieve goals beyond understanding the object at hand. Researchers explore a larger subject through different, separate studies and use the findings to understand its relationship to another subject. This type of design also provides insight into an issue or helps refine a theory. 

For example, you may want to determine if violent behavior in children predisposes them to crime later in life. The focus is on the relationship between children and violent behavior, and why certain children do become violent. Here is an example: “Violence Breeds Violence: Childhood Exposure and Participation in Adult Crime.”

Evaluation case study design is employed to research the effects of a program, policy, or intervention, and assess its effectiveness and impact on future decision-making. 

For example, you might want to see whether children learn times tables quicker through an educational game on their iPad versus a more teacher-led intervention. Here is an example: “An Investigation of the Impact of an iPad Multiplication Game for Primary School Children.” 

  • When do you use case studies?

Case studies are ideal when you want to gain a contextual, concrete, or in-depth understanding of a particular subject. It helps you understand the characteristics, implications, and meanings of the subject.

They are also an excellent choice for those writing a thesis or dissertation, as they help keep the project focused on a particular area when resources or time may be too limited to cover a wider one. You may have to conduct several case studies to explore different aspects of the subject in question and understand the problem.

  • What are the steps to follow when conducting a case study?

1. Select a case

Once you identify the problem at hand and come up with questions, identify the case you will focus on. The study can provide insights into the subject at hand, challenge existing assumptions, propose a course of action, and/or open up new areas for further research.

2. Create a theoretical framework

While you will be focusing on a specific detail, the case study design you choose should be linked to existing knowledge on the topic. This prevents it from becoming an isolated description and allows for enhancing the existing information. 

It may expand the current theory by bringing up new ideas or concepts, challenge established assumptions, or exemplify a theory by exploring how it answers the problem at hand. A theoretical framework starts with a literature review of the sources relevant to the topic in focus. This helps in identifying key concepts to guide analysis and interpretation.

3. Collect the data

Case studies are frequently supplemented with qualitative data such as observations, interviews, and a review of both primary and secondary sources such as official records, news articles, and photographs. There may also be quantitative data —this data assists in understanding the case thoroughly.

4. Analyze your case

The results of the research depend on the research design. Most case studies are structured with chapters or topic headings for easy explanation and presentation. Others may be written as narratives to allow researchers to explore various angles of the topic and analyze its meanings and implications.

In all areas, always give a detailed contextual understanding of the case and connect it to the existing theory and literature before discussing how it fits into your problem area.

  • What are some case study examples?

What are the best approaches for introducing our product into the Kenyan market?

How does the change in marketing strategy aid in increasing the sales volumes of product Y?

How can teachers enhance student participation in classrooms?

How does poverty affect literacy levels in children?

Case study topics

Case study of product marketing strategies in the Kenyan market

Case study of the effects of a marketing strategy change on product Y sales volumes

Case study of X school teachers that encourage active student participation in the classroom

Case study of the effects of poverty on literacy levels in children

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Research Method

Home » Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

Case Study Research

A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation.

It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Case studies typically involve multiple sources of data, including interviews, observations, documents, and artifacts, which are analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, and grounded theory. The findings of a case study are often used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Types of Case Study

Types and Methods of Case Study are as follows:

Single-Case Study

A single-case study is an in-depth analysis of a single case. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand a specific phenomenon in detail.

For Example , A researcher might conduct a single-case study on a particular individual to understand their experiences with a particular health condition or a specific organization to explore their management practices. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a single-case study are often used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Multiple-Case Study

A multiple-case study involves the analysis of several cases that are similar in nature. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to identify similarities and differences between the cases.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a multiple-case study on several companies to explore the factors that contribute to their success or failure. The researcher collects data from each case, compares and contrasts the findings, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as comparative analysis or pattern-matching. The findings of a multiple-case study can be used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Exploratory Case Study

An exploratory case study is used to explore a new or understudied phenomenon. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to generate hypotheses or theories about the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an exploratory case study on a new technology to understand its potential impact on society. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as grounded theory or content analysis. The findings of an exploratory case study can be used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Descriptive Case Study

A descriptive case study is used to describe a particular phenomenon in detail. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a descriptive case study on a particular community to understand its social and economic characteristics. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a descriptive case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Instrumental Case Study

An instrumental case study is used to understand a particular phenomenon that is instrumental in achieving a particular goal. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand the role of the phenomenon in achieving the goal.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an instrumental case study on a particular policy to understand its impact on achieving a particular goal, such as reducing poverty. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of an instrumental case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Case Study Data Collection Methods

Here are some common data collection methods for case studies:

Interviews involve asking questions to individuals who have knowledge or experience relevant to the case study. Interviews can be structured (where the same questions are asked to all participants) or unstructured (where the interviewer follows up on the responses with further questions). Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing.

Observations

Observations involve watching and recording the behavior and activities of individuals or groups relevant to the case study. Observations can be participant (where the researcher actively participates in the activities) or non-participant (where the researcher observes from a distance). Observations can be recorded using notes, audio or video recordings, or photographs.

Documents can be used as a source of information for case studies. Documents can include reports, memos, emails, letters, and other written materials related to the case study. Documents can be collected from the case study participants or from public sources.

Surveys involve asking a set of questions to a sample of individuals relevant to the case study. Surveys can be administered in person, over the phone, through mail or email, or online. Surveys can be used to gather information on attitudes, opinions, or behaviors related to the case study.

Artifacts are physical objects relevant to the case study. Artifacts can include tools, equipment, products, or other objects that provide insights into the case study phenomenon.

How to conduct Case Study Research

Conducting a case study research involves several steps that need to be followed to ensure the quality and rigor of the study. Here are the steps to conduct case study research:

  • Define the research questions: The first step in conducting a case study research is to define the research questions. The research questions should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the case study phenomenon under investigation.
  • Select the case: The next step is to select the case or cases to be studied. The case should be relevant to the research questions and should provide rich and diverse data that can be used to answer the research questions.
  • Collect data: Data can be collected using various methods, such as interviews, observations, documents, surveys, and artifacts. The data collection method should be selected based on the research questions and the nature of the case study phenomenon.
  • Analyze the data: The data collected from the case study should be analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, or grounded theory. The analysis should be guided by the research questions and should aim to provide insights and conclusions relevant to the research questions.
  • Draw conclusions: The conclusions drawn from the case study should be based on the data analysis and should be relevant to the research questions. The conclusions should be supported by evidence and should be clearly stated.
  • Validate the findings: The findings of the case study should be validated by reviewing the data and the analysis with participants or other experts in the field. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.
  • Write the report: The final step is to write the report of the case study research. The report should provide a clear description of the case study phenomenon, the research questions, the data collection methods, the data analysis, the findings, and the conclusions. The report should be written in a clear and concise manner and should follow the guidelines for academic writing.

Examples of Case Study

Here are some examples of case study research:

  • The Hawthorne Studies : Conducted between 1924 and 1932, the Hawthorne Studies were a series of case studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues to examine the impact of work environment on employee productivity. The studies were conducted at the Hawthorne Works plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago and included interviews, observations, and experiments.
  • The Stanford Prison Experiment: Conducted in 1971, the Stanford Prison Experiment was a case study conducted by Philip Zimbardo to examine the psychological effects of power and authority. The study involved simulating a prison environment and assigning participants to the role of guards or prisoners. The study was controversial due to the ethical issues it raised.
  • The Challenger Disaster: The Challenger Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. The study included interviews, observations, and analysis of data to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.
  • The Enron Scandal: The Enron Scandal was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Enron Corporation’s bankruptcy in 2001. The study included interviews, analysis of financial data, and review of documents to identify the accounting practices, corporate culture, and ethical issues that led to the company’s downfall.
  • The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster : The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011. The study included interviews, analysis of data, and review of documents to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.

Application of Case Study

Case studies have a wide range of applications across various fields and industries. Here are some examples:

Business and Management

Case studies are widely used in business and management to examine real-life situations and develop problem-solving skills. Case studies can help students and professionals to develop a deep understanding of business concepts, theories, and best practices.

Case studies are used in healthcare to examine patient care, treatment options, and outcomes. Case studies can help healthcare professionals to develop critical thinking skills, diagnose complex medical conditions, and develop effective treatment plans.

Case studies are used in education to examine teaching and learning practices. Case studies can help educators to develop effective teaching strategies, evaluate student progress, and identify areas for improvement.

Social Sciences

Case studies are widely used in social sciences to examine human behavior, social phenomena, and cultural practices. Case studies can help researchers to develop theories, test hypotheses, and gain insights into complex social issues.

Law and Ethics

Case studies are used in law and ethics to examine legal and ethical dilemmas. Case studies can help lawyers, policymakers, and ethical professionals to develop critical thinking skills, analyze complex cases, and make informed decisions.

Purpose of Case Study

The purpose of a case study is to provide a detailed analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. A case study is a qualitative research method that involves the in-depth exploration and analysis of a particular case, which can be an individual, group, organization, event, or community.

The primary purpose of a case study is to generate a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the case, including its history, context, and dynamics. Case studies can help researchers to identify and examine the underlying factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and detailed understanding of the case, which can inform future research, practice, or policy.

Case studies can also serve other purposes, including:

  • Illustrating a theory or concept: Case studies can be used to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and frameworks, providing concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
  • Developing hypotheses: Case studies can help to generate hypotheses about the causal relationships between different factors and outcomes, which can be tested through further research.
  • Providing insight into complex issues: Case studies can provide insights into complex and multifaceted issues, which may be difficult to understand through other research methods.
  • Informing practice or policy: Case studies can be used to inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.

Advantages of Case Study Research

There are several advantages of case study research, including:

  • In-depth exploration: Case study research allows for a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. This can provide a comprehensive understanding of the case and its dynamics, which may not be possible through other research methods.
  • Rich data: Case study research can generate rich and detailed data, including qualitative data such as interviews, observations, and documents. This can provide a nuanced understanding of the case and its complexity.
  • Holistic perspective: Case study research allows for a holistic perspective of the case, taking into account the various factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the case.
  • Theory development: Case study research can help to develop and refine theories and concepts by providing empirical evidence and concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
  • Practical application: Case study research can inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.
  • Contextualization: Case study research takes into account the specific context in which the case is situated, which can help to understand how the case is influenced by the social, cultural, and historical factors of its environment.

Limitations of Case Study Research

There are several limitations of case study research, including:

  • Limited generalizability : Case studies are typically focused on a single case or a small number of cases, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The unique characteristics of the case may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, which may limit the external validity of the research.
  • Biased sampling: Case studies may rely on purposive or convenience sampling, which can introduce bias into the sample selection process. This may limit the representativeness of the sample and the generalizability of the findings.
  • Subjectivity: Case studies rely on the interpretation of the researcher, which can introduce subjectivity into the analysis. The researcher’s own biases, assumptions, and perspectives may influence the findings, which may limit the objectivity of the research.
  • Limited control: Case studies are typically conducted in naturalistic settings, which limits the control that the researcher has over the environment and the variables being studied. This may limit the ability to establish causal relationships between variables.
  • Time-consuming: Case studies can be time-consuming to conduct, as they typically involve a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific case. This may limit the feasibility of conducting multiple case studies or conducting case studies in a timely manner.
  • Resource-intensive: Case studies may require significant resources, including time, funding, and expertise. This may limit the ability of researchers to conduct case studies in resource-constrained settings.

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Methodology

  • What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 20, 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyze the case, other interesting articles.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Case study examples
Research question Case study
What are the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction? Case study of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park
How do populist politicians use narratives about history to gain support? Case studies of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and US president Donald Trump
How can teachers implement active learning strategies in mixed-level classrooms? Case study of a local school that promotes active learning
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of wind farms for rural communities? Case studies of three rural wind farm development projects in different parts of the country
How are viral marketing strategies changing the relationship between companies and consumers? Case study of the iPhone X marketing campaign
How do experiences of work in the gig economy differ by gender, race and age? Case studies of Deliveroo and Uber drivers in London

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Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

  • Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
  • Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
  • Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
  • Open up new directions for future research

TipIf your research is more practical in nature and aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as you solve it, consider conducting action research instead.

Unlike quantitative or experimental research , a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case studyIn the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case studyIn the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

  • Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
  • Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
  • Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews , observations , and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case studyFor a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

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example research title of case study

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis , with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Normal distribution
  • Degrees of freedom
  • Null hypothesis
  • Discourse analysis
  • Control groups
  • Mixed methods research
  • Non-probability sampling
  • Quantitative research
  • Ecological validity

Research bias

  • Rosenthal effect
  • Implicit bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Selection bias
  • Negativity bias
  • Status quo bias

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How to Make a Research Paper Title with Examples

example research title of case study

What is a research paper title and why does it matter?

A research paper title summarizes the aim and purpose of your research study. Making a title for your research is one of the most important decisions when writing an article to publish in journals. The research title is the first thing that journal editors and reviewers see when they look at your paper and the only piece of information that fellow researchers will see in a database or search engine query. Good titles that are concise and contain all the relevant terms have been shown to increase citation counts and Altmetric scores .

Therefore, when you title research work, make sure it captures all of the relevant aspects of your study, including the specific topic and problem being investigated. It also should present these elements in a way that is accessible and will captivate readers. Follow these steps to learn how to make a good research title for your work.

How to Make a Research Paper Title in 5 Steps

You might wonder how you are supposed to pick a title from all the content that your manuscript contains—how are you supposed to choose? What will make your research paper title come up in search engines and what will make the people in your field read it? 

In a nutshell, your research title should accurately capture what you have done, it should sound interesting to the people who work on the same or a similar topic, and it should contain the important title keywords that other researchers use when looking for literature in databases. To make the title writing process as simple as possible, we have broken it down into 5 simple steps.

Step 1: Answer some key questions about your research paper

What does your paper seek to answer and what does it accomplish? Try to answer these questions as briefly as possible. You can create these questions by going through each section of your paper and finding the MOST relevant information to make a research title.

“What is my paper about?”  
“What methods/techniques did I use to perform my study?
“What or who was the subject of my study?” 
“What did I find?”

Step 2: Identify research study keywords

Now that you have answers to your research questions, find the most important parts of these responses and make these your study keywords. Note that you should only choose the most important terms for your keywords–journals usually request anywhere from 3 to 8 keywords maximum.

-program volume
-liver transplant patients
-waiting lists
-outcomes
-case study

-US/age 20-50
-60 cases

-positive correlation between waitlist volume and negative outcomes

Step 3: Research title writing: use these keywords

“We employed a case study of 60 liver transplant patients around the US aged 20-50 years to assess how waiting list volume affects the outcomes of liver transplantation in patients; results indicate a positive correlation between increased waiting list volume and negative prognosis after the transplant procedure.”

The sentence above is clearly much too long for a research paper title. This is why you will trim and polish your title in the next two steps.

Step 4: Create a working research paper title

To create a working title, remove elements that make it a complete “sentence” but keep everything that is important to what the study is about. Delete all unnecessary and redundant words that are not central to the study or that researchers would most likely not use in a database search.

“ We employed a case study of 60 liver transplant patients around the US aged 20-50 years to assess how the waiting list volume affects the outcome of liver transplantation in patients ; results indicate a positive correlation between increased waiting list volume and a negative prognosis after transplant procedure ”

Now shift some words around for proper syntax and rephrase it a bit to shorten the length and make it leaner and more natural. What you are left with is:

“A case study of 60 liver transplant patients around the US aged 20-50 years assessing the impact of waiting list volume on outcome of transplantation and showing a positive correlation between increased waiting list volume and a negative prognosis” (Word Count: 38)

This text is getting closer to what we want in a research title, which is just the most important information. But note that the word count for this working title is still 38 words, whereas the average length of published journal article titles is 16 words or fewer. Therefore, we should eliminate some words and phrases that are not essential to this title.

Step 5: Remove any nonessential words and phrases from your title

Because the number of patients studied and the exact outcome are not the most essential parts of this paper, remove these elements first:

 “A case study of 60 liver transplant patients around the US aged 20-50 years assessing the impact of waiting list volume on outcomes of transplantation and showing a positive correlation between increased waiting list volume and a negative prognosis” (Word Count: 19)

In addition, the methods used in a study are not usually the most searched-for keywords in databases and represent additional details that you may want to remove to make your title leaner. So what is left is:

“Assessing the impact of waiting list volume on outcome and prognosis in liver transplantation patients” (Word Count: 15)

In this final version of the title, one can immediately recognize the subject and what objectives the study aims to achieve. Note that the most important terms appear at the beginning and end of the title: “Assessing,” which is the main action of the study, is placed at the beginning; and “liver transplantation patients,” the specific subject of the study, is placed at the end.

This will aid significantly in your research paper title being found in search engines and database queries, which means that a lot more researchers will be able to locate your article once it is published. In fact, a 2014 review of more than 150,000 papers submitted to the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) database found the style of a paper’s title impacted the number of citations it would typically receive. In most disciplines, articles with shorter, more concise titles yielded more citations.

Adding a Research Paper Subtitle

If your title might require a subtitle to provide more immediate details about your methodology or sample, you can do this by adding this information after a colon:

“ : a case study of US adult patients ages 20-25”

If we abide strictly by our word count rule this may not be necessary or recommended. But every journal has its own standard formatting and style guidelines for research paper titles, so it is a good idea to be aware of the specific journal author instructions , not just when you write the manuscript but also to decide how to create a good title for it.

Research Paper Title Examples

The title examples in the following table illustrate how a title can be interesting but incomplete, complete by uninteresting, complete and interesting but too informal in tone, or some other combination of these. A good research paper title should meet all the requirements in the four columns below.

Advantages of Meditation for Nurses: A Longitudinal StudyYesNoNoYesYes
Why Focused Nurses Have the Highest Nursing ResultsNoYesYesNoYes
A Meditation Study Aimed at Hospital NursesNoNoNoNoYes
Mindfulness on the Night Shift: A Longitudinal Study on the Impacts of Meditation on Nurse ProductivityYesYesYesYesNo
Injective Mindfulness: Quantitative Measurements of Medication on Nurse Productivity YesYesYesYesYes

Tips on Formulating a Good Research Paper Title

In addition to the steps given above, there are a few other important things you want to keep in mind when it comes to how to write a research paper title, regarding formatting, word count, and content:

  • Write the title after you’ve written your paper and abstract
  • Include all of the essential terms in your paper
  • Keep it short and to the point (~16 words or fewer)
  • Avoid unnecessary jargon and abbreviations
  • Use keywords that capture the content of your paper
  • Never include a period at the end—your title is NOT a sentence

Research Paper Writing Resources

We hope this article has been helpful in teaching you how to craft your research paper title. But you might still want to dig deeper into different journal title formats and categories that might be more suitable for specific article types or need help with writing a cover letter for your manuscript submission.

In addition to getting English proofreading services , including paper editing services , before submission to journals, be sure to visit our academic resources papers. Here you can find dozens of articles on manuscript writing, from drafting an outline to finding a target journal to submit to.

example research title of case study

The Ultimate Guide to Qualitative Research - Part 1: The Basics

example research title of case study

  • Introduction and overview
  • What is qualitative research?
  • What is qualitative data?
  • Examples of qualitative data
  • Qualitative vs. quantitative research
  • Mixed methods
  • Qualitative research preparation
  • Theoretical perspective
  • Theoretical framework
  • Literature reviews

Research question

  • Conceptual framework
  • Conceptual vs. theoretical framework

Data collection

  • Qualitative research methods
  • Focus groups
  • Observational research

What is a case study?

Applications for case study research, what is a good case study, process of case study design, benefits and limitations of case studies.

  • Ethnographical research
  • Ethical considerations
  • Confidentiality and privacy
  • Power dynamics
  • Reflexivity

Case studies

Case studies are essential to qualitative research , offering a lens through which researchers can investigate complex phenomena within their real-life contexts. This chapter explores the concept, purpose, applications, examples, and types of case studies and provides guidance on how to conduct case study research effectively.

example research title of case study

Whereas quantitative methods look at phenomena at scale, case study research looks at a concept or phenomenon in considerable detail. While analyzing a single case can help understand one perspective regarding the object of research inquiry, analyzing multiple cases can help obtain a more holistic sense of the topic or issue. Let's provide a basic definition of a case study, then explore its characteristics and role in the qualitative research process.

Definition of a case study

A case study in qualitative research is a strategy of inquiry that involves an in-depth investigation of a phenomenon within its real-world context. It provides researchers with the opportunity to acquire an in-depth understanding of intricate details that might not be as apparent or accessible through other methods of research. The specific case or cases being studied can be a single person, group, or organization – demarcating what constitutes a relevant case worth studying depends on the researcher and their research question .

Among qualitative research methods , a case study relies on multiple sources of evidence, such as documents, artifacts, interviews , or observations , to present a complete and nuanced understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The objective is to illuminate the readers' understanding of the phenomenon beyond its abstract statistical or theoretical explanations.

Characteristics of case studies

Case studies typically possess a number of distinct characteristics that set them apart from other research methods. These characteristics include a focus on holistic description and explanation, flexibility in the design and data collection methods, reliance on multiple sources of evidence, and emphasis on the context in which the phenomenon occurs.

Furthermore, case studies can often involve a longitudinal examination of the case, meaning they study the case over a period of time. These characteristics allow case studies to yield comprehensive, in-depth, and richly contextualized insights about the phenomenon of interest.

The role of case studies in research

Case studies hold a unique position in the broader landscape of research methods aimed at theory development. They are instrumental when the primary research interest is to gain an intensive, detailed understanding of a phenomenon in its real-life context.

In addition, case studies can serve different purposes within research - they can be used for exploratory, descriptive, or explanatory purposes, depending on the research question and objectives. This flexibility and depth make case studies a valuable tool in the toolkit of qualitative researchers.

Remember, a well-conducted case study can offer a rich, insightful contribution to both academic and practical knowledge through theory development or theory verification, thus enhancing our understanding of complex phenomena in their real-world contexts.

What is the purpose of a case study?

Case study research aims for a more comprehensive understanding of phenomena, requiring various research methods to gather information for qualitative analysis . Ultimately, a case study can allow the researcher to gain insight into a particular object of inquiry and develop a theoretical framework relevant to the research inquiry.

Why use case studies in qualitative research?

Using case studies as a research strategy depends mainly on the nature of the research question and the researcher's access to the data.

Conducting case study research provides a level of detail and contextual richness that other research methods might not offer. They are beneficial when there's a need to understand complex social phenomena within their natural contexts.

The explanatory, exploratory, and descriptive roles of case studies

Case studies can take on various roles depending on the research objectives. They can be exploratory when the research aims to discover new phenomena or define new research questions; they are descriptive when the objective is to depict a phenomenon within its context in a detailed manner; and they can be explanatory if the goal is to understand specific relationships within the studied context. Thus, the versatility of case studies allows researchers to approach their topic from different angles, offering multiple ways to uncover and interpret the data .

The impact of case studies on knowledge development

Case studies play a significant role in knowledge development across various disciplines. Analysis of cases provides an avenue for researchers to explore phenomena within their context based on the collected data.

example research title of case study

This can result in the production of rich, practical insights that can be instrumental in both theory-building and practice. Case studies allow researchers to delve into the intricacies and complexities of real-life situations, uncovering insights that might otherwise remain hidden.

Types of case studies

In qualitative research , a case study is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Depending on the nature of the research question and the specific objectives of the study, researchers might choose to use different types of case studies. These types differ in their focus, methodology, and the level of detail they provide about the phenomenon under investigation.

Understanding these types is crucial for selecting the most appropriate approach for your research project and effectively achieving your research goals. Let's briefly look at the main types of case studies.

Exploratory case studies

Exploratory case studies are typically conducted to develop a theory or framework around an understudied phenomenon. They can also serve as a precursor to a larger-scale research project. Exploratory case studies are useful when a researcher wants to identify the key issues or questions which can spur more extensive study or be used to develop propositions for further research. These case studies are characterized by flexibility, allowing researchers to explore various aspects of a phenomenon as they emerge, which can also form the foundation for subsequent studies.

Descriptive case studies

Descriptive case studies aim to provide a complete and accurate representation of a phenomenon or event within its context. These case studies are often based on an established theoretical framework, which guides how data is collected and analyzed. The researcher is concerned with describing the phenomenon in detail, as it occurs naturally, without trying to influence or manipulate it.

Explanatory case studies

Explanatory case studies are focused on explanation - they seek to clarify how or why certain phenomena occur. Often used in complex, real-life situations, they can be particularly valuable in clarifying causal relationships among concepts and understanding the interplay between different factors within a specific context.

example research title of case study

Intrinsic, instrumental, and collective case studies

These three categories of case studies focus on the nature and purpose of the study. An intrinsic case study is conducted when a researcher has an inherent interest in the case itself. Instrumental case studies are employed when the case is used to provide insight into a particular issue or phenomenon. A collective case study, on the other hand, involves studying multiple cases simultaneously to investigate some general phenomena.

Each type of case study serves a different purpose and has its own strengths and challenges. The selection of the type should be guided by the research question and objectives, as well as the context and constraints of the research.

The flexibility, depth, and contextual richness offered by case studies make this approach an excellent research method for various fields of study. They enable researchers to investigate real-world phenomena within their specific contexts, capturing nuances that other research methods might miss. Across numerous fields, case studies provide valuable insights into complex issues.

Critical information systems research

Case studies provide a detailed understanding of the role and impact of information systems in different contexts. They offer a platform to explore how information systems are designed, implemented, and used and how they interact with various social, economic, and political factors. Case studies in this field often focus on examining the intricate relationship between technology, organizational processes, and user behavior, helping to uncover insights that can inform better system design and implementation.

Health research

Health research is another field where case studies are highly valuable. They offer a way to explore patient experiences, healthcare delivery processes, and the impact of various interventions in a real-world context.

example research title of case study

Case studies can provide a deep understanding of a patient's journey, giving insights into the intricacies of disease progression, treatment effects, and the psychosocial aspects of health and illness.

Asthma research studies

Specifically within medical research, studies on asthma often employ case studies to explore the individual and environmental factors that influence asthma development, management, and outcomes. A case study can provide rich, detailed data about individual patients' experiences, from the triggers and symptoms they experience to the effectiveness of various management strategies. This can be crucial for developing patient-centered asthma care approaches.

Other fields

Apart from the fields mentioned, case studies are also extensively used in business and management research, education research, and political sciences, among many others. They provide an opportunity to delve into the intricacies of real-world situations, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of various phenomena.

Case studies, with their depth and contextual focus, offer unique insights across these varied fields. They allow researchers to illuminate the complexities of real-life situations, contributing to both theory and practice.

example research title of case study

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Understanding the key elements of case study design is crucial for conducting rigorous and impactful case study research. A well-structured design guides the researcher through the process, ensuring that the study is methodologically sound and its findings are reliable and valid. The main elements of case study design include the research question , propositions, units of analysis, and the logic linking the data to the propositions.

The research question is the foundation of any research study. A good research question guides the direction of the study and informs the selection of the case, the methods of collecting data, and the analysis techniques. A well-formulated research question in case study research is typically clear, focused, and complex enough to merit further detailed examination of the relevant case(s).

Propositions

Propositions, though not necessary in every case study, provide a direction by stating what we might expect to find in the data collected. They guide how data is collected and analyzed by helping researchers focus on specific aspects of the case. They are particularly important in explanatory case studies, which seek to understand the relationships among concepts within the studied phenomenon.

Units of analysis

The unit of analysis refers to the case, or the main entity or entities that are being analyzed in the study. In case study research, the unit of analysis can be an individual, a group, an organization, a decision, an event, or even a time period. It's crucial to clearly define the unit of analysis, as it shapes the qualitative data analysis process by allowing the researcher to analyze a particular case and synthesize analysis across multiple case studies to draw conclusions.

Argumentation

This refers to the inferential model that allows researchers to draw conclusions from the data. The researcher needs to ensure that there is a clear link between the data, the propositions (if any), and the conclusions drawn. This argumentation is what enables the researcher to make valid and credible inferences about the phenomenon under study.

Understanding and carefully considering these elements in the design phase of a case study can significantly enhance the quality of the research. It can help ensure that the study is methodologically sound and its findings contribute meaningful insights about the case.

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Conducting a case study involves several steps, from defining the research question and selecting the case to collecting and analyzing data . This section outlines these key stages, providing a practical guide on how to conduct case study research.

Defining the research question

The first step in case study research is defining a clear, focused research question. This question should guide the entire research process, from case selection to analysis. It's crucial to ensure that the research question is suitable for a case study approach. Typically, such questions are exploratory or descriptive in nature and focus on understanding a phenomenon within its real-life context.

Selecting and defining the case

The selection of the case should be based on the research question and the objectives of the study. It involves choosing a unique example or a set of examples that provide rich, in-depth data about the phenomenon under investigation. After selecting the case, it's crucial to define it clearly, setting the boundaries of the case, including the time period and the specific context.

Previous research can help guide the case study design. When considering a case study, an example of a case could be taken from previous case study research and used to define cases in a new research inquiry. Considering recently published examples can help understand how to select and define cases effectively.

Developing a detailed case study protocol

A case study protocol outlines the procedures and general rules to be followed during the case study. This includes the data collection methods to be used, the sources of data, and the procedures for analysis. Having a detailed case study protocol ensures consistency and reliability in the study.

The protocol should also consider how to work with the people involved in the research context to grant the research team access to collecting data. As mentioned in previous sections of this guide, establishing rapport is an essential component of qualitative research as it shapes the overall potential for collecting and analyzing data.

Collecting data

Gathering data in case study research often involves multiple sources of evidence, including documents, archival records, interviews, observations, and physical artifacts. This allows for a comprehensive understanding of the case. The process for gathering data should be systematic and carefully documented to ensure the reliability and validity of the study.

Analyzing and interpreting data

The next step is analyzing the data. This involves organizing the data , categorizing it into themes or patterns , and interpreting these patterns to answer the research question. The analysis might also involve comparing the findings with prior research or theoretical propositions.

Writing the case study report

The final step is writing the case study report . This should provide a detailed description of the case, the data, the analysis process, and the findings. The report should be clear, organized, and carefully written to ensure that the reader can understand the case and the conclusions drawn from it.

Each of these steps is crucial in ensuring that the case study research is rigorous, reliable, and provides valuable insights about the case.

The type, depth, and quality of data in your study can significantly influence the validity and utility of the study. In case study research, data is usually collected from multiple sources to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the case. This section will outline the various methods of collecting data used in case study research and discuss considerations for ensuring the quality of the data.

Interviews are a common method of gathering data in case study research. They can provide rich, in-depth data about the perspectives, experiences, and interpretations of the individuals involved in the case. Interviews can be structured , semi-structured , or unstructured , depending on the research question and the degree of flexibility needed.

Observations

Observations involve the researcher observing the case in its natural setting, providing first-hand information about the case and its context. Observations can provide data that might not be revealed in interviews or documents, such as non-verbal cues or contextual information.

Documents and artifacts

Documents and archival records provide a valuable source of data in case study research. They can include reports, letters, memos, meeting minutes, email correspondence, and various public and private documents related to the case.

example research title of case study

These records can provide historical context, corroborate evidence from other sources, and offer insights into the case that might not be apparent from interviews or observations.

Physical artifacts refer to any physical evidence related to the case, such as tools, products, or physical environments. These artifacts can provide tangible insights into the case, complementing the data gathered from other sources.

Ensuring the quality of data collection

Determining the quality of data in case study research requires careful planning and execution. It's crucial to ensure that the data is reliable, accurate, and relevant to the research question. This involves selecting appropriate methods of collecting data, properly training interviewers or observers, and systematically recording and storing the data. It also includes considering ethical issues related to collecting and handling data, such as obtaining informed consent and ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of the participants.

Data analysis

Analyzing case study research involves making sense of the rich, detailed data to answer the research question. This process can be challenging due to the volume and complexity of case study data. However, a systematic and rigorous approach to analysis can ensure that the findings are credible and meaningful. This section outlines the main steps and considerations in analyzing data in case study research.

Organizing the data

The first step in the analysis is organizing the data. This involves sorting the data into manageable sections, often according to the data source or the theme. This step can also involve transcribing interviews, digitizing physical artifacts, or organizing observational data.

Categorizing and coding the data

Once the data is organized, the next step is to categorize or code the data. This involves identifying common themes, patterns, or concepts in the data and assigning codes to relevant data segments. Coding can be done manually or with the help of software tools, and in either case, qualitative analysis software can greatly facilitate the entire coding process. Coding helps to reduce the data to a set of themes or categories that can be more easily analyzed.

Identifying patterns and themes

After coding the data, the researcher looks for patterns or themes in the coded data. This involves comparing and contrasting the codes and looking for relationships or patterns among them. The identified patterns and themes should help answer the research question.

Interpreting the data

Once patterns and themes have been identified, the next step is to interpret these findings. This involves explaining what the patterns or themes mean in the context of the research question and the case. This interpretation should be grounded in the data, but it can also involve drawing on theoretical concepts or prior research.

Verification of the data

The last step in the analysis is verification. This involves checking the accuracy and consistency of the analysis process and confirming that the findings are supported by the data. This can involve re-checking the original data, checking the consistency of codes, or seeking feedback from research participants or peers.

Like any research method , case study research has its strengths and limitations. Researchers must be aware of these, as they can influence the design, conduct, and interpretation of the study.

Understanding the strengths and limitations of case study research can also guide researchers in deciding whether this approach is suitable for their research question . This section outlines some of the key strengths and limitations of case study research.

Benefits include the following:

  • Rich, detailed data: One of the main strengths of case study research is that it can generate rich, detailed data about the case. This can provide a deep understanding of the case and its context, which can be valuable in exploring complex phenomena.
  • Flexibility: Case study research is flexible in terms of design , data collection , and analysis . A sufficient degree of flexibility allows the researcher to adapt the study according to the case and the emerging findings.
  • Real-world context: Case study research involves studying the case in its real-world context, which can provide valuable insights into the interplay between the case and its context.
  • Multiple sources of evidence: Case study research often involves collecting data from multiple sources , which can enhance the robustness and validity of the findings.

On the other hand, researchers should consider the following limitations:

  • Generalizability: A common criticism of case study research is that its findings might not be generalizable to other cases due to the specificity and uniqueness of each case.
  • Time and resource intensive: Case study research can be time and resource intensive due to the depth of the investigation and the amount of collected data.
  • Complexity of analysis: The rich, detailed data generated in case study research can make analyzing the data challenging.
  • Subjectivity: Given the nature of case study research, there may be a higher degree of subjectivity in interpreting the data , so researchers need to reflect on this and transparently convey to audiences how the research was conducted.

Being aware of these strengths and limitations can help researchers design and conduct case study research effectively and interpret and report the findings appropriately.

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Case Study | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on 5 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 30 January 2023.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organisation, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods , but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing , comparing, evaluating, and understanding different aspects of a research problem .

Table of contents

When to do a case study, step 1: select a case, step 2: build a theoretical framework, step 3: collect your data, step 4: describe and analyse the case.

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation . They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Case study examples
Research question Case study
What are the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction? Case study of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park in the US
How do populist politicians use narratives about history to gain support? Case studies of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and US president Donald Trump
How can teachers implement active learning strategies in mixed-level classrooms? Case study of a local school that promotes active learning
What are the main advantages and disadvantages of wind farms for rural communities? Case studies of three rural wind farm development projects in different parts of the country
How are viral marketing strategies changing the relationship between companies and consumers? Case study of the iPhone X marketing campaign
How do experiences of work in the gig economy differ by gender, race, and age? Case studies of Deliveroo and Uber drivers in London

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Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions , you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

  • Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
  • Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
  • Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
  • Open up new directions for future research

Unlike quantitative or experimental research, a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

If you find yourself aiming to simultaneously investigate and solve an issue, consider conducting action research . As its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time, and is highly iterative and flexible. 

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience, or phenomenon.

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

  • Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
  • Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
  • Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework . This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews, observations, and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data .

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis, with separate sections or chapters for the methods , results , and discussion .

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyse its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis ).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
  • Group Presentations
  • Dealing with Nervousness
  • Using Visual Aids
  • Grading Someone Else's Paper
  • Types of Structured Group Activities
  • Group Project Survival Skills
  • Leading a Class Discussion
  • Multiple Book Review Essay
  • Reviewing Collected Works
  • Writing a Case Analysis Paper
  • Writing a Case Study
  • About Informed Consent
  • Writing Field Notes
  • Writing a Policy Memo
  • Writing a Reflective Paper
  • Writing a Research Proposal
  • Generative AI and Writing
  • Acknowledgments

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, condition, phenomenon, or other type of subject of analysis in order to extrapolate  key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or more subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010 ; “What is a Case Study?” In Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London: SAGE, 2010.

How to Approach Writing a Case Study Research Paper

General information about how to choose a topic to investigate can be found under the " Choosing a Research Problem " tab in the Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper writing guide. Review this page because it may help you identify a subject of analysis that can be investigated using a case study design.

However, identifying a case to investigate involves more than choosing the research problem . A case study encompasses a problem contextualized around the application of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion, often resulting in specific recommendations for action or for improving existing conditions. As Seawright and Gerring note, practical considerations such as time and access to information can influence case selection, but these issues should not be the sole factors used in describing the methodological justification for identifying a particular case to study. Given this, selecting a case includes considering the following:

  • The case represents 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.
  • The case provides important insight or illuminate a previously hidden problem? In-depth analysis of a case can be based on the hypothesis that the case study will reveal trends or issues that have not been exposed in prior research or will reveal new and important implications for practice. For example, anecdotal evidence may suggest drug use among homeless veterans is related to their patterns of travel throughout the day. Assuming prior studies have not looked at individual travel choices as a way to study access to illicit drug use, a case study that observes a homeless veteran could reveal how issues of personal mobility choices facilitate regular access to illicit drugs. Note that it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to ensure that your assumption about the need to reveal new insights or previously hidden problems is valid and evidence-based.
  • The case challenges and offers 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 current practice. A case study analysis may offer 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 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.
  • The case provides an opportunity to pursue action leading to the resolution of a problem? Another way to think about choosing a case to study is to consider how the results from investigating a particular case may result in findings that reveal ways in which to resolve an existing or emerging problem. For example, studying the case of an unforeseen incident, such as a fatal accident at a railroad crossing, can reveal hidden issues that could be applied to preventative measures that contribute to reducing the chance of accidents in the future. In this example, a case study investigating the accident could lead to a better understanding of where to strategically locate additional signals at other railroad crossings so as to better warn drivers of an approaching train, particularly when visibility is hindered by heavy rain, fog, or at night.
  • The case offers a new direction in future research? A case study can be used as a tool for an exploratory investigation that highlights the need for further research about the problem. A case can be used when there are few studies that help predict an outcome or that establish a clear understanding about how best to proceed in addressing a problem. For example, after conducting a thorough literature review [very important!], you discover that little research exists showing the ways in which women contribute to promoting water conservation in rural communities of east central Africa. A case study of how women contribute to saving water in a rural village of Uganda can lay the foundation for understanding the need for more thorough research that documents how women in their roles as cooks and family caregivers think about water as a valuable resource within their community. This example of a case study could also point to the need for scholars to build new theoretical frameworks around the topic [e.g., applying feminist theories of work and family to the issue of water conservation].

Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. “Building Theories from Case Study Research.” Academy of Management Review 14 (October 1989): 532-550; Emmel, Nick. Sampling and Choosing Cases in Qualitative Research: A Realist Approach . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2013; Gerring, John. “What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?” American Political Science Review 98 (May 2004): 341-354; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Seawright, Jason and John Gerring. "Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research." Political Research Quarterly 61 (June 2008): 294-308.

Structure and Writing Style

The purpose of a paper in the social sciences designed around a case study is to thoroughly investigate a subject of analysis in order to reveal a new understanding about the research problem and, in so doing, contributing new knowledge to what is already known from previous studies. In applied social sciences disciplines [e.g., education, social work, public administration, etc.], case studies may also be used to reveal best practices, highlight key programs, or investigate interesting aspects of professional work.

In general, the structure of a case study research paper is not all that different from a standard college-level research paper. However, there are subtle differences you should be aware of. Here are the key elements to organizing and writing a case study research paper.

I.  Introduction

As with any research paper, your introduction should serve as a roadmap for your readers to ascertain the scope and purpose of your study . The introduction to a case study research paper, however, should not only describe the research problem and its significance, but you should also succinctly describe why the case is being used and how it relates to addressing the problem. The two elements should be linked. With this in mind, a good introduction answers these four questions:

  • What is being studied? Describe the research problem and describe the subject of analysis [the case] you have chosen to address the problem. Explain how they are linked and what elements of the case will help to expand knowledge and understanding about the problem.
  • Why is this topic important to investigate? Describe the significance of the research problem and state why a case study design and the subject of analysis that the paper is designed around is appropriate in addressing the problem.
  • What did we know about this topic before I did this study? Provide background that helps lead the reader into the more in-depth literature review to follow. If applicable, summarize prior case study research applied to the research problem and why it fails to adequately address the problem. Describe why your case will be useful. If no prior case studies have been used to address the research problem, explain why you have selected this subject of analysis.
  • How will this study advance new knowledge or new ways of understanding? Explain why your case study will be suitable in helping to expand knowledge and understanding about the research problem.

Each of these questions should be addressed in no more than a few paragraphs. Exceptions to this can be when you are addressing a complex research problem or subject of analysis that requires more in-depth background information.

II.  Literature Review

The literature review for a case study research paper is generally structured the same as it is for any college-level research paper. The difference, however, is that the literature review is focused on providing background information and  enabling historical interpretation of the subject of analysis in relation to the research problem the case is intended to address . This includes synthesizing studies that help to:

  • Place relevant works in the context of their contribution to understanding the case study being investigated . This would involve 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.].
  • Describe the relationship each work has to the others under consideration that informs the reader why this case is applicable . Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using the case to investigate the research problem and the underlying research questions.
  • 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 use of a case study design may reveal new knowledge or a new perspective or that can redirect research in an important new direction.
  • 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.
  • Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research . Your review should examine any literature that lays a foundation for understanding why your case study design and the subject of analysis around which you have designed your study may reveal a new way of approaching the research problem or offer a perspective that points to the need for additional research.
  • Expose any gaps that exist in the literature that the case study could help to fill . Summarize any literature that not only shows how your subject of analysis contributes to understanding the research problem, but how your case contributes to a new way of understanding the problem that prior research has failed to do.
  • 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 relation to explaining the relevance of the case in addressing the research problem.

III.  Method

In this section, you explain why you selected a particular case [i.e., subject of analysis] and the strategy you used to identify and ultimately decide that your case was appropriate in addressing the research problem. The way you describe the methods used varies depending on the type of subject of analysis that constitutes your case study.

If your subject of analysis is an incident or event . In the social and behavioral sciences, the event or incident that represents the case to be studied is usually bounded by time and place, with a clear beginning and end and with an identifiable location or position relative to its surroundings. The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on a typical or regular event. The purpose of studying a rare event is to illuminate new ways of thinking about the broader research problem or to test a hypothesis. Critical incident case studies must describe the method by which you identified the event and explain the process by which you determined the validity of this case to inform broader perspectives about the research problem or to reveal new findings. However, the event does not have to be a rare or uniquely significant to support new thinking about the research problem or to challenge an existing hypothesis. For example, Walo, Bull, and Breen conducted a case study to identify and evaluate the direct and indirect economic benefits and costs of a local sports event in the City of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of their study was to provide new insights from measuring the impact of a typical local sports event that prior studies could not measure well because they focused on large "mega-events." Whether the event is rare or not, the methods section should include an explanation of the following characteristics of the event: a) when did it take place; b) what were the underlying circumstances leading to the event; and, c) what were the consequences of the event in relation to the research problem.

If your subject of analysis is a person. Explain why you selected this particular individual to be studied and describe what experiences they have had that provide an opportunity to advance new understandings about the research problem. Mention any background about this person which might help the reader understand the significance of their experiences that make them worthy of study. This includes describing the relationships this person has had with other people, institutions, and/or events that support using them as the subject for a case study research paper. It is particularly important to differentiate the person as the subject of analysis from others and to succinctly explain how the person relates to examining the research problem [e.g., why is one politician in a particular local election used to show an increase in voter turnout from any other candidate running in the election]. Note that these issues apply to a specific group of people used as a case study unit of analysis [e.g., a classroom of students].

If your subject of analysis is a place. In general, a case study that investigates a place suggests a subject of analysis that is unique or special in some way and that this uniqueness can be used to build new understanding or knowledge about the research problem. A case study of a place must not only describe its various attributes relevant to the research problem [e.g., physical, social, historical, cultural, economic, political], but you must state the method by which you determined that this place will illuminate new understandings about the research problem. It is also important to articulate why a particular place as the case for study is being used if similar places also exist [i.e., if you are studying patterns of homeless encampments of veterans in open spaces, explain why you are studying Echo Park in Los Angeles rather than Griffith Park?]. If applicable, describe what type of human activity involving this place makes it a good choice to study [e.g., prior research suggests Echo Park has more homeless veterans].

If your subject of analysis is a phenomenon. A phenomenon refers to a fact, occurrence, or circumstance that can be studied or observed but with the cause or explanation to be in question. In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass anything that can be observed or presumed to exist but is not fully understood. In the social and behavioral sciences, the case usually focuses on human interaction within a complex physical, social, economic, cultural, or political system. For example, the phenomenon could be the observation that many vehicles used by ISIS fighters are small trucks with English language advertisements on them. The research problem could be that ISIS fighters are difficult to combat because they are highly mobile. The research questions could be how and by what means are these vehicles used by ISIS being supplied to the militants and how might supply lines to these vehicles be cut off? How might knowing the suppliers of these trucks reveal larger networks of collaborators and financial support? A case study of a phenomenon most often encompasses an in-depth analysis of a cause and effect that is grounded in an interactive relationship between people and their environment in some way.

NOTE:   The choice of the case or set of cases to study cannot appear random. Evidence that supports the method by which you identified and chose your subject of analysis should clearly support investigation of the research problem and linked to key findings from your literature review. Be sure to cite any studies that helped you determine that the case you chose was appropriate for examining the problem.

IV.  Discussion

The main elements of your discussion section are generally the same as any research paper, but centered around interpreting and drawing conclusions about the key findings from your analysis of the case study. Note that a general social sciences research paper may contain a separate section to report findings. However, in a paper designed around a case study, it is common to combine a description of the results with the discussion about their implications. The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:

Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings Briefly reiterate the research problem you are investigating and explain why the subject of analysis around which you designed the case study were used. You should then describe the findings revealed from your study of the case using direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results. Highlight any findings that were unexpected or especially profound.

Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important Systematically explain the meaning of your case study findings and why you believe they are important. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most important or surprising finding first, then systematically review each finding. Be sure to thoroughly extrapolate what your analysis of the case can tell the reader about situations or conditions beyond the actual case that was studied while, at the same time, being careful not to misconstrue or conflate a finding that undermines the external validity of your conclusions.

Relate the Findings to Similar Studies No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should relate your case study results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions raised from prior studies served as the motivation for choosing your subject of analysis. This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your case study design and the subject of analysis differs from prior research about the topic.

Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings Remember that the purpose of social science research is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations revealed by the case study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. Be alert to what the in-depth analysis of the case may reveal about the research problem, including offering a contrarian perspective to what scholars have stated in prior research if that is how the findings can be interpreted from your case.

Acknowledge the Study's Limitations You can state the study's limitations in the conclusion section of your paper but describing the limitations of your subject of analysis in the discussion section provides an opportunity to identify the limitations and explain why they are not significant. This part of the discussion section should also note any unanswered questions or issues your case study could not address. More detailed information about how to document any limitations to your research can be found here .

Suggest Areas for Further Research Although your case study may offer important insights about the research problem, there are likely additional questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or findings that unexpectedly revealed themselves as a result of your in-depth analysis of the case. Be sure that the recommendations for further research are linked to the research problem and that you explain why your recommendations are valid in other contexts and based on the original assumptions of your study.

V.  Conclusion

As with any research paper, you should summarize your conclusion in clear, simple language; emphasize how the findings from your case study differs from or supports prior research and why. Do not simply reiterate the discussion section. Provide a synthesis of key findings presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem. If you haven't already done so in the discussion section, be sure to document the limitations of your case study and any need for further research.

The function of your paper's conclusion is to: 1) reiterate the main argument supported by the findings from your case study; 2) state clearly the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem using a case study design in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found from reviewing the literature; and, 3) provide a place to persuasively and succinctly restate the significance of your research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with in-depth information about the topic.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is appropriate:

  • If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize these points for your reader.
  • If prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the conclusion of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
  • 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.

Note that, depending on the discipline you are writing in or the preferences of your professor, the concluding paragraph may contain your final reflections on the evidence presented as it applies to practice or on the essay's central research problem. However, the nature of being introspective about the subject of analysis you have investigated will depend on whether you are explicitly asked to express your observations in this way.

Problems to Avoid

Overgeneralization One of the goals of a case study is to lay a foundation for understanding broader trends and issues applied to similar circumstances. However, be careful when drawing conclusions from your case study. They must be evidence-based and grounded in the results of the study; otherwise, it is merely speculation. Looking at a prior example, it would be incorrect to state that a factor in improving girls access to education in Azerbaijan and the policy implications this may have for improving access in other Muslim nations is due to girls access to social media if there is no documentary evidence from your case study to indicate this. There may be anecdotal evidence that retention rates were better for girls who were engaged with social media, but this observation would only point to the need for further research and would not be a definitive finding if this was not a part of your original research agenda.

Failure to Document Limitations No case is going to reveal all that needs to be understood about a research problem. Therefore, just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study , you must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis. For example, the case of studying how women conceptualize the need for water conservation in a village in Uganda could have limited application in other cultural contexts or in areas where fresh water from rivers or lakes is plentiful and, therefore, conservation is understood more in terms of managing access rather than preserving access to a scarce resource.

Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings. If you do not, your reader may question the validity of your analysis, particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research. For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed to take into consideration speed limit signage as well as warning signals. When designing your case study, be sure you have thoroughly addressed all aspects of the problem and do not leave gaps in your analysis that leave the reader questioning the results.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Gerring, John. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007; Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education . Rev. ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998; Miller, Lisa L. “The Use of Case Studies in Law and Social Science Research.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 14 (2018): TBD; Mills, Albert J., Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Putney, LeAnn Grogan. "Case Study." In Encyclopedia of Research Design , Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010), pp. 116-120; Simons, Helen. Case Study Research in Practice . London: SAGE Publications, 2009;  Kratochwill,  Thomas R. and Joel R. Levin, editors. Single-Case Research Design and Analysis: New Development for Psychology and Education .  Hilldsale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992; Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London : SAGE, 2010; Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods . 6th edition. Los Angeles, CA, SAGE Publications, 2014; Walo, Maree, Adrian Bull, and Helen Breen. “Achieving Economic Benefits at Local Events: A Case Study of a Local Sports Event.” Festival Management and Event Tourism 4 (1996): 95-106.

Writing Tip

At Least Five Misconceptions about Case Study Research

Social science case studies are often perceived as limited in their ability to create new knowledge because they are not randomly selected and findings cannot be generalized to larger populations. Flyvbjerg examines five misunderstandings about case study research and systematically "corrects" each one. To quote, these are:

Misunderstanding 1 :  General, theoretical [context-independent] knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical [context-dependent] knowledge. Misunderstanding 2 :  One cannot generalize on the basis of an individual case; therefore, the case study cannot contribute to scientific development. Misunderstanding 3 :  The case study is most useful for generating hypotheses; that is, in the first stage of a total research process, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building. Misunderstanding 4 :  The case study contains a bias toward verification, that is, a tendency to confirm the researcher’s preconceived notions. Misunderstanding 5 :  It is often difficult to summarize and develop general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case studies [p. 221].

While writing your paper, think introspectively about how you addressed these misconceptions because to do so can help you strengthen the validity and reliability of your research by clarifying issues of case selection, the testing and challenging of existing assumptions, the interpretation of key findings, and the summation of case outcomes. Think of a case study research paper as a complete, in-depth narrative about the specific properties and key characteristics of your subject of analysis applied to the research problem.

Flyvbjerg, Bent. “Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research.” Qualitative Inquiry 12 (April 2006): 219-245.

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Case Study Title Generator

This case study title generator will quickly make a list of exciting ideas for your assignment. Just add the keywords and start searching.

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Today's Internet users are drowning in tons of information, so a good title can make or break your research paper or case study in terms of visibility. If you want your project to be seen and arouse interest in the readers, it's vital to take care of finding a creative name for it. Here we share some working ideas for generating catchy titles and explain how to write a title for essay or dissertation that will inspire further reading.

  • 🔍 What Is a Case Study?

🗺️ Steps to Doing a Case Study

  • 💡 How to Make a Title
  • ✍️ Title Examples

🔗 References

🔍 what is a case study & why is it important.

In two words, a case study closely examines a specific object:

  • A phenomenon, etc.

It allows the researcher to dive deep into the particular instead of focusing on something general within their field of study. It's often recommended for analyzing contemporary events, as it can give a data-rich, informative outlook on the specific objects' features.

What's more, the value of a case study is its connection to a real-life context, which many scientific methods often lack.

Why Do a Case Study?

Case studies are a popular research method in business, social, and historical studies, as they approach a subject of interest closely and focus on a single point of analysis instead of seeking patterns and trends across various related subjects. It's a suitable method for the analysis of contemporary events in situations where relevant behaviors can't be manipulated.

Case study researchers use direct observation , interviews with related people, document analysis, and artifacts examination to create a rich, complex image of the studied subject.

So, to recap, case studies are relevant in the research situations when:

  • A phenomenon needs to be investigated in-depth;
  • The subject of interest should be studied within its real-life context;
  • The boundaries between the subject and its context are not clearly delineated.

In other words, you should resort to a case study if you want to embrace a modern phenomenon within the complexity of its contextual conditions, as they all are relevant to your sphere of research interest.

The most important life hack we'd like to share with you is reserving your work on the title until the end of the whole writing process. So, how to get to that end? Here are the steps to take on the way to informative case study writing.

Choose a case The case's selection is a vital contribution to the case study writing process. It should be relevant and illustrative for your area of interest. For instance, if you approach , you should pick one of the well-known and charismatic leaders for analysis. If you study bankruptcy, pick a company that went bankrupt recently.
Build a theoretical base This part is about linking your study area and a concrete, real-life case. Pick a theory you are interested in; for instance, if you study the efficiency of in treating , you may focus on an organization that has provided veterans with CBT services and evaluate its publicly available clinical results. Such theory-case connections ensure that you don't just do an isolated case's superficial description but offer a theoretical grounding of how it may inform your study area.
Collect data Once the focus and the case are identified, collect data from various sources, such as , open-source mass media articles, and direct observations (if the case object is within your physical outreach). You can enrich your dataset with interviews or surveys with some stakeholders.
Produce a rich description Organize the collected data and break it down into categories. After that, you can present a logically flowing discussion of the case with relevance to your research question.

💡 How to Make a Case Study Title

You should focus on the best practices and recommendations of professional publications' editors when composing your title:

  • Mention that your study is a "case study" in the title so that the reader understands your research type at once.
  • Use a specific title; your title should always reveal the gist of your study.
  • Remember about the maximum length of 9 words, as longer titles seem boring and overwhelming.

Be sure to pick one of 3 title types:

  • Full-sentence

This classification depends on how long your title is and how much detail they offer about the paper's content. Here is an example:

  • Nominal . Leadership styles of Gen Xers .
  • Compound . Leadership styles of Gen Xers: it's time to take the lead .
  • Full-sentence . The role of collaboration and value creation in the leadership styles of Gen Xers .

✍️ Case Study Title Examples

Now, how can you develop a title from the research topic or question you have at hand? Here are some examples to guide you in the process.

❓ Question ✅ Title

If you want to automate the whole process and use a ready-made online title maker, welcome to our service. We're offering a free case study title generator that can solve all your troubles with this writing stage and help you complete the titling process in minutes. Try our word reduction tool and paraphraser to write and polish your essay quickly.

❓ Case Study Title Maker FAQ

❓ what is a case study.

A case study closely examines one object, be it a person, a business organization, a country, or a phenomenon. You collect data about that object and study it in detail to find out some details relevant to your research question. It's a non-experimental type of research that fits business and social science students the best.

❓ How to choose a case study topic?

You can scan the Web to find some workable case study topic ideas or go through your work and elicit the main ideas from it. Other variants include our automatic tool that can offer workable, interesting titles for you in a couple of clicks.

❓ How to create a case study title?

You can use a formula of the customer, product, and benefit for business case studies. Name the main target audience category, your key product offering, and their main benefit or result from reading that piece. For case studies in humanities, it's necessary to name the focus of your research (e.g., a company's name, industry sector, etc.) and your primary variables of interest.

❓ How long should a case study title be?

The case study title's length depends on your professor's assignment and your needs. Since case studies are often used in business writing, keeping the title short is vital. As a rule, you will be required to make a title 5-9 words long; it should be informative and catchy enough to attract the target audience.

  • What is a case study? | Evidence-Based Nursing
  • How to Write a Case Study (+10 Examples & Free Template!)
  • List of case study titles - UCL Blogs
  • Case study titles and abstracts - Research Data Network
  • Top 40 Most Popular Case Studies of 2020

Business growth

Marketing tips

16 case study examples (+ 3 templates to make your own)

Hero image with an icon representing a case study

I like to think of case studies as a business's version of a resume. It highlights what the business can do, lends credibility to its offer, and contains only the positive bullet points that paint it in the best light possible.

Imagine if the guy running your favorite taco truck followed you home so that he could "really dig into how that burrito changed your life." I see the value in the practice. People naturally prefer a tried-and-true burrito just as they prefer tried-and-true products or services.

To help you showcase your success and flesh out your burrito questionnaire, I've put together some case study examples and key takeaways.

What is a case study?

A case study is an in-depth analysis of how your business, product, or service has helped past clients. It can be a document, a webpage, or a slide deck that showcases measurable, real-life results.

For example, if you're a SaaS company, you can analyze your customers' results after a few months of using your product to measure its effectiveness. You can then turn this analysis into a case study that further proves to potential customers what your product can do and how it can help them overcome their challenges.

It changes the narrative from "I promise that we can do X and Y for you" to "Here's what we've done for businesses like yours, and we can do it for you, too."

16 case study examples 

While most case studies follow the same structure, quite a few try to break the mold and create something unique. Some businesses lean heavily on design and presentation, while others pursue a detailed, stat-oriented approach. Some businesses try to mix both.

There's no set formula to follow, but I've found that the best case studies utilize impactful design to engage readers and leverage statistics and case details to drive the point home. A case study typically highlights the companies, the challenges, the solution, and the results. The examples below will help inspire you to do it, too.

1. .css-12hxxzz-Link{all:unset;box-sizing:border-box;-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;cursor:pointer;-webkit-transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;transition:all 300ms ease-in-out;outline-offset:1px;-webkit-text-fill-color:currentColor;outline:1px solid transparent;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:hover{outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='ocean']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='white']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']{color:var(--zds-text-link, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:hover{color:var(--zds-text-link, #2b2358);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='primary']:focus{color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);outline-color:var(--zds-text-link-hover, #3d4592);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:hover{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-5, #a8a5a0);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-color='secondary']:focus{color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);outline-color:var(--zds-gray-warm-1, #fffdf9);}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='inherit']{font-weight:inherit;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='normal']{font-weight:400;}.css-12hxxzz-Link[data-weight='bold']{font-weight:700;} Volcanica Coffee and AdRoll

On top of a background of coffee beans, a block of text with percentage growth statistics for how AdRoll nitro-fueled Volcanica coffee.

People love a good farm-to-table coffee story, and boy am I one of them. But I've shared this case study with you for more reasons than my love of coffee. I enjoyed this study because it was written as though it was a letter.

In this case study, the founder of Volcanica Coffee talks about the journey from founding the company to personally struggling with learning and applying digital marketing to finding and enlisting AdRoll's services.

It felt more authentic, less about AdRoll showcasing their worth and more like a testimonial from a grateful and appreciative client. After the story, the case study wraps up with successes, milestones, and achievements. Note that quite a few percentages are prominently displayed at the top, providing supporting evidence that backs up an inspiring story.

Takeaway: Highlight your goals and measurable results to draw the reader in and provide concise, easily digestible information.

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Screenshot of the Taylor Guitars and Airtable case study, with the title: Taylor Guitars brings more music into the world with Airtable

This Airtable case study on Taylor Guitars comes as close as one can to an optimal structure. It features a video that represents the artistic nature of the client, highlighting key achievements and dissecting each element of Airtable's influence.

It also supplements each section with a testimonial or quote from the client, using their insights as a catalyst for the case study's narrative. For example, the case study quotes the social media manager and project manager's insights regarding team-wide communication and access before explaining in greater detail.

Takeaway: Highlight pain points your business solves for its client, and explore that influence in greater detail.

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Screenshot of the Endeavour and Figma case study, showing a bulleted list about why EndeavourX chose Figma followed by an image of EndeavourX's workspace on Figma

My favorite part of Figma's case study is highlighting why EndeavourX chose its solution. You'll notice an entire section on what Figma does for teams and then specifically for EndeavourX.

It also places a heavy emphasis on numbers and stats. The study, as brief as it is, still manages to pack in a lot of compelling statistics about what's possible with Figma.

Takeaway: Showcase the "how" and "why" of your product's differentiators and how they benefit your customers.

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Screenshot of Zapier's case study with ActiveCampaign, showing three data visualizations on purple backgrounds

Zapier's case study leans heavily on design, using graphics to present statistics and goals in a manner that not only remains consistent with the branding but also actively pushes it forward, drawing users' eyes to the information most important to them. 

The graphics, emphasis on branding elements, and cause/effect style tell the story without requiring long, drawn-out copy that risks boring readers. Instead, the cause and effect are concisely portrayed alongside the client company's information for a brief and easily scannable case study.

Takeaway: Lean on design to call attention to the most important elements of your case study, and make sure it stays consistent with your branding.

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Screenshot of a video from the Ironclad and OpenAI case study showing the Ironclad AI Assist feature

In true OpenAI fashion, this case study is a block of text. There's a distinct lack of imagery, but the study features a narrated video walking readers through the product.

The lack of imagery and color may not be the most inviting, but utilizing video format is commendable. It helps thoroughly communicate how OpenAI supported Ironclad in a way that allows the user to sit back, relax, listen, and be impressed. 

Takeaway: Get creative with the media you implement in your case study. Videos can be a very powerful addition when a case study requires more detailed storytelling.

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Screenshot of the Shopify and GitHub case study, with the title "Shopify keeps pushing ecommerce forward with help from GitHub tools," followed by a photo of a plant and a Shopify bag on a table on a dark background

GitHub's case study on Shopify is a light read. It addresses client pain points and discusses the different aspects its product considers and improves for clients. It touches on workflow issues, internal systems, automation, and security. It does a great job of representing what one company can do with GitHub.

To drive the point home, the case study features colorful quote callouts from the Shopify team, sharing their insights and perspectives on the partnership, the key issues, and how they were addressed.

Takeaway: Leverage quotes to boost the authoritativeness and trustworthiness of your case study. 

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Screenshot of the Audible and Contentful case study showing images of titles on Audible

Contentful's case study on Audible features almost every element a case study should. It includes not one but two videos and clearly outlines the challenge, solution, and outcome before diving deeper into what Contentful did for Audible. The language is simple, and the writing is heavy with quotes and personal insights.

This case study is a uniquely original experience. The fact that the companies in question are perhaps two of the most creative brands out there may be the reason. I expected nothing short of a detailed analysis, a compelling story, and video content. 

Takeaway: Inject some brand voice into the case study, and create assets that tell the story for you.

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Screenshot of Zoom and Asana's case study on a navy blue background and an image of someone sitting on a Zoom call at a desk with the title "Zoom saves 133 work weeks per year with Asana"

Asana's case study on Zoom is longer than the average piece and features detailed data on Zoom's growth since 2020. Instead of relying on imagery and graphics, it features several quotes and testimonials. 

It's designed to be direct, informative, and promotional. At some point, the case study reads more like a feature list. There were a few sections that felt a tad too promotional for my liking, but to each their own burrito.

Takeaway: Maintain a balance between promotional and informative. You want to showcase the high-level goals your product helped achieve without losing the reader.

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Screenshot of the Hickies and Mailchimp case study with the title in a fun orange font, followed by a paragraph of text and a photo of a couple sitting on a couch looking at each other and smiling

I've always been a fan of Mailchimp's comic-like branding, and this case study does an excellent job of sticking to their tradition of making information easy to understand, casual, and inviting.

It features a short video that briefly covers Hickies as a company and Mailchimp's efforts to serve its needs for customer relationships and education processes. Overall, this case study is a concise overview of the partnership that manages to convey success data and tell a story at the same time. What sets it apart is that it does so in a uniquely colorful and brand-consistent manner.

Takeaway: Be concise to provide as much value in as little text as possible.

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Screenshot of NVIDIA and Workday's case study with a photo of a group of people standing around a tall desk and smiling and the title "NVIDIA hires game changers"

The gaming industry is notoriously difficult to recruit for, as it requires a very specific set of skills and experience. This case study focuses on how Workday was able to help fill that recruitment gap for NVIDIA, one of the biggest names in the gaming world.

Though it doesn't feature videos or graphics, this case study stood out to me in how it structures information like "key products used" to give readers insight into which tools helped achieve these results.

Takeaway: If your company offers multiple products or services, outline exactly which ones were involved in your case study, so readers can assess each tool.

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Screenshot of KFC and Contentful's case study showing the outcome of the study, showing two stats: 43% increase in YoY digital sales and 50%+ increase in AU digital sales YoY

I'm personally not a big KFC fan, but that's only because I refuse to eat out of a bucket. My aversion to the bucket format aside, Contentful follows its consistent case study format in this one, outlining challenges, solutions, and outcomes before diving into the nitty-gritty details of the project.

Say what you will about KFC, but their primary product (chicken) does present a unique opportunity for wordplay like "Continuing to march to the beat of a digital-first drum(stick)" or "Delivering deep-fried goodness to every channel."

Takeaway: Inject humor into your case study if there's room for it and if it fits your brand. 

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Screenshot of the Intuit and Twilio case study on a dark background with three small, light green icons illustrating three important data points

Twilio does an excellent job of delivering achievements at the very beginning of the case study and going into detail in this two-minute read. While there aren't many graphics, the way quotes from the Intuit team are implemented adds a certain flair to the study and breaks up the sections nicely.

It's simple, concise, and manages to fit a lot of information in easily digestible sections.

Takeaway: Make sure each section is long enough to inform but brief enough to avoid boring readers. Break down information for each section, and don't go into so much detail that you lose the reader halfway through.

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Screenshot of Spotify and Salesforce's case study showing a still of a video with the title "Automation keeps Spotify's ad business growing year over year"

Salesforce created a video that accurately summarizes the key points of the case study. Beyond that, the page itself is very light on content, and sections are as short as one paragraph.

I especially like how information is broken down into "What you need to know," "Why it matters," and "What the difference looks like." I'm not ashamed of being spoon-fed information. When it's structured so well and so simply, it makes for an entertaining read.

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Screenshot of the Benchling and Airtable case study with the title: How Benchling achieves scientific breakthroughs via efficiency

Benchling is an impressive entity in its own right. Biotech R&D and health care nuances go right over my head. But the research and digging I've been doing in the name of these burritos (case studies) revealed that these products are immensely complex. 

And that's precisely why this case study deserves a read—it succeeds at explaining a complex project that readers outside the industry wouldn't know much about.

Takeaway: Simplify complex information, and walk readers through the company's operations and how your business helped streamline them.

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Screenshot of the Chipotle and Hubble case study with the title "Mexican food chain replaces Discoverer with Hubble and sees major efficiency improvements," followed by a photo of the outside of a Chipotle restaurant

The concision of this case study is refreshing. It features two sections—the challenge and the solution—all in 316 words. This goes to show that your case study doesn't necessarily need to be a four-figure investment with video shoots and studio time. 

Sometimes, the message is simple and short enough to convey in a handful of paragraphs.

Takeaway: Consider what you should include instead of what you can include. Assess the time, resources, and effort you're able and willing to invest in a case study, and choose which elements you want to include from there.

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Screenshot of Hudl and Zapier's case study, showing data visualizations at the bottom, two photos of people playing sports on the top right , and a quote from the Hudl team on the topleft

I may be biased, but I'm a big fan of seeing metrics and achievements represented in branded graphics. It can be a jarring experience to navigate a website, then visit a case study page and feel as though you've gone to a completely different website.

The case study is essentially the summary, and the blog article is the detailed analysis that provides context beyond X achievement or Y goal.

Takeaway: Keep your case study concise and informative. Create other resources to provide context under your blog, media or press, and product pages.

3 case study templates

Now that you've had your fill of case studies (if that's possible), I've got just what you need: an infinite number of case studies, which you can create yourself with these case study templates.

Case study template 1

Screenshot of Zapier's first case study template, with the title and three spots for data callouts at the top on a light peach-colored background, followed by a place to write the main success of the case study on a dark green background

If you've got a quick hit of stats you want to show off, try this template. The opening section gives space for a short summary and three visually appealing stats you can highlight, followed by a headline and body where you can break the case study down more thoroughly. This one's pretty simple, with only sections for solutions and results, but you can easily continue the formatting to add more sections as needed.

Case study template 2

Screenshot of Zapier's second case study template, with the title, objectives, and overview on a dark blue background with an orange strip in the middle with a place to write the main success of the case study

For a case study template with a little more detail, use this one. Opening with a striking cover page for a quick overview, this one goes on to include context, stakeholders, challenges, multiple quote callouts, and quick-hit stats. 

Case study template 3

Screenshot of Zapier's third case study template, with the places for title, objectives, and about the business on a dark green background followed by three spots for data callouts in orange boxes

Whether you want a little structural variation or just like a nice dark green, this template has similar components to the last template but is designed to help tell a story. Move from the client overview through a description of your company before getting to the details of how you fixed said company's problems.

Tips for writing a case study

Examples are all well and good, but you don't learn how to make a burrito just by watching tutorials on YouTube without knowing what any of the ingredients are. You could , but it probably wouldn't be all that good.

Have an objective: Define your objective by identifying the challenge, solution, and results. Assess your work with the client and focus on the most prominent wins. You're speaking to multiple businesses and industries through the case study, so make sure you know what you want to say to them.

Focus on persuasive data: Growth percentages and measurable results are your best friends. Extract your most compelling data and highlight it in your case study.

Use eye-grabbing graphics: Branded design goes a long way in accurately representing your brand and retaining readers as they review the study. Leverage unique and eye-catching graphics to keep readers engaged. 

Simplify data presentation: Some industries are more complex than others, and sometimes, data can be difficult to understand at a glance. Make sure you present your data in the simplest way possible. Make it concise, informative, and easy to understand.

Use automation to drive results for your case study

A case study example is a source of inspiration you can leverage to determine how to best position your brand's work. Find your unique angle, and refine it over time to help your business stand out. Ask anyone: the best burrito in town doesn't just appear at the number one spot. They find their angle (usually the house sauce) and leverage it to stand out.

Case study FAQ

Got your case study template? Great—it's time to gather the team for an awkward semi-vague data collection task. While you do that, here are some case study quick answers for you to skim through while you contemplate what to call your team meeting.

What is an example of a case study?

An example of a case study is when a software company analyzes its results from a client project and creates a webpage, presentation, or document that focuses on high-level results, challenges, and solutions in an attempt to showcase effectiveness and promote the software.

How do you write a case study?

To write a good case study, you should have an objective, identify persuasive and compelling data, leverage graphics, and simplify data. Case studies typically include an analysis of the challenge, solution, and results of the partnership.

What is the format of a case study?

While case studies don't have a set format, they're often portrayed as reports or essays that inform readers about the partnership and its results. 

Related reading:

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Hachem Ramki

Hachem is a writer and digital marketer from Montreal. After graduating with a degree in English, Hachem spent seven years traveling around the world before moving to Canada. When he's not writing, he enjoys Basketball, Dungeons and Dragons, and playing music for friends and family.

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Writing A Case Study

Case Study Examples

Barbara P

Brilliant Case Study Examples and Templates For Your Help

15 min read

Case Study Examples

People also read

A Complete Case Study Writing Guide With Examples

Simple Case Study Format for Students to Follow

Understand the Types of Case Study Here

It’s no surprise that writing a case study is one of the most challenging academic tasks for students. You’re definitely not alone here!

Most people don't realize that there are specific guidelines to follow when writing a case study. If you don't know where to start, it's easy to get overwhelmed and give up before you even begin.

Don't worry! Let us help you out!

We've collected over 25 free case study examples with solutions just for you. These samples with solutions will help you win over your panel and score high marks on your case studies.

So, what are you waiting for? Let's dive in and learn the secrets to writing a successful case study.

Arrow Down

  • 1. An Overview of Case Studies
  • 2. Case Study Examples for Students
  • 3. Business Case Study Examples
  • 4. Medical Case Study Examples
  • 5. Psychology Case Study Examples 
  • 6. Sales Case Study Examples
  • 7. Interview Case Study Examples
  • 8. Marketing Case Study Examples
  • 9. Tips to Write a Good Case Study

An Overview of Case Studies

A case study is a research method used to study a particular individual, group, or situation in depth. It involves analyzing and interpreting data from a variety of sources to gain insight into the subject being studied. 

Case studies are often used in psychology, business, and education to explore complicated problems and find solutions. They usually have detailed descriptions of the subject, background info, and an analysis of the main issues.

The goal of a case study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Typically, case studies can be divided into three parts, challenges, solutions, and results. 

Here is a case study sample PDF so you can have a clearer understanding of what a case study actually is:

Case Study Sample PDF

How to Write a Case Study Examples

Learn how to write a case study with the help of our comprehensive case study guide.

Case Study Examples for Students

Quite often, students are asked to present case studies in their academic journeys. The reason instructors assign case studies is for students to sharpen their critical analysis skills, understand how companies make profits, etc.

Below are some case study examples in research, suitable for students:







Case Study Example in Software Engineering

Qualitative Research Case Study Sample

Software Quality Assurance Case Study

Social Work Case Study Example

Ethical Case Study

Case Study Example PDF

These examples can guide you on how to structure and format your own case studies.

Struggling with formatting your case study? Check this case study format guide and perfect your document’s structure today.

Business Case Study Examples

A business case study examines a business’s specific challenge or goal and how it should be solved. Business case studies usually focus on several details related to the initial challenge and proposed solution. 

To help you out, here are some samples so you can create case studies that are related to businesses: 





Here are some more business case study examples:

Business Case Studies PDF

Business Case Studies Example

Typically, a business case study discovers one of your customer's stories and how you solved a problem for them. It allows your prospects to see how your solutions address their needs. 

Medical Case Study Examples

Medical case studies are an essential part of medical education. They help students to understand how to diagnose and treat patients. 

Here are some medical case study examples to help you.

Medical Case Study Example

Nursing Case Study Example

Want to understand the various types of case studies? Check out our types of case study blog to select the perfect type.

Psychology Case Study Examples 

Case studies are a great way of investigating individuals with psychological abnormalities. This is why it is a very common assignment in psychology courses. 

By examining all the aspects of your subject’s life, you discover the possible causes of exhibiting such behavior. 

For your help, here are some interesting psychology case study examples:

Psychology Case Study Example

Mental Health Case Study Example

Sales Case Study Examples

Case studies are important tools for sales teams’ performance improvement. By examining sales successes, teams can gain insights into effective strategies and create action plans to employ similar tactics.

By researching case studies of successful sales campaigns, sales teams can more accurately identify challenges and develop solutions.

Sales Case Study Example

Interview Case Study Examples

Interview case studies provide businesses with invaluable information. This data allows them to make informed decisions related to certain markets or subjects.

Interview Case Study Example

Marketing Case Study Examples

Marketing case studies are real-life stories that showcase how a business solves a problem. They typically discuss how a business achieves a goal using a specific marketing strategy or tactic.

They typically describe a challenge faced by a business, the solution implemented, and the results achieved.

This is a short sample marketing case study for you to get an idea of what an actual marketing case study looks like.

: ABC Solutions, a leading provider of tech products and services.


Engaging and informative content highlighting products and services.
Incorporating real-world examples to showcase the impact of ABC Solutions.

Utilizing analytics to refine content strategies.
Aligning content with customer needs and pain points.

Content marketing efforts led to a significant boost in brand visibility.
Compelling narratives highlighting how products and services transformed businesses.

 Here are some more popular marketing studies that show how companies use case studies as a means of marketing and promotion:

“Chevrolet Discover the Unexpected” by Carol H. Williams

This case study explores Chevrolet's “ DTU Journalism Fellows ” program. The case study uses the initials “DTU” to generate interest and encourage readers to learn more. 

Multiple types of media, such as images and videos, are used to explain the challenges faced. The case study concludes with an overview of the achievements that were met.

Key points from the case study include:

  • Using a well-known brand name in the title can create interest.
  • Combining different media types, such as headings, images, and videos, can help engage readers and make the content more memorable.
  • Providing a summary of the key achievements at the end of the case study can help readers better understand the project's impact.

“The Met” by Fantasy

“ The Met ” by Fantasy is a fictional redesign of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, created by the design studio Fantasy. The case study clearly and simply showcases the museum's website redesign.

The Met emphasizes the website’s features and interface by showcasing each section of the interface individually, allowing the readers to concentrate on the significant elements.

For those who prefer text, each feature includes an objective description. The case study also includes a “Contact Us” call-to-action at the bottom of the page, inviting visitors to contact the company.

Key points from this “The Met” include:

  • Keeping the case study simple and clean can help readers focus on the most important aspects.
  • Presenting the features and solutions with a visual showcase can be more effective than writing a lot of text.
  • Including a clear call-to-action at the end of the case study can encourage visitors to contact the company for more information.

“Better Experiences for All” by Herman Miller

Herman Miller's minimalist approach to furniture design translates to their case study, “ Better Experiences for All ”, for a Dubai hospital. The page features a captivating video with closed-captioning and expandable text for accessibility.

The case study presents a wealth of information in a concise format, enabling users to grasp the complexities of the strategy with ease. It concludes with a client testimonial and a list of furniture items purchased from the brand.

Key points from the “Better Experiences” include:

  • Make sure your case study is user-friendly by including accessibility features like closed captioning and expandable text.
  • Include a list of products that were used in the project to guide potential customers.

“NetApp” by Evisort 

Evisort's case study on “ NetApp ” stands out for its informative and compelling approach. The study begins with a client-centric overview of NetApp, strategically directing attention to the client rather than the company or team involved.

The case study incorporates client quotes and explores NetApp’s challenges during COVID-19. Evisort showcases its value as a client partner by showing how its services supported NetApp through difficult times. 

  • Provide an overview of the company in the client’s words, and put focus on the customer. 
  • Highlight how your services can help clients during challenging times.
  • Make your case study accessible by providing it in various formats.

“Red Sox Season Campaign,” by CTP Boston

The “ Red Sox Season Campaign ” showcases a perfect blend of different media, such as video, text, and images. Upon visiting the page, the video plays automatically, there are videos of Red Sox players, their images, and print ads that can be enlarged with a click.

The page features an intuitive design and invites viewers to appreciate CTP's well-rounded campaign for Boston's beloved baseball team. There’s also a CTA that prompts viewers to learn how CTP can create a similar campaign for their brand.

Some key points to take away from the “Red Sox Season Campaign”: 

  • Including a variety of media such as video, images, and text can make your case study more engaging and compelling.
  • Include a call-to-action at the end of your study that encourages viewers to take the next step towards becoming a customer or prospect.

“Airbnb + Zendesk” by Zendesk

The case study by Zendesk, titled “ Airbnb + Zendesk : Building a powerful solution together,” showcases a true partnership between Airbnb and Zendesk. 

The article begins with an intriguing opening statement, “Halfway around the globe is a place to stay with your name on it. At least for a weekend,” and uses stunning images of beautiful Airbnb locations to captivate readers.

Instead of solely highlighting Zendesk's product, the case study is crafted to tell a good story and highlight Airbnb's service in detail. This strategy makes the case study more authentic and relatable.

Some key points to take away from this case study are:

  • Use client's offerings' images rather than just screenshots of your own product or service.
  • To begin the case study, it is recommended to include a distinct CTA. For instance, Zendesk presents two alternatives, namely to initiate a trial or seek a solution.

“Influencer Marketing” by Trend and WarbyParker

The case study "Influencer Marketing" by Trend and Warby Parker highlights the potential of influencer content marketing, even when working with a limited budget. 

The “Wearing Warby” campaign involved influencers wearing Warby Parker glasses during their daily activities, providing a glimpse of the brand's products in use. 

This strategy enhanced the brand's relatability with influencers' followers. While not detailing specific tactics, the case study effectively illustrates the impact of third-person case studies in showcasing campaign results.

Key points to take away from this case study are:

  • Influencer marketing can be effective even with a limited budget.
  • Showcasing products being used in everyday life can make a brand more approachable and relatable.
  • Third-person case studies can be useful in highlighting the success of a campaign.

Marketing Case Study Template

Marketing Case Study Example

Now that you have read multiple case study examples, hop on to our tips.

Tips to Write a Good Case Study

Here are some note-worthy tips to craft a winning case study 

  • Define the purpose of the case study This will help you to focus on the most important aspects of the case. The case study objective helps to ensure that your finished product is concise and to the point.
  • Choose a real-life example. One of the best ways to write a successful case study is to choose a real-life example. This will give your readers a chance to see how the concepts apply in a real-world setting.
  • Keep it brief. This means that you should only include information that is directly relevant to your topic and avoid adding unnecessary details.
  • Use strong evidence. To make your case study convincing, you will need to use strong evidence. This can include statistics, data from research studies, or quotes from experts in the field.
  • Edit and proofread your work. Before you submit your case study, be sure to edit and proofread your work carefully. This will help to ensure that there are no errors and that your paper is clear and concise.

There you go!

We’re sure that now you have secrets to writing a great case study at your fingertips! This blog teaches the key guidelines of various case studies with samples. So grab your pen and start crafting a winning case study right away!

Having said that, we do understand that some of you might be having a hard time writing compelling case studies.

But worry not! Our expert case study writing service is here to take all your case-writing blues away! 

With 100% thorough research guaranteed, our online essay service can craft an amazing case study within 24 hours! 

So why delay? Let us help you shine in the eyes of your instructor!

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Barbara P

Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.

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Case Study

How to Write a Case Study - All You Wanted to Know

example research title of case study

What do you study in your college? If you are a psychology, sociology, or anthropology student, we bet you might be familiar with what a case study is. This research method is used to study a certain person, group, or situation. In this guide from our dissertation writing service , you will learn how to write a case study professionally, from researching to citing sources properly. Also, we will explore different types of case studies and show you examples — so that you won’t have any other questions left.

What Is a Case Study?

A case study is a subcategory of research design which investigates problems and offers solutions. Case studies can range from academic research studies to corporate promotional tools trying to sell an idea—their scope is quite vast.

What Is the Difference Between a Research Paper and a Case Study?

While research papers turn the reader’s attention to a certain problem, case studies go even further. Case study guidelines require students to pay attention to details, examining issues closely and in-depth using different research methods. For example, case studies may be used to examine court cases if you study Law, or a patient's health history if you study Medicine. Case studies are also used in Marketing, which are thorough, empirically supported analysis of a good or service's performance. Well-designed case studies can be valuable for prospective customers as they can identify and solve the potential customers pain point.

Case studies involve a lot of storytelling – they usually examine particular cases for a person or a group of people. This method of research is very helpful, as it is very practical and can give a lot of hands-on information. Most commonly, the length of the case study is about 500-900 words, which is much less than the length of an average research paper.

The structure of a case study is very similar to storytelling. It has a protagonist or main character, which in your case is actually a problem you are trying to solve. You can use the system of 3 Acts to make it a compelling story. It should have an introduction, rising action, a climax where transformation occurs, falling action, and a solution.

Here is a rough formula for you to use in your case study:

Problem (Act I): > Solution (Act II) > Result (Act III) > Conclusion.

Types of Case Studies

The purpose of a case study is to provide detailed reports on an event, an institution, a place, future customers, or pretty much anything. There are a few common types of case study, but the type depends on the topic. The following are the most common domains where case studies are needed:

Types of Case Studies

  • Historical case studies are great to learn from. Historical events have a multitude of source info offering different perspectives. There are always modern parallels where these perspectives can be applied, compared, and thoroughly analyzed.
  • Problem-oriented case studies are usually used for solving problems. These are often assigned as theoretical situations where you need to immerse yourself in the situation to examine it. Imagine you’re working for a startup and you’ve just noticed a significant flaw in your product’s design. Before taking it to the senior manager, you want to do a comprehensive study on the issue and provide solutions. On a greater scale, problem-oriented case studies are a vital part of relevant socio-economic discussions.
  • Cumulative case studies collect information and offer comparisons. In business, case studies are often used to tell people about the value of a product.
  • Critical case studies explore the causes and effects of a certain case.
  • Illustrative case studies describe certain events, investigating outcomes and lessons learned.

Need a compelling case study? EssayPro has got you covered. Our experts are ready to provide you with detailed, insightful case studies that capture the essence of real-world scenarios. Elevate your academic work with our professional assistance.

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Case Study Format

The case study format is typically made up of eight parts:

  • Executive Summary. Explain what you will examine in the case study. Write an overview of the field you’re researching. Make a thesis statement and sum up the results of your observation in a maximum of 2 sentences.
  • Background. Provide background information and the most relevant facts. Isolate the issues.
  • Case Evaluation. Isolate the sections of the study you want to focus on. In it, explain why something is working or is not working.
  • Proposed Solutions. Offer realistic ways to solve what isn’t working or how to improve its current condition. Explain why these solutions work by offering testable evidence.
  • Conclusion. Summarize the main points from the case evaluations and proposed solutions. 6. Recommendations. Talk about the strategy that you should choose. Explain why this choice is the most appropriate.
  • Implementation. Explain how to put the specific strategies into action.
  • References. Provide all the citations.

How to Write a Case Study

Let's discover how to write a case study.

How to Write a Case Study

Setting Up the Research

When writing a case study, remember that research should always come first. Reading many different sources and analyzing other points of view will help you come up with more creative solutions. You can also conduct an actual interview to thoroughly investigate the customer story that you'll need for your case study. Including all of the necessary research, writing a case study may take some time. The research process involves doing the following:

  • Define your objective. Explain the reason why you’re presenting your subject. Figure out where you will feature your case study; whether it is written, on video, shown as an infographic, streamed as a podcast, etc.
  • Determine who will be the right candidate for your case study. Get permission, quotes, and other features that will make your case study effective. Get in touch with your candidate to see if they approve of being part of your work. Study that candidate’s situation and note down what caused it.
  • Identify which various consequences could result from the situation. Follow these guidelines on how to start a case study: surf the net to find some general information you might find useful.
  • Make a list of credible sources and examine them. Seek out important facts and highlight problems. Always write down your ideas and make sure to brainstorm.
  • Focus on several key issues – why they exist, and how they impact your research subject. Think of several unique solutions. Draw from class discussions, readings, and personal experience. When writing a case study, focus on the best solution and explore it in depth. After having all your research in place, writing a case study will be easy. You may first want to check the rubric and criteria of your assignment for the correct case study structure.

Read Also: ' WHAT IS A CREDIBLE SOURCES ?'

Although your instructor might be looking at slightly different criteria, every case study rubric essentially has the same standards. Your professor will want you to exhibit 8 different outcomes:

  • Correctly identify the concepts, theories, and practices in the discipline.
  • Identify the relevant theories and principles associated with the particular study.
  • Evaluate legal and ethical principles and apply them to your decision-making.
  • Recognize the global importance and contribution of your case.
  • Construct a coherent summary and explanation of the study.
  • Demonstrate analytical and critical-thinking skills.
  • Explain the interrelationships between the environment and nature.
  • Integrate theory and practice of the discipline within the analysis.

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Case Study Outline

Let's look at the structure of an outline based on the issue of the alcoholic addiction of 30 people.

Introduction

  • Statement of the issue: Alcoholism is a disease rather than a weakness of character.
  • Presentation of the problem: Alcoholism is affecting more than 14 million people in the USA, which makes it the third most common mental illness there.
  • Explanation of the terms: In the past, alcoholism was commonly referred to as alcohol dependence or alcohol addiction. Alcoholism is now the more severe stage of this addiction in the disorder spectrum.
  • Hypotheses: Drinking in excess can lead to the use of other drugs.
  • Importance of your story: How the information you present can help people with their addictions.
  • Background of the story: Include an explanation of why you chose this topic.
  • Presentation of analysis and data: Describe the criteria for choosing 30 candidates, the structure of the interview, and the outcomes.
  • Strong argument 1: ex. X% of candidates dealing with anxiety and depression...
  • Strong argument 2: ex. X amount of people started drinking by their mid-teens.
  • Strong argument 3: ex. X% of respondents’ parents had issues with alcohol.
  • Concluding statement: I have researched if alcoholism is a disease and found out that…
  • Recommendations: Ways and actions for preventing alcohol use.

Writing a Case Study Draft

After you’ve done your case study research and written the outline, it’s time to focus on the draft. In a draft, you have to develop and write your case study by using: the data which you collected throughout the research, interviews, and the analysis processes that were undertaken. Follow these rules for the draft:

How to Write a Case Study

📝 Step 📌 Description
1. Draft Structure 🖋️ Your draft should contain at least 4 sections: an introduction; a body where you should include background information, an explanation of why you decided to do this case study, and a presentation of your main findings; a conclusion where you present data; and references.
2. Introduction 📚 In the introduction, you should set the pace very clearly. You can even raise a question or quote someone you interviewed in the research phase. It must provide adequate background information on the topic. The background may include analyses of previous studies on your topic. Include the aim of your case here as well. Think of it as a thesis statement. The aim must describe the purpose of your work—presenting the issues that you want to tackle. Include background information, such as photos or videos you used when doing the research.
3. Research Process 🔍 Describe your unique research process, whether it was through interviews, observations, academic journals, etc. The next point includes providing the results of your research. Tell the audience what you found out. Why is this important, and what could be learned from it? Discuss the real implications of the problem and its significance in the world.
4. Quotes and Data 💬 Include quotes and data (such as findings, percentages, and awards). This will add a personal touch and better credibility to the case you present. Explain what results you find during your interviews in regards to the problem and how it developed. Also, write about solutions which have already been proposed by other people who have already written about this case.
5. Offer Solutions 💡 At the end of your case study, you should offer possible solutions, but don’t worry about solving them yourself.

Use Data to Illustrate Key Points in Your Case Study

Even though your case study is a story, it should be based on evidence. Use as much data as possible to illustrate your point. Without the right data, your case study may appear weak and the readers may not be able to relate to your issue as much as they should. Let's see the examples from essay writing service :

‍ With data: Alcoholism is affecting more than 14 million people in the USA, which makes it the third most common mental illness there. Without data: A lot of people suffer from alcoholism in the United States.

Try to include as many credible sources as possible. You may have terms or sources that could be hard for other cultures to understand. If this is the case, you should include them in the appendix or Notes for the Instructor or Professor.

Finalizing the Draft: Checklist

After you finish drafting your case study, polish it up by answering these ‘ask yourself’ questions and think about how to end your case study:

  • Check that you follow the correct case study format, also in regards to text formatting.
  • Check that your work is consistent with its referencing and citation style.
  • Micro-editing — check for grammar and spelling issues.
  • Macro-editing — does ‘the big picture’ come across to the reader? Is there enough raw data, such as real-life examples or personal experiences? Have you made your data collection process completely transparent? Does your analysis provide a clear conclusion, allowing for further research and practice?

Problems to avoid:

  • Overgeneralization – Do not go into further research that deviates from the main problem.
  • Failure to Document Limitations – Just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study, you must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis.
  • Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications – Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings.

How to Create a Title Page and Cite a Case Study

Let's see how to create an awesome title page.

Your title page depends on the prescribed citation format. The title page should include:

  • A title that attracts some attention and describes your study
  • The title should have the words “case study” in it
  • The title should range between 5-9 words in length
  • Your name and contact information
  • Your finished paper should be only 500 to 1,500 words in length.With this type of assignment, write effectively and avoid fluff

Here is a template for the APA and MLA format title page:

There are some cases when you need to cite someone else's study in your own one – therefore, you need to master how to cite a case study. A case study is like a research paper when it comes to citations. You can cite it like you cite a book, depending on what style you need.

Citation Example in MLA ‍ Hill, Linda, Tarun Khanna, and Emily A. Stecker. HCL Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing, 2008. Print.
Citation Example in APA ‍ Hill, L., Khanna, T., & Stecker, E. A. (2008). HCL Technologies. Boston: Harvard Business Publishing.
Citation Example in Chicago Hill, Linda, Tarun Khanna, and Emily A. Stecker. HCL Technologies.

Case Study Examples

To give you an idea of a professional case study example, we gathered and linked some below.

Eastman Kodak Case Study

Case Study Example: Audi Trains Mexican Autoworkers in Germany

To conclude, a case study is one of the best methods of getting an overview of what happened to a person, a group, or a situation in practice. It allows you to have an in-depth glance at the real-life problems that businesses, healthcare industry, criminal justice, etc. may face. This insight helps us look at such situations in a different light. This is because we see scenarios that we otherwise would not, without necessarily being there. If you need custom essays , try our research paper writing services .

Get Help Form Qualified Writers

Crafting a case study is not easy. You might want to write one of high quality, but you don’t have the time or expertise. If you’re having trouble with your case study, help with essay request - we'll help. EssayPro writers have read and written countless case studies and are experts in endless disciplines. Request essay writing, editing, or proofreading assistance from our custom case study writing service , and all of your worries will be gone.

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What Is A Case Study?

How to cite a case study in apa, how to write a case study.

Daniel Parker

Daniel Parker

is a seasoned educational writer focusing on scholarship guidance, research papers, and various forms of academic essays including reflective and narrative essays. His expertise also extends to detailed case studies. A scholar with a background in English Literature and Education, Daniel’s work on EssayPro blog aims to support students in achieving academic excellence and securing scholarships. His hobbies include reading classic literature and participating in academic forums.

example research title of case study

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

Written by: Oghale Olori

Real-Life Case Study Examples

Case studies are more than just success stories.

They are powerful tools that demonstrate the practical value of your product or service. Case studies help attract attention to your products, build trust with potential customers and ultimately drive sales.

It’s no wonder that 73% of successful content marketers utilize case studies as part of their content strategy. Plus, buyers spend 54% of their time reviewing case studies before they make a buying decision.

To ensure you’re making the most of your case studies, we’ve put together 15 real-life case study examples to inspire you. These examples span a variety of industries and formats. We’ve also included best practices, design tips and templates to inspire you.

Let’s dive in!

Table of Contents

What is a case study, 15 real-life case study examples, sales case study examples, saas case study examples, product case study examples, marketing case study examples, business case study examples, case study faqs.

  • A case study is a compelling narrative that showcases how your product or service has positively impacted a real business or individual. 
  • Case studies delve into your customer's challenges, how your solution addressed them and the quantifiable results they achieved.
  • Your case study should have an attention-grabbing headline, great visuals and a relevant call to action. Other key elements include an introduction, problems and result section.
  • Visme provides easy-to-use tools, professionally designed templates and features for creating attractive and engaging case studies.

A case study is a real-life scenario where your company helped a person or business solve their unique challenges. It provides a detailed analysis of the positive outcomes achieved as a result of implementing your solution.

Case studies are an effective way to showcase the value of your product or service to potential customers without overt selling. By sharing how your company transformed a business, you can attract customers seeking similar solutions and results.

Case studies are not only about your company's capabilities; they are primarily about the benefits customers and clients have experienced from using your product.

Every great case study is made up of key elements. They are;

  • Attention-grabbing headline: Write a compelling headline that grabs attention and tells your reader what the case study is about. For example, "How a CRM System Helped a B2B Company Increase Revenue by 225%.
  • Introduction/Executive Summary: Include a brief overview of your case study, including your customer’s problem, the solution they implemented and the results they achieved.
  • Problem/Challenge: Case studies with solutions offer a powerful way to connect with potential customers. In this section, explain how your product or service specifically addressed your customer's challenges.
  • Solution: Explain how your product or service specifically addressed your customer's challenges.
  • Results/Achievements : Give a detailed account of the positive impact of your product. Quantify the benefits achieved using metrics such as increased sales, improved efficiency, reduced costs or enhanced customer satisfaction.
  • Graphics/Visuals: Include professional designs, high-quality photos and videos to make your case study more engaging and visually appealing.
  • Quotes/Testimonials: Incorporate written or video quotes from your clients to boost your credibility.
  • Relevant CTA: Insert a call to action (CTA) that encourages the reader to take action. For example, visiting your website or contacting you for more information. Your CTA can be a link to a landing page, a contact form or your social media handle and should be related to the product or service you highlighted in your case study.

Parts of a Case Study Infographic

Now that you understand what a case study is, let’s look at real-life case study examples. Among these, you'll find some simple case study examples that break down complex ideas into easily understandable solutions.

In this section, we’ll explore SaaS, marketing, sales, product and business case study examples with solutions. Take note of how these companies structured their case studies and included the key elements.

We’ve also included professionally designed case study templates to inspire you.

1. Georgia Tech Athletics Increase Season Ticket Sales by 80%

Case Study Examples

Georgia Tech Athletics, with its 8,000 football season ticket holders, sought for a way to increase efficiency and customer engagement.

Their initial sales process involved making multiple outbound phone calls per day with no real targeting or guidelines. Georgia Tech believed that targeting communications will enable them to reach more people in real time.

Salesloft improved Georgia Tech’s sales process with an inbound structure. This enabled sales reps to connect with their customers on a more targeted level. The use of dynamic fields and filters when importing lists ensured prospects received the right information, while communication with existing fans became faster with automation.

As a result, Georgia Tech Athletics recorded an 80% increase in season ticket sales as relationships with season ticket holders significantly improved. Employee engagement increased as employees became more energized to connect and communicate with fans.

Why Does This Case Study Work?

In this case study example , Salesloft utilized the key elements of a good case study. Their introduction gave an overview of their customers' challenges and the results they enjoyed after using them. After which they categorized the case study into three main sections: challenge, solution and result.

Salesloft utilized a case study video to increase engagement and invoke human connection.

Incorporating videos in your case study has a lot of benefits. Wyzol’s 2023 state of video marketing report showed a direct correlation between videos and an 87% increase in sales.

The beautiful thing is that creating videos for your case study doesn’t have to be daunting.

With an easy-to-use platform like Visme, you can create top-notch testimonial videos that will connect with your audience. Within the Visme editor, you can access over 1 million stock photos , video templates, animated graphics and more. These tools and resources will significantly improve the design and engagement of your case study.

Simplify content creation and brand management for your team

  • Collaborate on designs , mockups and wireframes with your non-design colleagues
  • Lock down your branding to maintain brand consistency throughout your designs
  • Why start from scratch? Save time with 1000s of professional branded templates

Sign up. It’s free.

example research title of case study

2. WeightWatchers Completely Revamped their Enterprise Sales Process with HubSpot

Case Study Examples

WeightWatchers, a 60-year-old wellness company, sought a CRM solution that increased the efficiency of their sales process. With their previous system, Weightwatchers had limited automation. They would copy-paste message templates from word documents or recreate one email for a batch of customers.

This required a huge effort from sales reps, account managers and leadership, as they were unable to track leads or pull customized reports for planning and growth.

WeightWatchers transformed their B2B sales strategy by leveraging HubSpot's robust marketing and sales workflows. They utilized HubSpot’s deal pipeline and automation features to streamline lead qualification. And the customized dashboard gave leadership valuable insights.

As a result, WeightWatchers generated seven figures in annual contract value and boosted recurring revenue. Hubspot’s impact resulted in 100% adoption across all sales, marketing, client success and operations teams.

Hubspot structured its case study into separate sections, demonstrating the specific benefits of their products to various aspects of the customer's business. Additionally, they integrated direct customer quotes in each section to boost credibility, resulting in a more compelling case study.

Getting insight from your customer about their challenges is one thing. But writing about their process and achievements in a concise and relatable way is another. If you find yourself constantly experiencing writer’s block, Visme’s AI writer is perfect for you.

Visme created this AI text generator tool to take your ideas and transform them into a great draft. So whether you need help writing your first draft or editing your final case study, Visme is ready for you.

3. Immi’s Ram Fam Helps to Drive Over $200k in Sales

Case Study Examples

Immi embarked on a mission to recreate healthier ramen recipes that were nutritious and delicious. After 2 years of tireless trials, Immi finally found the perfect ramen recipe. However, they envisioned a community of passionate ramen enthusiasts to fuel their business growth.

This vision propelled them to partner with Shopify Collabs. Shopify Collabs successfully cultivated and managed Immi’s Ramen community of ambassadors and creators.

As a result of their partnership, Immi’s community grew to more than 400 dedicated members, generating over $200,000 in total affiliate sales.

The power of data-driven headlines cannot be overemphasized. Chili Piper strategically incorporates quantifiable results in their headlines. This instantly sparks curiosity and interest in readers.

While not every customer success story may boast headline-grabbing figures, quantifying achievements in percentages is still effective. For example, you can highlight a 50% revenue increase with the implementation of your product.

Take a look at the beautiful case study template below. Just like in the example above, the figures in the headline instantly grab attention and entice your reader to click through.

Having a case study document is a key factor in boosting engagement. This makes it easy to promote your case study in multiple ways. With Visme, you can easily publish, download and share your case study with your customers in a variety of formats, including PDF, PPTX, JPG and more!

Financial Case Study

4. How WOW! is Saving Nearly 79% in Time and Cost With Visme

This case study discusses how Visme helped WOW! save time and money by providing user-friendly tools to create interactive and quality training materials for their employees. Find out what your team can do with Visme. Request a Demo

WOW!'s learning and development team creates high-quality training materials for new and existing employees. Previous tools and platforms they used had plain templates, little to no interactivity features, and limited flexibility—that is, until they discovered Visme.

Now, the learning and development team at WOW! use Visme to create engaging infographics, training videos, slide decks and other training materials.

This has directly reduced the company's turnover rate, saving them money spent on recruiting and training new employees. It has also saved them a significant amount of time, which they can now allocate to other important tasks.

Visme's customer testimonials spark an emotional connection with the reader, leaving a profound impact. Upon reading this case study, prospective customers will be blown away by the remarkable efficiency achieved by Visme's clients after switching from PowerPoint.

Visme’s interactivity feature was a game changer for WOW! and one of the primary reasons they chose Visme.

“Previously we were using PowerPoint, which is fine, but the interactivity you can get with Visme is so much more robust that we’ve all steered away from PowerPoint.” - Kendra, L&D team, Wow!

Visme’s interactive feature allowed them to animate their infographics, include clickable links on their PowerPoint designs and even embed polls and quizzes their employees could interact with.

By embedding the slide decks, infographics and other training materials WOW! created with Visme, potential customers get a taste of what they can create with the tool. This is much more effective than describing the features of Visme because it allows potential customers to see the tool in action.

To top it all off, this case study utilized relevant data and figures. For example, one part of the case study said, “In Visme, where Kendra’s team has access to hundreds of templates, a brand kit, and millions of design assets at their disposal, their team can create presentations in 80% less time.”

Who wouldn't want that?

Including relevant figures and graphics in your case study is a sure way to convince your potential customers why you’re a great fit for their brand. The case study template below is a great example of integrating relevant figures and data.

UX Case Study

This colorful template begins with a captivating headline. But that is not the best part; this template extensively showcases the results their customer had using relevant figures.

The arrangement of the results makes it fun and attractive. Instead of just putting figures in a plain table, you can find interesting shapes in your Visme editor to take your case study to the next level.

5. Lyte Reduces Customer Churn To Just 3% With Hubspot CRM

Case Study Examples

While Lyte was redefining the ticketing industry, it had no definite CRM system . Lyte utilized 12–15 different SaaS solutions across various departments, which led to a lack of alignment between teams, duplication of work and overlapping tasks.

Customer data was spread across these platforms, making it difficult to effectively track their customer journey. As a result, their churn rate increased along with customer dissatisfaction.

Through Fuelius , Lyte founded and implemented Hubspot CRM. Lyte's productivity skyrocketed after incorporating Hubspot's all-in-one CRM tool. With improved efficiency, better teamwork and stronger client relationships, sales figures soared.

The case study title page and executive summary act as compelling entry points for both existing and potential customers. This overview provides a clear understanding of the case study and also strategically incorporates key details like the client's industry, location and relevant background information.

Having a good summary of your case study can prompt your readers to engage further. You can achieve this with a simple but effective case study one-pager that highlights your customer’s problems, process and achievements, just like this case study did in the beginning.

Moreover, you can easily distribute your case study one-pager and use it as a lead magnet to draw prospective customers to your company.

Take a look at this case study one-pager template below.

Ecommerce One Pager Case Study

This template includes key aspects of your case study, such as the introduction, key findings, conclusion and more, without overcrowding the page. The use of multiple shades of blue gives it a clean and dynamic layout.

Our favorite part of this template is where the age group is visualized.

With Visme’s data visualization tool , you can present your data in tables, graphs, progress bars, maps and so much more. All you need to do is choose your preferred data visualization widget, input or import your data and click enter!

6. How Workato Converts 75% of Their Qualified Leads

Case Study Examples

Workato wanted to improve their inbound leads and increase their conversion rate, which ranged from 40-55%.

At first, Workato searched for a simple scheduling tool. They soon discovered that they needed a tool that provided advanced routing capabilities based on zip code and other criteria. Luckily, they found and implemented Chili Piper.

As a result of implementing Chili Piper, Workato achieved a remarkable 75–80% conversion rate and improved show rates. This led to a substantial revenue boost, with a 10-15% increase in revenue attributed to Chili Piper's impact on lead conversion.

This case study example utilizes the power of video testimonials to drive the impact of their product.

Chili Piper incorporates screenshots and clips of their tool in use. This is a great strategy because it helps your viewers become familiar with how your product works, making onboarding new customers much easier.

In this case study example, we see the importance of efficient Workflow Management Systems (WMS). Without a WMS, you manually assign tasks to your team members and engage in multiple emails for regular updates on progress.

However, when crafting and designing your case study, you should prioritize having a good WMS.

Visme has an outstanding Workflow Management System feature that keeps you on top of all your projects and designs. This feature makes it much easier to assign roles, ensure accuracy across documents, and track progress and deadlines.

Visme’s WMS feature allows you to limit access to your entire document by assigning specific slides or pages to individual members of your team. At the end of the day, your team members are not overwhelmed or distracted by the whole document but can focus on their tasks.

7. Rush Order Helps Vogmask Scale-Up During a Pandemic

Case Study Examples

Vomask's reliance on third-party fulfillment companies became a challenge as demand for their masks grew. Seeking a reliable fulfillment partner, they found Rush Order and entrusted them with their entire inventory.

Vomask's partnership with Rush Order proved to be a lifesaver during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rush Order's agility, efficiency and commitment to customer satisfaction helped Vogmask navigate the unprecedented demand and maintain its reputation for quality and service.

Rush Order’s comprehensive support enabled Vogmask to scale up its order processing by a staggering 900% while maintaining a remarkable customer satisfaction rate of 92%.

Rush Order chose one event where their impact mattered the most to their customer and shared that story.

While pandemics don't happen every day, you can look through your customer’s journey and highlight a specific time or scenario where your product or service saved their business.

The story of Vogmask and Rush Order is compelling, but it simply is not enough. The case study format and design attract readers' attention and make them want to know more. Rush Order uses consistent colors throughout the case study, starting with the logo, bold square blocks, pictures, and even headers.

Take a look at this product case study template below.

Just like our example, this case study template utilizes bold colors and large squares to attract and maintain the reader’s attention. It provides enough room for you to write about your customers' backgrounds/introductions, challenges, goals and results.

The right combination of shapes and colors adds a level of professionalism to this case study template.

Fuji Xerox Australia Business Equipment Case Study

8. AMR Hair & Beauty leverages B2B functionality to boost sales by 200%

Case Study Examples

With limits on website customization, slow page loading and multiple website crashes during peak events, it wasn't long before AMR Hair & Beauty began looking for a new e-commerce solution.

Their existing platform lacked effective search and filtering options, a seamless checkout process and the data analytics capabilities needed for informed decision-making. This led to a significant number of abandoned carts.

Upon switching to Shopify Plus, AMR immediately saw improvements in page loading speed and average session duration. They added better search and filtering options for their wholesale customers and customized their checkout process.

Due to this, AMR witnessed a 200% increase in sales and a 77% rise in B2B average order value. AMR Hair & Beauty is now poised for further expansion and growth.

This case study example showcases the power of a concise and impactful narrative.

To make their case analysis more effective, Shopify focused on the most relevant aspects of the customer's journey. While there may have been other challenges the customer faced, they only included those that directly related to their solutions.

Take a look at this case study template below. It is perfect if you want to create a concise but effective case study. Without including unnecessary details, you can outline the challenges, solutions and results your customers experienced from using your product.

Don’t forget to include a strong CTA within your case study. By incorporating a link, sidebar pop-up or an exit pop-up into your case study, you can prompt your readers and prospective clients to connect with you.

Search Marketing Case Study

9. How a Marketing Agency Uses Visme to Create Engaging Content With Infographics

Case Study Examples

SmartBox Dental , a marketing agency specializing in dental practices, sought ways to make dental advice more interesting and easier to read. However, they lacked the design skills to do so effectively.

Visme's wide range of templates and features made it easy for the team to create high-quality content quickly and efficiently. SmartBox Dental enjoyed creating infographics in as little as 10-15 minutes, compared to one hour before Visme was implemented.

By leveraging Visme, SmartBox Dental successfully transformed dental content into a more enjoyable and informative experience for their clients' patients. Therefore enhancing its reputation as a marketing partner that goes the extra mile to deliver value to its clients.

Visme creatively incorporates testimonials In this case study example.

By showcasing infographics and designs created by their clients, they leverage the power of social proof in a visually compelling way. This way, potential customers gain immediate insight into the creative possibilities Visme offers as a design tool.

This example effectively showcases a product's versatility and impact, and we can learn a lot about writing a case study from it. Instead of focusing on one tool or feature per customer, Visme took a more comprehensive approach.

Within each section of their case study, Visme explained how a particular tool or feature played a key role in solving the customer's challenges.

For example, this case study highlighted Visme’s collaboration tool . With Visme’s tool, the SmartBox Dental content team fostered teamwork, accountability and effective supervision.

Visme also achieved a versatile case study by including relevant quotes to showcase each tool or feature. Take a look at some examples;

Visme’s collaboration tool: “We really like the collaboration tool. Being able to see what a co-worker is working on and borrow their ideas or collaborate on a project to make sure we get the best end result really helps us out.”

Visme’s library of stock photos and animated characters: “I really love the images and the look those give to an infographic. I also really like the animated little guys and the animated pictures. That’s added a lot of fun to our designs.”

Visme’s interactivity feature: “You can add URLs and phone number links directly into the infographic so they can just click and call or go to another page on the website and I really like adding those hyperlinks in.”

You can ask your customers to talk about the different products or features that helped them achieve their business success and draw quotes from each one.

10. Jasper Grows Blog Organic Sessions 810% and Blog-Attributed User Signups 400X

Jasper, an AI writing tool, lacked a scalable content strategy to drive organic traffic and user growth. They needed help creating content that converted visitors into users. Especially when a looming domain migration threatened organic traffic.

To address these challenges, Jasper partnered with Omniscient Digital. Their goal was to turn their content into a growth channel and drive organic growth. Omniscient Digital developed a full content strategy for Jasper AI, which included a content audit, competitive analysis, and keyword discovery.

Through their collaboration, Jasper’s organic blog sessions increased by 810%, despite the domain migration. They also witnessed a 400X increase in blog-attributed signups. And more importantly, the content program contributed to over $4 million in annual recurring revenue.

The combination of storytelling and video testimonials within the case study example makes this a real winner. But there’s a twist to it. Omniscient segmented the video testimonials and placed them in different sections of the case study.

Video marketing , especially in case studies, works wonders. Research shows us that 42% of people prefer video testimonials because they show real customers with real success stories. So if you haven't thought of it before, incorporate video testimonials into your case study.

Take a look at this stunning video testimonial template. With its simple design, you can input the picture, name and quote of your customer within your case study in a fun and engaging way.

Try it yourself! Customize this template with your customer’s testimonial and add it to your case study!

Satisfied Client Testimonial Ad Square

11. How Meliá Became One of the Most Influential Hotel Chains on Social Media

Case Study Examples

Meliá Hotels needed help managing their growing social media customer service needs. Despite having over 500 social accounts, they lacked a unified response protocol and detailed reporting. This largely hindered efficiency and brand consistency.

Meliá partnered with Hootsuite to build an in-house social customer care team. Implementing Hootsuite's tools enabled Meliá to decrease response times from 24 hours to 12.4 hours while also leveraging smart automation.

In addition to that, Meliá resolved over 133,000 conversations, booking 330 inquiries per week through Hootsuite Inbox. They significantly improved brand consistency, response time and customer satisfaction.

The need for a good case study design cannot be over-emphasized.

As soon as anyone lands on this case study example, they are mesmerized by a beautiful case study design. This alone raises the interest of readers and keeps them engaged till the end.

If you’re currently saying to yourself, “ I can write great case studies, but I don’t have the time or skill to turn it into a beautiful document.” Say no more.

Visme’s amazing AI document generator can take your text and transform it into a stunning and professional document in minutes! Not only do you save time, but you also get inspired by the design.

With Visme’s document generator, you can create PDFs, case study presentations , infographics and more!

Take a look at this case study template below. Just like our case study example, it captures readers' attention with its beautiful design. Its dynamic blend of colors and fonts helps to segment each element of the case study beautifully.

Patagonia Case Study

12. Tea’s Me Cafe: Tamika Catchings is Brewing Glory

Case Study Examples

Tamika's journey began when she purchased Tea's Me Cafe in 2017, saving it from closure. She recognized the potential of the cafe as a community hub and hosted regular events centered on social issues and youth empowerment.

One of Tamika’s business goals was to automate her business. She sought to streamline business processes across various aspects of her business. One of the ways she achieves this goal is through Constant Contact.

Constant Contact became an integral part of Tamika's marketing strategy. They provided an automated and centralized platform for managing email newsletters, event registrations, social media scheduling and more.

This allowed Tamika and her team to collaborate efficiently and focus on engaging with their audience. They effectively utilized features like WooCommerce integration, text-to-join and the survey builder to grow their email list, segment their audience and gather valuable feedback.

The case study example utilizes the power of storytelling to form a connection with readers. Constant Contact takes a humble approach in this case study. They spotlight their customers' efforts as the reason for their achievements and growth, establishing trust and credibility.

This case study is also visually appealing, filled with high-quality photos of their customer. While this is a great way to foster originality, it can prove challenging if your customer sends you blurry or low-quality photos.

If you find yourself in that dilemma, you can use Visme’s AI image edit tool to touch up your photos. With Visme’s AI tool, you can remove unwanted backgrounds, erase unwanted objects, unblur low-quality pictures and upscale any photo without losing the quality.

Constant Contact offers its readers various formats to engage with their case study. Including an audio podcast and PDF.

In its PDF version, Constant Contact utilized its brand colors to create a stunning case study design.  With this, they increase brand awareness and, in turn, brand recognition with anyone who comes across their case study.

With Visme’s brand wizard tool , you can seamlessly incorporate your brand assets into any design or document you create. By inputting your URL, Visme’s AI integration will take note of your brand colors, brand fonts and more and create branded templates for you automatically.

You don't need to worry about spending hours customizing templates to fit your brand anymore. You can focus on writing amazing case studies that promote your company.

13. How Breakwater Kitchens Achieved a 7% Growth in Sales With Thryv

Case Study Examples

Breakwater Kitchens struggled with managing their business operations efficiently. They spent a lot of time on manual tasks, such as scheduling appointments and managing client communication. This made it difficult for them to grow their business and provide the best possible service to their customers.

David, the owner, discovered Thryv. With Thryv, Breakwater Kitchens was able to automate many of their manual tasks. Additionally, Thryv integrated social media management. This enabled Breakwater Kitchens to deliver a consistent brand message, captivate its audience and foster online growth.

As a result, Breakwater Kitchens achieved increased efficiency, reduced missed appointments and a 7% growth in sales.

This case study example uses a concise format and strong verbs, which make it easy for readers to absorb the information.

At the top of the case study, Thryv immediately builds trust by presenting their customer's complete profile, including their name, company details and website. This allows potential customers to verify the case study's legitimacy, making them more likely to believe in Thryv's services.

However, manually copying and pasting customer information across multiple pages of your case study can be time-consuming.

To save time and effort, you can utilize Visme's dynamic field feature . Dynamic fields automatically insert reusable information into your designs.  So you don’t have to type it out multiple times.

14. Zoom’s Creative Team Saves Over 4,000 Hours With Brandfolder

Case Study Examples

Zoom experienced rapid growth with the advent of remote work and the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic. Such growth called for agility and resilience to scale through.

At the time, Zoom’s assets were disorganized which made retrieving brand information a burden. Zoom’s creative manager spent no less than 10 hours per week finding and retrieving brand assets for internal teams.

Zoom needed a more sustainable approach to organizing and retrieving brand information and came across Brandfolder. Brandfolder simplified and accelerated Zoom’s email localization and webpage development. It also enhanced the creation and storage of Zoom virtual backgrounds.

With Brandfolder, Zoom now saves 4,000+ hours every year. The company also centralized its assets in Brandfolder, which allowed 6,800+ employees and 20-30 vendors to quickly access them.

Brandfolder infused its case study with compelling data and backed it up with verifiable sources. This data-driven approach boosts credibility and increases the impact of their story.

Bradfolder's case study goes the extra mile by providing a downloadable PDF version, making it convenient for readers to access the information on their own time. Their dedication to crafting stunning visuals is evident in every aspect of the project.

From the vibrant colors to the seamless navigation, everything has been meticulously designed to leave a lasting impression on the viewer. And with clickable links that make exploring the content a breeze, the user experience is guaranteed to be nothing short of exceptional.

The thing is, your case study presentation won’t always sit on your website. There are instances where you may need to do a case study presentation for clients, partners or potential investors.

Visme has a rich library of templates you can tap into. But if you’re racing against the clock, Visme’s AI presentation maker is your best ally.

example research title of case study

15. How Cents of Style Made $1.7M+ in Affiliate Sales with LeadDyno

Case Study Examples

Cents of Style had a successful affiliate and influencer marketing strategy. However, their existing affiliate marketing platform was not intuitive, customizable or transparent enough to meet the needs of their influencers.

Cents of Styles needed an easy-to-use affiliate marketing platform that gave them more freedom to customize their program and implement a multi-tier commission program.

After exploring their options, Cents of Style decided on LeadDyno.

LeadDyno provided more flexibility, allowing them to customize commission rates and implement their multi-tier commission structure, switching from monthly to weekly payouts.

Also, integrations with PayPal made payments smoother And features like newsletters and leaderboards added to the platform's success by keeping things transparent and engaging.

As a result, Cents of Style witnessed an impressive $1.7 million in revenue from affiliate sales with a substantial increase in web sales by 80%.

LeadDyno strategically placed a compelling CTA in the middle of their case study layout, maximizing its impact. At this point, readers are already invested in the customer's story and may be considering implementing similar strategies.

A well-placed CTA offers them a direct path to learn more and take action.

LeadDyno also utilized the power of quotes to strengthen their case study. They didn't just embed these quotes seamlessly into the text; instead, they emphasized each one with distinct blocks.

Are you looking for an easier and quicker solution to create a case study and other business documents? Try Visme's AI designer ! This powerful tool allows you to generate complete documents, such as case studies, reports, whitepapers and more, just by providing text prompts. Simply explain your requirements to the tool, and it will produce the document for you, complete with text, images, design assets and more.

Still have more questions about case studies? Let's look at some frequently asked questions.

How to Write a Case Study?

  • Choose a compelling story: Not all case studies are created equal. Pick one that is relevant to your target audience and demonstrates the specific benefits of your product or service.
  • Outline your case study: Create a case study outline and highlight how you will structure your case study to include the introduction, problem, solution and achievements of your customer.
  • Choose a case study template: After you outline your case study, choose a case study template . Visme has stunning templates that can inspire your case study design.
  • Craft a compelling headline: Include figures or percentages that draw attention to your case study.
  • Work on the first draft: Your case study should be easy to read and understand. Use clear and concise language and avoid jargon.
  • Include high-quality visual aids: Visuals can help to make your case study more engaging and easier to read. Consider adding high-quality photos, screenshots or videos.
  • Include a relevant CTA: Tell prospective customers how to reach you for questions or sign-ups.

What Are the Stages of a Case Study?

The stages of a case study are;

  • Planning & Preparation: Highlight your goals for writing the case study. Plan the case study format, length and audience you wish to target.
  • Interview the Client: Reach out to the company you want to showcase and ask relevant questions about their journey and achievements.
  • Revision & Editing: Review your case study and ask for feedback. Include relevant quotes and CTAs to your case study.
  • Publication & Distribution: Publish and share your case study on your website, social media channels and email list!
  • Marketing & Repurposing: Turn your case study into a podcast, PDF, case study presentation and more. Share these materials with your sales and marketing team.

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of a Case Study?

Advantages of a case study:

  • Case studies showcase a specific solution and outcome for specific customer challenges.
  • It attracts potential customers with similar challenges.
  • It builds trust and credibility with potential customers.
  • It provides an in-depth analysis of your company’s problem-solving process.

Disadvantages of a case study:

  • Limited applicability. Case studies are tailored to specific cases and may not apply to other businesses.
  • It relies heavily on customer cooperation and willingness to share information.
  • It stands a risk of becoming outdated as industries and customer needs evolve.

What Are the Types of Case Studies?

There are 7 main types of case studies. They include;

  • Illustrative case study.
  • Instrumental case study.
  • Intrinsic case study.
  • Descriptive case study.
  • Explanatory case study.
  • Exploratory case study.
  • Collective case study.

How Long Should a Case Study Be?

The ideal length of your case study is between 500 - 1500 words or 1-3 pages. Certain factors like your target audience, goal or the amount of detail you want to share may influence the length of your case study. This infographic has powerful tips for designing winning case studies

What Is the Difference Between a Case Study and an Example?

Case studies provide a detailed narrative of how your product or service was used to solve a problem. Examples are general illustrations and are not necessarily real-life scenarios.

Case studies are often used for marketing purposes, attracting potential customers and building trust. Examples, on the other hand, are primarily used to simplify or clarify complex concepts.

Where Can I Find Case Study Examples?

You can easily find many case study examples online and in industry publications. Many companies, including Visme, share case studies on their websites to showcase how their products or services have helped clients achieve success. You can also search online libraries and professional organizations for case studies related to your specific industry or field.

If you need professionally-designed, customizable case study templates to create your own, Visme's template library is one of the best places to look. These templates include all the essential sections of a case study and high-quality content to help you create case studies that position your business as an industry leader.

Get More Out Of Your Case Studies With Visme

Case studies are an essential tool for converting potential customers into paying customers. By following the tips in this article, you can create compelling case studies that will help you build trust, establish credibility and drive sales.

Visme can help you create stunning case studies and other relevant marketing materials. With our easy-to-use platform, interactive features and analytics tools , you can increase your content creation game in no time.

There is no limit to what you can achieve with Visme. Connect with Sales to discover how Visme can boost your business goals.

Easily create beautiful case studies and more with Visme

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27 Case Study Examples Every Marketer Should See

Caroline Forsey

Published: July 22, 2024

Putting together a compelling case study is one of the most powerful strategies for showcasing your product and attracting future customers. But it's not easy to create case studies that your audience can’t wait to read.

marketer reviewing case study examples

In this post, I’ll go over the definition of a case study and the best examples to inspire you.

Table of Contents

What is a case study?

Marketing case study examples, digital marketing case study examples.

example research title of case study

Free Case Study Templates

Showcase your company's success using these three free case study templates.

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  • General Case Study Template

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A case study is a detailed story of something your company did. It includes a beginning — often discussing a challenge, an explanation of what happened next, and a resolution that explains how the company solved or improved on something.

A case study proves how your product has helped other companies by demonstrating real-life results. Not only that, but marketing case studies with solutions typically contain quotes from the customer.

This means that they’re not just ads where you praise your own product. Rather, other companies are praising your company — and there’s no stronger marketing material than a verbal recommendation or testimonial.

A great case study also has research and stats to back up points made about a project's results.

There are several ways to use case studies in your marketing strategy.

From featuring them on your website to including them in a sales presentation, a case study is a strong, persuasive tool that shows customers why they should work with you — straight from another customer.

Writing one from scratch is hard, though, which is why we’ve created a collection of case study templates for you to get started.

There’s no better way to generate more leads than by writing case studies . However, without case study examples from which to draw inspiration, it can be difficult to write impactful studies that convince visitors to submit a form.

To help you create an attractive and high-converting case study, we've put together a list of some of our favorites. This list includes famous case studies in marketing, technology, and business.

These studies can show you how to frame your company's offers in a way that is useful to your audience. So, look, and let these examples inspire your next brilliant case study design.

These marketing case studies with solutions show the value proposition of each product. They also show how each company benefited in both the short and long term using quantitative data.

In other words, you don’t get just nice statements, like “this company helped us a lot.” You see actual change within the firm through numbers and figures.

You can put your learnings into action with HubSpot's Free Case Study Templates . Available as custom designs and text-based documents, you can upload these templates to your CMS or send them to prospects as you see fit.

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Best Case Study Topics | Most Recent Research Project Ideas

Sample research topic areas & ideas for case studies.

  • Education: Case studies are frequently used in education research to explore the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators in different educational settings. Topics in this area may include school culture, student motivation, teacher effectiveness, and educational policies.
  • Study of Psychology: They are commonly used in psychology research to gain a deeper understanding of individual experiences and behaviors. Topics in this area may include abnormal psychology, developmental psychology, and clinical psychology.
  • Sociology Research: Also they are often used in sociology research to examine social patterns, relationships, and dynamics within a specific group or community.  Case study dissertation topics  in this area may include social inequality, community development, and cultural differences.
  • Healthcare: Case studies are frequently used in healthcare research to explore patient experiences, treatments, and outcomes. Topics in this area may include patient-centered care, health disparities, and chronic illness management.
  • Organizational Behavior: A case study could be used in business research to examine organizational behavior, structure, and culture. Topics in this area may include leadership, motivation, communication, and conflict resolution.
  • Marketing: They are widely used in marketing research to examine the success of marketing strategies and campaigns. Topics for case studies in this area may include branding, consumer behavior, and product positioning.
  • Operations Management: Case studies are frequently used in operations management research to explore the processes and systems used to produce goods and services. Topics in this area may include supply chain management, production planning, and process improvement.
  • Financial Management: Also they are often used in financial management research to examine financial decision-making, investment strategies, and risk management. Topics in this area may include capital budgeting, financial analysis, and corporate finance.

Case studies are a valuable research tool that can provide insight into complex real-life situations. They are widely used in a variety of fields, including education, psychology, sociology, and business. By choosing the best  topic for a  case study, a researcher can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their subject matter and make informed decisions.

Streamlining Case Study Topic Selection and the Research Process

At Research Topic Help , we understand the critical importance of selecting and researching the right topics for students doing their case studies in various academic fields. Case studies are essential for in-depth investigations in disciplines such as social sciences, business, and health sciences, and choosing the right topic is the first step towards a successful academic endeavor.

Our approach to supporting students focuses on aligning the case study research project ideas & topics with the student's academic objectives and course requirements. We ensure that the topics chosen are not only relevant to the student’s field of study but also possess originality to contribute new insights. Our team aids in identifying topics with a rich scope for research, ensuring there are ample data and resources available for a comprehensive study.  Once a topic is selected, we guide students through a meticulous data collection process, drawing from diverse sources such as academic journals, books, and online databases. Our expertise extends to teaching critical analysis and interpretation of data, helping students draw meaningful and academically sound conclusions.

Structuring the case study is another area where our guidance is pivotal. We assist in organizing the research into a coherent structure, encompassing a clear introduction, background information, analysis, and a well-rounded conclusion. Ethical considerations in research are also a key focus, ensuring that all academic integrity and ethical guidelines are rigorously followed.  Finally, we help in the professional presentation and formatting of the case study, aligning it with academic standards and guidelines. Our commitment is to aid students in not just selecting and researching case study topics but also in honing their skills in research, critical thinking, and academic writing. We are dedicated to assisting students in navigating the complexities of case study research, from topic selection to final presentation, ensuring their academic journey is both successful and enriching.

Guide to Case Study Research Topics: What You Need to Know

Choosing the right research topic for your case study:.

Our experts assist in selecting suitable research topics which is the first step toward a successful case study research project. The topic should not only be compelling and relevant but also allow for an in-depth investigation. When we help students with research topics, there are several key factors that we carefully consider:

In the academic world, the selection of a research topic for a case study is a pivotal step that can significantly influence the success and impact of your study. This choice sets the foundation for your research, guiding your investigative efforts and shaping the conclusions you draw. It's a decision that requires careful consideration, balancing relevance, originality, and the scope for in-depth study.

  • Firstly, relevance is key. The topic should be aligned with your academic field and interests, addressing a question or issue that is significant within your area of study. It should contribute to ongoing discussions or fill a gap in existing research. This relevance ensures that your work is valuable and engaging to both you and your academic community.
  • Originality is another crucial factor. Your case study research topic should offer new perspectives or insights, not merely reiterate well-established facts or duplicate existing studies. It's about finding a unique angle or untapped area that can provide fresh understanding or solutions to existing problems. Original research not only stands out but also contributes meaningfully to your field.
  • The scope of the topic is equally important. It should be neither too broad nor too narrow. A broad topic might seem appealing due to the vast amount of information available, but it can lead to a superficial analysis. Conversely, a topic that's too narrow might lack sufficient data for a comprehensive study. Striking the right balance is essential for a thorough and focused investigation.
  • In addition, the availability of data and resources should also be considered. Ensuring access to the necessary data, whether through primary sources like interviews and surveys or secondary sources like academic journals and books, is fundamental for a robust case study.
  • Furthermore, considering the potential impact of your research is also important. Think about how your case study can contribute to your field. Does it have the potential to influence policy, change practices, or contribute to theoretical frameworks? Understanding the potential implications of your research can be a motivating factor and can also help in pitching your study for academic or funding support.
  • Finally, be prepared for an iterative process. Choosing the right topic often involves revisiting and refining your ideas based on new information, feedback, or emerging trends in your field. Flexibility and openness to adapting your topic can be crucial in navigating the dynamic landscape of academic research.

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Crafting Titles For A Case Study - Interesting & Unique Ideas

Here are some tips for crafting interesting case study research titles:.

  • Be concise : A title should be concise and to the point, conveying the main focus of the study clearly and concisely. Aim for no more than 12-15 words in length.
  • Be descriptive : A title should provide a clear description of the focus of the study, including the subject or issue being examined, the research question or hypothesis, and the scope and context of the study.
  • Use keywords : Choose keywords that are relevant and descriptive of the focus of the study, and include them in the title. Keywords can help to make the study more discoverable to potential readers who are searching for information on a related topic.
  • Avoid technical jargon : Avoid using technical terms or jargon that may be unfamiliar to a general audience, as this can make the title less accessible and less appealing to potential readers.
  • Consider the audience : Consider the audience for the study when crafting the  titles for a case study, and choose words and phrases that will be easily understood by this group.
  • Be specific : Be specific in the title, rather than vague or general. For example, instead of a title such as "The Impact of Stress on Health," a more specific and descriptive title might be "The Effects of Chronic Stress on Cardiovascular Health in Middle-Aged Women."
  • Be creative : While the title should be descriptive and to the point, it can also be creative and memorable. A catchy, memorable title can help to grab the attention of potential readers and entice them to learn more.

Crafting a compelling and effective research title for a case study is a critical step in the research process; it is important to keep in mind the focus of the study, the audience, and the overall goal of the research. Well-chosen case study research titles not only attract the attention of potential readers but also convey the essence and scope of the study. The title sets the tone for the entire research, guiding the reader’s expectations and enhancing the study's visibility and impact. By focusing on clarity, specificity, and relevance, researchers can create titles that not only summarize the content but also highlight the significance of their work. Ultimately, an engaging and informative title serves as the gateway to the rich, detailed insights that case studies provide, facilitating the dissemination and application of valuable knowledge across various fields.  Our experts can help you in coming up with great case study project  titles . 

Case Study Research Title Examples for Students: 2024 & Beyond

1. sample  research titles for a  case study  in business and management:.

  • The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Businesses: A Case Study of [Specific Business]
  • The Role of Leadership in Managing Organizational Change: A Case Study
  • The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Brand Image

2. Trendy Case Study Title Examples in Health Sciences and Medicine:

  • The Impact of Telemedicine on Healthcare Delivery During the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Management and Treatment of Diabetes in Low-Income Communities: A Case Study
  • Mental Health Challenges Among University Students: An Introspective Case Study

3. Interesting  Sample Research Titles On Education Case Study:

  • The Impact of Remote Learning on Student Engagement and Performance
  • The Role of EdTech in Inclusive Education: A Case Study of [specific school]
  • An Analysis of Effective Teaching Strategies for Autistic Students

4. Research Titles for Case Studies on Environmental Sciences:

  • An Analysis of Climate Change Impacts on Small-scale Agriculture; this is an interesting case study title sample good for a master's student.
  • The Effect of Urbanization on Biodiversity: A Case Study of Some Preferred City
  • Sustainable Practices in Waste Management: A Case Study

5. Examples of Titles On Social Sciences Case Studies:

  • The Influence of Social Media on Body Image Among Teenagers
  • An Examination of the Causes and Effects of Migration in some specific region of your choice
  • The Impact of Gender Inequality in the Workplace: A Case Study

6. Case Study Title Examples on Information Technology:

  • The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: A Case Study
  • The Impact of Cybersecurity Breaches on Large Corporations
  • An Examination of the Adoption and Usage of Cryptocurrencies: A Case Study

7. Engaging Titles for Case Studies in Nursing and Healthcare:

  • The Role of Nurse-Led Clinics in Managing Chronic Illnesses: A Case Study
  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Patient-Centered Care in Improving Health Outcomes
  • A Case Study on the Impact of Continuing Education on Nursing Practice

8. Compelling Case Study Titles in Aviation Studies :

  • The Impact of Advanced Avionics on Flight Safety: A Case Study
  • Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pilot Training Programs: A Case Study of [Specific Airline]
  • The Role of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Modern Warfare: A Case Study

What are the Common Errors Students Make in Case study Titles

Creating effective titles for case studies can be a challenging task for students, often leading to various common mistakes that diminish the impact and clarity of their work. A well-crafted title is crucial as it serves as the first point of contact with potential readers, conveying the essence and focus of the study. Unfortunately, many students fall into traps such as vagueness, excessive length, and ambiguity, which can obscure the study's purpose and reduce its appeal.  Below are the typical errors students make when crafting case study titles and provided practical tips to avoid these pitfalls. By understanding and addressing these common mistakes, students can enhance the quality of their titles for their case studies, making them more precise, engaging, and informative. Whether you are a student embarking on your first case study or looking to refine your titling skills, below are valuable insights to help you create titles that effectively capture the essence of your research.

  • Overly Long or Complex Titles:
  • Example: "An Extensive Examination of the Various Factors Influencing Consumer Behavior in Online Shopping Environments Among Different Age Groups and Income Levels."
  • Explanation: Long titles can be cumbersome and hard to understand. Conciseness improves readability and impact.
  • Lack of Focus on Key Variables or Elements:
  • Example: "A Case Study on Employee Motivation."
  • Explanation: Failing to highlight key variables or elements, such as specific theories, methods, or contexts, can make the title less informative.
  • Failure to Indicate the Type of Study:
  • Example: "Organizational Behavior."
  • Explanation: Not indicating that the work is a case study can confuse readers. Titles should clarify the nature of the research.
  • Ambiguity: 
  • Example: "A Study on Financial Systems."
  • Explanation: Ambiguous titles leave too much to interpretation. Clear and precise wording helps convey the exact focus.
  • Redundancy:
  • Example: "A Study on the Study of Learning Methods."
  • Explanation: Redundant phrasing makes titles cumbersome and redundant, reducing their impact.
  • Neglecting the Target Audience:
  • Example: "A Technical Review of Quantum Computing for Business Executives."
  • Explanation: Titles should be tailored to the target audience’s knowledge level and interests.
  • Failure to Highlight the Unique Contribution:
  • Example: "A Case Study of Customer Service."
  • Explanation: Titles should hint at what makes the study unique or valuable, such as new findings, innovative approaches, or specific contexts.

By avoiding these common errors, students can create more effective and engaging case study titles that accurately reflect their research and attract the intended audience.

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The East India Company at Home, 1757-1857 was a 3-year Leverhulme Trust-funded research project based in the Department of History at the University of Warwick (2011-2012) and University College London (2012-2014). The project was funded by the Leverhulme Trust and ended in August 2014. Over three years the core project team and over 300 project associates worked together to examine the British country house in an imperial and global context.

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List of case study titles

The case studies featured on this website were written by a range of authors for the Leverhulme Trust-funded East India Company at Home project, which ran from September 2011 to August 2014. Family and local historians, academics, curators, heritage sector professionals, PhD students, undergraduate students and even a retired civil engineer all contributed to research, bringing different expertise and making the project richer and more diverse. Here is an annotated list of the case studies, organised alphabetically by author…

Hannah Armstrong – ‘Josiah Child and the Wanstead Estate’

Josiah Child (no relation to the Child family at Osterley) purchased Wanstead estate in 1673. While his East India Company wealth did not facilitate his purchase of the estate, it did allow him to maintain and refurbish it. In her case study Hannah Armstrong demonstrates how Child focused on developing the gardens at Wanstead and explores what this might have meant within the context of late seventeenth-century country house culture.

Rachael Barnwell – ‘“Chinese” Staircases in North-West Wales’

‘Partly After the Chinese Manner: ‘Chinese’ Staircases in North-West Wales’ examines a group of ‘Chinese’ staircases built within the fabric of three different house interiors in north-west Wales in the 1750s and 1760s. It locates these ‘Chinese’ staircases within both the wider, global context of ‘Asian-inspired’ material culture design, and within more local, contemporary networks of design exchange to assess the degree to which the East India Company’s trade network impacted on interior design in north-Wales in the eighteenth century.

Alison Bennett – ‘Quex Park, Kent’

This study explores the nineteenth-century interiors of Quex Park created by Major Percy Powell-Cotton (1866-1940). More particularly, it examines how the family’s earlier connections to the East India Company in the eighteenth century shaped the aesthetic choices and inclinations of later descendants. Responding both to his family’s earlier connections to Eurasian trade and his own experiences of Kashmir, India, China and Japan, Major Powell Cotton created a series of interiors that were understood by contemporaries as ‘Indian’.

Helen Clifford – ‘The Dundas Property Empire and Nabob Taste’

This case study shows how ascriptions of ‘Nabob’ taste by contemporaries could be applied to people, places and possessions that appeared, on the surface at least, to have had little connection with the East India Company.  Sir Lawrence Dundas, unlike the owners of many of the other houses in this project, was never an East India Company servant, nor did he visit India.  However, by digging a little deeper, the tentacles of East India Company involvement can be seen to have impacted on Sir Lawrence’s social, political and domestic life.

Helen Clifford – ‘Chinese Wallpaper: An Elusive Element in the British Country House’

‘Chinese Wallpaper: An Elusive Element in the British Country House’ explores an Asian luxury good that while seemingly emblematic of the genteel British country house interior has received little attention from scholars. Helen Clifford’s study examines the relationship between members of the East India Company and the British houses in which Chinese wallpaper was displayed. In writing the study Helen benefited from a close collaboration with Emile de Bruijn and Andrew Bush from the National Trust, who have formed a Chinese wallpaper study group. Members include curators, conservators and country house owners, as well as current manufacturers, and students and scholars. Crossing boundaries of fine and decorative art, fixture and chattel, fact and fantasy, the reading of Chinese wallpaper requires a combined effort and multidisciplinary approach. Working from this research base, this case study highlights the complex relationships that existed between the East India Company and British country house interiors in the eighteenth and nineteenth century.

Brian Crossley – ‘Caned Furniture’

Written by Dr Brian Crossley, a retired Chartered Civil Engineer and a second generation chair caner, ‘Caned Furniture’ focuses on one particular Asian material – rattan – and its relationship to changes in furniture design and production skills. In doing so, it highlights the ways in which one commodity (which was initially treated as a waste product) can illuminate our understanding of the multiple links that existed between the material worlds of Asia, America and Europe from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century.

Francesca D’Antonio – ‘The Willow Pattern: Dunham Massey’

Unlike other ‘object studies’ featured in the East India Company At Home, this case study focuses on a specific ceramic ware pattern rather than a particular item associated with the East India Company. With particular attention to the contents of Dunham Massey, Greater Manchester, Francesca’s study focuses on the Willow Pattern, a type of blue and white ‘Chinese style’ design, which was created in 1790 at the Caughley Factory in Shropshire. To explore and reveal the contradictions and intricacies of Willow Pattern wares, the study asks several questions. First, what did Willow Pattern wares mean in nineteenth-century Britain? Second, did EIC families—who, as a group, enjoyed privileged access to Chinese porcelain—engage with these imitative wares and if so, how, why and what might their interactions reveal about these household objects?

Pauline Davies – ‘East India Company and the Indian Ocean Material World at Osterley, 1700-1800′

By focusing on the Child family and its many links to the East India Company, this case study (co-authored with Yuthika Sharma) provides a different lens through which to see this stately family home. Although Osterley is now primarily read as a Robert Adam house, the many Asian luxury objects it contains have remained hidden in plain sight since the eighteenth century. In this study, a different house comes to light – one which was deeply connected to trade with Asia.

Penelope Farmer – ‘The Career of William Gamul Farmer in India, 1763-1795′

In her case study Penelope Farmer primarily analyses a series of letters written by East India Company civil servant William Gamul Farmer in India to his mother and brother in Britain between 1763 and 1795. The letters, still in the possession of the Farmer family, suggest the ways in which Company families held themselves together despite the vast distances in time and space that separated them. Together they offer insights into the private and social workings that underpinned the imperial and mercantile enterprise of the East India Company.

Ellen Filor – ‘William Rattray of Downie Park’

The Rattrays of Rannagulzion, Drimmie, and Corb were an old Scottish family who supported the Jacobite cause in both 1688 and 1745. They also entered the East India Company in large numbers from the 1770s onwards. This case study focuses on William Rattray (1752-1819), one of the first of the family to travel to India. Almost none of his letters survive. However, Rattray’s will and inventory, his burial records and the house he built can illuminate the life of this man and his wider family. These records reveal Rattray’s strategic use of his domestic interiors to display his Scottish ancestry, Indian career, and Jacobite heritage.

Ellen Filor – ‘Alexander Hall (c. 1731/2-1764) in Scotland and Sumatra’

This case study explores the life of Scot Alexander Hall who entered the East India Company in 1750 and was appointed factor to Fort Marlborough at Sumatra. Hall’s biography offers insight into how material goods, often quotidian, structured imperial service economically and emotionally. These ‘things’ included enslaved and colonised persons.

Margot Finn – ‘Swallowfield Park, Berkshire’

In this case study Margot Finn situates Swallowfield within a broad imperial context by tracing the estate’s acquisition and transformation in the late Georgian and early Victorian periods. Purchased by Sir Henry Russell, first baronet (1751-1836) in the 1820s, Swallowfield was recreated in the following decades by its new proprietor’s eldest son, Henry (later the second baronet; 1783-1852). Both father and son derived their great wealth from fortunes made in India. The Russells’ purchase and refurbishment of Swallowfield attest to the crucial role of Britain’s empire in shaping country house history.

Joanna Goldsworthy – ‘Fanny Parks: Her ‘Grand Moving Diorama of Hindustan’, Her Museum and Her Cabinet of Curiosities’

Studies of collecting as a phenomenon, from the age of the ‘cabinet of curiosity’ to the present, have focused overwhelmingly on male collectors – men whose adventures, professional lives and wealth gave them privileged access to exotic plants, animals, artwork and objects. As a result a much more detailed understanding exists of the Company men whose collecting helped to furnish British country houses and later many British museums. In contrast, by focusing on Fanny Parks and the museum she created, this case study illustrates the way in which one Company woman took advantage of her colonial experiences to collect, describe and display Indian material culture.

Georgina Green – ‘Valentines, the Raymonds and Company Material Culture’

This case study explores the history of a house (Valentines Mansion, Ilford), a ship (the Valentine , in its successive reincarnations) and a network of Georgian maritime investors associated with the East India Company (most notably Sir Charles Raymond and his family). More broadly, the case study examines the ways in which profits from commerce conducted at great risk in Asian outposts and Indian Ocean waters came to be reinvested in Britain, refurbishing homes and gardens and reshaping the neighbourhoods in which they were located.

Diane James – ‘ A Fairy Palace in Devon: Redcliffe Towers, Built by Colonel Robert Smith (1787-1873), Bengal Engineers’

This study examines, Redcliffe Towers, constructed by Colonel Robert Smith in 1852-64 after his retirement from the East India Company and a sojourn in Italy where he married a French heiress. Smith, an engineer and artist, was not a member of the landed gentry, however, he used his talents to rise through the ranks of the Bengal Army in India, from Cadet to Colonel. Smith left the Company with just an army pension, and it is likely he would have been unable to build Redcliffe Towers without the gain of a considerable inheritance upon the death of his wife. This case study records Robert Smith’s journey to India, to Europe and his final days spent in Devon, where he constructed his fairy-tale fortress, Redcliffe Towers. In doing so it contributes to the project by demonstrating the ways in which EIC officials’ engagements with the subcontinent through practices such as drafting, building, painting and drawing, distinctly shaped the British homes they built on their return.

Elisabeth Lenckos – ‘Daylesford’

Elisabeth Lenckos is currently using British and German archives to write a biography of Marian Hastings, wife of Warren Hastings. In her case study she explores some of the myths that surrounded the Hastings’ residence in Britain, Daylesford House, and the role that objects played in creating those ideas.

Sarah Longair – ‘The Attar Casket of Tipu Sultan’

Originating from the palace of Tipu Sultan (c.1750-1799), the casket described in this case study (co-authored by Cam Sharp-Jones) came to Britain after the siege of Seringapatam. Once in Britain it passed through different branches of the Fraser family before joining the British Museum’s collections in the early twentieth century. The study explores the enduring significance of Tipu Sultan, the particular attention paid by family members to transferring the casket between generations both in India and England as well as how material culture represented the legacy of East India Company family histories.

Stephen McDowall – ‘Shugborough: Seat of the Earl of Lichfield’

Written by Stephen McDowall of the Department of History at the University of Edinburgh, this case study focuses on the Anson family and the Chinese and Chinese-style objects that they accumulated and arranged within Shugborough. McDowall reveals the multiple family and national stories associated with the Anson objects, and their highly political meanings.

Alistair Mutch – ‘General Patrick Duff of Carnousie, Banffshire’

Rather than concentrating on his military and political exploits, which are recounted elsewhere, this case study draws on General Patrick Duff’s letters and other estate papers to reveal his home life in both India and Scotland. Mutch also uncovers the important role Duff (1742-1803) played in the Madeira wine trade and the importance of Madeira (as place and product) in allowing him to realise his hopes for a Scottish estate.

Angela Nutting – ‘Bond Family Members in the East India Company’

Written by family historian Angela Nutting, the study explores how generations of the Bond family became connected to global trade and the East India Company. Rope makers and Turkey merchants in the seventeenth century, in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century the Bond family became increasingly involved in the East India Company as captains, writers and seamen. The wealth gained from global trade allowed the family to establish Dytchley House in Essex. Alongside people and houses, Angela’s case study also evokes the material lives of those involved in the Company and reminds us of the important role ship life played in training young men to set up home.

Lowri Ann Rees – ‘Aberglasney, Carmarthenshire’

East India Company man Thomas Philipps (c.1749-1824) purchased Aberglasney at the turn of the nineteenth century. The Aberglasney case study highlights the importance of the process of homecoming and the returning to the familiarity of home. In this instance, a modest estate was purchased to reflect the lifestyle desired of a country gentleman who wished to live the rest of his life in quiet retirement following a large portion of his life spent building his career in India.

Lowri Ann Rees – ‘Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire’

Towards the end of the eighteenth century (c.1789), the Middleton Hall estate in the parish of Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire, south-west Wales was purchased by a former East India Company man, William Paxton (c.1744-1824). Over the following thirty-five years or so, Paxton went about transforming what was a relatively modest estate, erecting a new country house, developing the surrounding parkland and introducing innovative garden features. ‘Middleton Hall, Carmarthenshire’ highlights not only that Indian fortunes found their way to Wales, but also that men from outside Wales chose to purchase estates there in an attempt to establish themselves in elite society following their return from India.

Andrew Renton – ‘ The Gold Cup given to the Parish Church of St Mary, Welshpool, by Thomas Davies (d. 1667) ’

Written by Andrew Renton, Head of Applied Art at Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, this case study examines a remarkable gold communion cup belonging to St Mary’s church, Welshpool. The communion cup was the gift of Thomas Davies, a native of the parish and a servant of the East India Company. It bears the date 1662 and a lengthy explanatory inscription which, in conjunction with archival records of the period, sheds light on a brief but fascinating West African (and Caribbean) episode in the history of the East India Company.

Yuthika Sharma – ‘East India Company and the Indian Ocean Material World at Osterley, 1700-1800′

By focusing on the Child family and its many links to the East India Company, this case study (co-authored with Pauline Davies) provides a different lens through which to see this stately family home. Although Osterley is now primarily read as a Robert Adam house, the many Asian luxury objects it contains have remained hidden in plain sight since the eighteenth century. In this study, a different house comes to light – one which was deeply connected to trade with Asia.

Cam Sharp Jones – ‘The Attar Casket of Tipu Sultan’

Originating from the palace of Tipu Sultan (c.1750-1799), the casket assessed in this case study (co-authored with Sarah Longair) came to Britain after the siege of Seringapatam. Once here it passed through different branches of the Fraser family before joining the British Museum’s collections in the early twentieth century. The study explores the enduring significance of Tipu Sultan, the particular attention paid by family members to transferring the casket between generations both in India and England as well as how material culture represented the legacy of East India Company family histories.

Jan Sibthorpe – ‘Sezincote, Gloucestershire’

Written by project associate Jan Sibthorpe, ‘Sezincote, Gloucestershire’ tracks the development of Sezincote house during the nineteenth, twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The study begins with the Cockerell family and explores the influences and connections that inspired Charles Cockerell to work with his brother, architect Samuel Pepys Cockerell and artist Thomas Daniell to create a distinctive vision of India in the English countryside. It then goes on to examine the legacies of this house and estate and considers the house and gardens as they are enjoyed by visitors today.

Doreen Skala – ‘The Scarth Family of London and Ilford’

The Scarths left no surviving grand country house or any other trinkets or treasures. In fact, they appear to have left no material evidence of their lives or their connections with the East India Company, but both the family and its East India Company connections can be traced through historical documents. This case study shows the economic, social, and domestic history of the family and how three generations were affected by the family’s connection with the East India Company. One generation bought goods from the East India Company and traded them westward across the Atlantic, and the next engaged in trade for the East India Company in the East. Partly as a result of his connections with the Company, the elder Jonathan amassed a family fortune, including a country house in Ilford, Essex, now gone. His son Jonathan’s deeper connection with the East India Company disrupted his family life so that at the age of forty-one he left his daughter an orphan after being away on Company voyages for years at a time. With risk can come great reward, but also calamity. This family experienced both as a result of their connection with the East India Company.

Kate Smith – ‘ Englefield House, Berkshire : Processes and Practices ’

This study tracks the East India Company people, objects and wealth that shaped Englefield House, Berkshire in the eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Residents connected to the Company such as the former Governor of Fort St George Richard Benyon (1698-1774), Robert Clive’s widow Lady Margaret Clive (1735-1817) and Sir Francis Sykes’s daughter Elizabeth Sykes (1775-1822) all occupied the house in different ways during the period. At the same time the movement of Chinese, India and Japanese objects into and out of the house also worked to situate Englefield within the world of the East India Company.

Kate Smith – ‘ Warfield Park, Berkshire : Longing, Belonging and the Country House ’

Warfield was home to John Walsh of the Company’s civil service and then the Benn-Walsh family in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. This case study explores how the family’s longings for home while in India shaped the country house they later reconstructed and consolidated.

Kate Smith – ‘ A Collaborative Endeavour: Building House, Home and Family at Montreal Park in Kent ’

This case study focuses on the Amherst family during their return to Britain and examines the important role house-building projects played in re-establishing their sense of familial belonging once home from empire. Playing essential roles in the governance of early nineteenth-century India, Amherst and his family deployed their Indian fortunes to domestic ends upon return to Britain.

Kate Smith – ‘ The Afterlife of Objects: Anglo-Indian Ivory Furniture in Britain ’

‘The Afterlife of Objects: Anglo-Indian Ivory Furniture in Britain’ examines ivory furniture, made by skilled craftsmen in the subcontinent during the eighteenth century. In the study, Kate uses ivory furniture as a lens through which to examine how individuals in the modern period related to objects from the subcontinent. More particularly, she asks whether objects purchased by East India Company (EIC) families were understood as distinct from those traded more generally by the EIC? If so, how? The study demonstrates that, like the families who bought, collected and retained them, Company objects experienced complicated and global biographies, which shaped British material cultures long after the initial point of exchange.

Kate Smith – ‘Manly Objects?:Gendering Armorial Porcelain Wares ’

Chinese porcelain services specially commissioned by individuals and families to include their coats of arms within the decorative scheme were distinctly fashionable and popular in eighteenth-century Britain, particularly among those with East India Company connections. Armorial porcelain services feature in various East India Company at Home case studies, including Osterley Park and House , Valentines Mansion and Gardens and the Shugborough Estate . This case study focuses on the armorial service purchased by Francis Sykes of Basildon Park in Berkshire to explore the identity politics embedded in porcelain pieces decorated with coats of arms.

Blair Southerden – ‘Ships, Steam & Innovation: An East India Company Family Story, c.1700-1877′

This contribution originates from a meeting between Helen Clifford and Blair Southerden at the Upper Dales Family History Group in July 2013. Blair’s case study reveals how through his association with the East India Company Ardaseer Cursetjee (1808-1877), Blair’s great great grandfather came not only to visit Britain several times, but also to set up home here in 1859. Ardaseer Cursetjee’s story reverses the usual tale of a white male East India Company servant travelling out to India, and coming home to England, and in so doing casts a different light on what ‘The East India Company at Home’ means.

John Sykes – ‘The Indian Seal of Sir Francis Sykes’

In this case study project associate Sir John Sykes situates the Indian seal of his ancestor, Sir Francis Sykes, first baronet (1730-1804) within the context of both East India Company and family history in England and on the subcontinent. It illuminates the intertwined histories of English and Indian families who made their fortunes in the Company era, but remain connected in the twenty-first century.

David Williams – ‘The Melvill Family and India’

This study explores the intergenerational commitment that members of the Melvill family made to the East India Company in the subcontinent and the UK in the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Melvill family is a good example of those Scots who after the Act of Union took their opportunities within the British army and in the overseas empire to make their careers. By virtue of their EIC service, this Scottish family became increasingly English by marrying into established English families and settling in England. David Williams’s case study underlines the different ways in which connections to the East India Company shaped what families were and did in modern Britain.

Copyright © 2024 East India Company at Home, 1757-1857

Examples

Case Study Thesis Statement

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example research title of case study

A case study is a deep and comprehensive study of a specific subject, such as individuals, groups, or events, in their real-life context. Crafting a compelling thesis statement for a case study ensures that readers are primed to engage with the detailed analysis that follows. It sets the tone and provides a roadmap for what’s to be explored. Whether you’re examining a business scenario, a societal issue, or a psychological condition, a well-constructed thesis sets the foundation. Let’s delve into examples, writing techniques, and tips to perfect this art.

What is a Case Study Thesis Statement? – Definition

A case study thesis statement is a concise summary that outlines the central point or argument of a case study. It encapsulates the primary findings, insights, or conclusions drawn from the detailed analysis of a particular subject or situation in its real-life context. This statement serves as a guide for readers, offering a snapshot of what the case study will explore and the significance of its findings.

What is an example of a Case Study thesis statement?

“In the analysis of XYZ Corporation’s marketing strategies during the fiscal year 2020-2021, it’s evident that the company’s innovative use of social media advertising not only boosted its brand visibility among millennials but also led to a 15% increase in sales, demonstrating the power of digital platforms in modern business models.”

This Specific thesis statement provides a clear insight into the focus of the case study (XYZ Corporation’s marketing strategies) and highlights the primary conclusion (success in using social media advertising to boost sales).

100 Case Study Thesis Statement Examples

Case Study Thesis Statement Examples

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Case study thesis statements provide a concise encapsulation of the primary conclusions or insights gleaned from an in-depth analysis of a subject. They serve as a roadmap for readers, informing them of the study’s focal points and key findings. To craft an effective case study thesis, it’s imperative to be specific, evidence-based, and relevant to the subject being explored. Below are 100 examples spanning various fields and scenarios:

  • Analyzing the success of Apple’s iPhone X launch, it’s evident that the blend of technological innovation and targeted marketing resulted in record-breaking sales figures globally.
  • A deep dive into London’s urban planning post-2000 reveals a significant push towards sustainable infrastructure, reducing the city’s carbon footprint by 12%.
  • In studying patient recovery rates at the ABC Rehabilitation Center, it becomes clear that personalized therapy programs yield a 25% faster recovery time compared to generic methods.
  • A review of Brazil’s reforestation efforts in the last decade demonstrates that community involvement is a pivotal factor, with local engagement accelerating afforestation by 18%.
  • Exploring the financial collapse of Company XYZ in 2019, mismanagement of funds and a lack of internal audits were the predominant causes leading to its bankruptcy.
  • The rise in mental health issues among high school students from 2015-2020, as examined in Region A, strongly correlates with increased social media usage and cyberbullying incidents.
  • A detailed analysis of Japan’s public transport system reveals that timely investments in technology and maintenance are primary reasons for its 99% punctuality rate.
  • Studying the diet patterns of Mediterranean regions provides insights into lower cardiovascular disease rates, highlighting the benefits of olive oil, fish, and whole grains.
  • The decline in print media sales from 2000-2020, as evident in the case of Magazine ABC, is largely due to the surge in digital content consumption and changing reader habits.
  • In assessing the success of the ‘Clean River’ campaign in City B, it’s observed that public awareness drives and stricter industrial regulations reduced water pollution by 30%
  • An examination of solar energy adoption in Rural Region X indicates that governmental subsidies coupled with community workshops played a pivotal role in increasing installations by 40% in five years.
  • By delving into the cultural revival in City Y, it’s apparent that grassroots movements and local art festivals were instrumental in rejuvenating traditional art forms and bolstering tourism.
  • A study of telecommuting trends during the 2020 pandemic reveals that companies with pre-existing digital infrastructure reported a smoother transition and a mere 5% drop in productivity.
  • Through analyzing the public health response in Country Z during the measles outbreak, it’s clear that rapid immunization drives and public awareness campaigns curbed the spread by 60%.
  • A review of the organic farming movement in Region P shows that farmer cooperatives and government-backed training sessions were crucial in tripling organic produce output in a decade.
  • Assessing the success factors behind Brand Q’s viral ad campaign, a blend of humor, social relevance, and effective online targeting resulted in a 300% ROI.
  • An in-depth look at the urban wildlife conservation initiative in City R suggests that integrating green corridors and public education were key to increasing urban biodiversity by 20%.
  • Studying the economic turnaround of City S post-recession, it emerges that a combination of SME incentives, infrastructure investments, and tourism promotions led to a steady 7% GDP growth.
  • Exploring the education overhaul in District T, the introduction of experiential learning methods and teacher training programs significantly improved student performance metrics across all grades.
  • The analysis of e-commerce trends in Country U during the festive season underscores that localized marketing campaigns and easy return policies boosted sales by an unprecedented 45%
  • An exploration of the rehabilitation programs in Prison V reveals that the integration of vocational training reduced recidivism rates by 15% over three years.
  • Investigating the decline of traditional crafts in Region W, it becomes apparent that globalized market pressures and a generational shift in career preferences were primary contributors.
  • The analysis of startup ecosystem growth in City X demonstrates that mentorship programs and venture capital accessibility were crucial drivers, leading to a 50% increase in successful startup launches.
  • In evaluating the healthcare system of Country Y, the strategic placement of clinics and telemedicine integration were central to achieving a 90% accessibility rate in remote areas.
  • Studying the architectural evolution in City Z, the emphasis on eco-friendly designs and green spaces has significantly enhanced residents’ quality of life and reduced energy consumption.
  • A detailed assessment of the digital literacy program in District A1 indicates that hands-on workshops and collaboration with tech companies led to a 30% increase in digital skills among the elderly.
  • The case study of the MNO Music Festival shows that blending international and local artists, along with immersive cultural experiences, resulted in a tripling of international attendees.
  • In examining the rebranding strategy of Company B2, leveraging user-generated content and transparency in production processes garnered a 60% boost in brand loyalty.
  • Exploring the impact of the ‘Green School’ initiative in Region C3, schools that integrated environmental education witnessed a marked increase in student-led sustainability projects.
  • By delving into the tourism dynamics of Island D4, it’s observed that the emphasis on eco-tourism and cultural preservation led to sustained tourism growth without ecological degradation.
  • A deep dive into the public transport upgrades in City E5 reveals that the inclusion of smart ticketing systems and real-time tracking improved user satisfaction rates by 25%.
  • Analyzing the performance of the XYZ sports team over a decade, the focus on grassroots talent recruitment and continuous training regimes was key to their championship victories.
  • A study of the fast-food industry shifts in Region F6 showcases that the introduction of plant-based menu options was instrumental in capturing a new health-conscious demographic.
  • Through assessing the cybersecurity reforms in Organization G7, proactive threat monitoring and employee training drastically reduced security breaches by 80%.
  • An examination of the ‘Urban Forest’ project in City H8 underlines that community participation and periodic maintenance drives ensured a 90% survival rate of planted trees.
  • Investigating the cultural festival in Village I9, the collaboration with local artisans and digital promotions drew an unprecedented global audience, revitalizing the local economy
  • The scrutiny of e-learning trends in School J10 revealed that blending video tutorials with interactive assignments resulted in higher student engagement and a 20% improvement in test scores.
  • In studying the revamp of the K11 shopping mall, the introduction of experiential retail spaces and diversified dining options significantly increased footfall and monthly sales.
  • By analyzing the success of the L12 mobile banking app, user-friendly interfaces combined with robust security measures led to a user adoption rate surpassing 70% within the first year.
  • The comprehensive review of NGO M13’s outreach programs indicates that localized content and leveraging social media influencers amplified awareness, doubling donations received.
  • An in-depth study of the transportation overhaul in City N14 highlights that integrating cycling lanes and pedestrian zones reduced vehicular traffic by 15% and enhanced urban livability.
  • A case study on the O15 biotech startup’s rapid growth identifies that collaborations with academic institutions and a focus on sustainable solutions were critical success factors.
  • Investigating the wildlife conservation measures in Park P16, the integration of community-based surveillance and eco-tourism initiatives resulted in a 10% rise in endangered species populations.
  • Exploring the dynamics of the Q17 film festival, the embrace of indie filmmakers and diversification into virtual screenings expanded the global audience base by threefold.
  • Through a detailed assessment of the R18 smart city project, data-driven decision-making and public-private partnerships accelerated infrastructure development and improved resident satisfaction.
  • A study of the resurgence of traditional crafts in Village S19 underscores that governmental grants combined with e-commerce platforms enabled artisans to reach global markets and triple their income.
  • By analyzing the mental health initiative in University T20, the introduction of peer counseling and mindfulness workshops led to a 30% decrease in reported student stress levels.
  • In evaluating the U21 sustainable farming project, the practice of crop rotation and organic pest control methods doubled yields without compromising soil health.
  • A deep dive into the V22 robotics industry shows that investments in research and development, coupled with industry-academia partnerships, positioned the region as a global leader in automation solutions.
  • The case study of the W23 urban renewal initiative reveals that preserving historical sites while integrating modern amenities revitalized the district and boosted tourism by 40%
  • Exploring the telehealth revolution in Hospital X24, it’s evident that user-centric design coupled with real-time patient support drastically reduced waiting times and enhanced patient satisfaction.
  • A review of the Z25 green tech startup’s rise showcases how tapping into emerging markets and prioritizing local adaptations enabled a 250% growth rate over two years.
  • By analyzing the Y26 literary festival’s global success, forging partnerships with international publishers and leveraging livestreamed sessions captured a diversified and engaged global readership.
  • In evaluating the urban art projects of City A27, integrating community artists and sourcing local materials led to culturally resonant artworks and rejuvenated public spaces.
  • The detailed study of B28’s freshwater conservation strategies highlights that community education, combined with sustainable fishing practices, restored marine life balance within a decade.
  • Through a comprehensive look at the C29 space tech firm’s accomplishments, early investments in satellite miniaturization positioned it as a front-runner in commercial space solutions.
  • By delving into the digital transformation of Retailer D30, the integration of augmented reality for virtual try-ons significantly boosted online sales and reduced return rates.
  • A study of the E31 desert afforestation initiative reveals that harnessing native drought-resistant flora and community-based irrigation systems successfully greened over 10,000 hectares.
  • Exploring F32’s inclusive education reforms, a curriculum designed with multi-modal teaching techniques led to improved learning outcomes for differently-abled students.
  • In examining the eco-tourism drive of Island G33, maintaining a balance between visitor volume and ecological sustainability ensured steady revenue without environmental degradation.
  • Analyzing the H34 online gaming platform’s surge in popularity, community engagement features and regional game localization were instrumental in its global user base expansion.
  • A review of the I35 urban cycling initiative shows that creating cyclist-friendly infrastructure, coupled with public awareness campaigns, led to a 20% increase in daily cycling commuters.
  • In studying J36’s public library modernization project, the fusion of digital archives with interactive learning zones increased visitor numbers and enhanced community learning.
  • By evaluating the K37 corporate wellness program, a holistic approach encompassing mental health, fitness, and nutrition resulted in a 15% reduction in employee sick days.
  • A detailed look at the L38 organic coffee farming cooperative identifies that fair-trade certifications and eco-friendly processing techniques doubled farmer profits and market reach.
  • Exploring the M39 microfinance model in developing regions shows that leveraging mobile technology and community leaders made financial services accessible to previously unbanked populations.
  • The case study of N40’s anti-pollution drive reveals that using technology for real-time air quality monitoring and public alerts led to actionable civic interventions and clearer skies.
  • Analyzing the O41 cultural dance revival initiative, collaborations with schools and televised events reintroduced traditional dances to younger generations, preserving cultural heritage.
  • Through studying the P42 renewable energy project, community-owned solar and wind farms not only achieved energy self-sufficiency but also created local employment opportunities.
  • By examining Q43’s digital archival project, crowdsourcing contributions and integrating multimedia storytelling resurrected historical narratives for a global digital audience.
  • In reviewing the R44 disaster response initiative, utilizing drones and AI-driven analytics for real-time situation assessment led to a 30% faster rescue response.
  • Exploring the success of the S45 women’s empowerment project, localized workshops and financial literacy programs led to the establishment of over 500 women-led businesses.
  • Analyzing the T46 urban farming revolution, rooftop gardens and vertical farming technologies not only reduced the carbon footprint but also bolstered local food security.
  • Through a detailed examination of U47’s mental health awareness campaign, leveraging celebrity ambassadors and social media channels destigmatized mental health discussions among young adults.
  • The study of V48’s coastal conservation initiative reveals that coral transplantation and sustainable tourism practices significantly enhanced marine biodiversity and local livelihoods.
  • By scrutinizing the W49 digital arts program, collaborations with global tech firms and virtual exhibitions brought contemporary art to a wider and more diversified audience.
  • In evaluating the X50 grassroots sports initiative, talent scouting at school levels and offering specialized training camps led to a surge in regional sports achievements.
  • Exploring the Y51 urban greenery project, the symbiotic integration of flora with urban structures, like bus stops and building facades, transformed the cityscape and improved air quality.
  • Through analyzing the Z52 elderly wellness initiative, mobile health check-ups and community gathering events significantly improved the well-being and social connectedness of seniors.
  • A deep dive into A53’s tech literacy drive for rural regions showcases that mobile classrooms and gamified learning tools bridged the digital divide, empowering communities.
  • Investigating B54’s smart waste management project, sensor-fitted bins and data-driven route optimization for collection trucks minimized operational costs and improved city cleanliness.
  • The case study of C55’s heritage restoration initiative highlights that a blend of traditional craftsmanship with modern conservation techniques revitalized historical landmarks, boosting tourism.
  • In studying D56’s alternative education model, experiential outdoor learning and community projects fostered holistic student development and real-world problem-solving skills.
  • By analyzing E57’s urban transit solution, electric buses paired with dynamic route algorithms resulted in reduced traffic congestion and a decrease in emissions.
  • The examination of F58’s sustainable fashion movement indicates that upcycling workshops and eco-conscious designer collaborations led to a greener fashion industry with reduced waste.
  • Through a deep dive into G59’s wildlife rehabilitation project, mobile veterinary units and habitat restoration measures significantly increased the population of endangered species.
  • In assessing H60’s collaborative workspace model, creating modular designs and fostering community events led to increased startup incubation and knowledge exchange.
  • Studying the I61 teletherapy initiative, the integration of wearable tech for biometric feedback and real-time counseling support made mental health care more accessible and tailored.
  • The review of J62’s community theater resurgence underlines that offering free training workshops and forging school partnerships enriched cultural landscapes and nurtured local talent.
  • By evaluating K63’s clean water initiative in remote areas, solar-powered desalination units and community-led maintenance ensured uninterrupted access to potable water.
  • Exploring the L64 sustainable architecture movement, it’s evident that the incorporation of passive solar design and green roofs reduced building energy consumption by up to 40%.
  • Through a detailed analysis of the M65 virtual reality (VR) in education program, integrating VR expeditions and interactive simulations led to a 20% increase in student comprehension.
  • The study of N66’s eco-village development project reveals that community-owned renewable energy systems and permaculture designs fostered self-sufficiency and resilience.
  • By reviewing the O67’s inclusive playground initiative, universally designed play equipment and sensory-friendly zones catered to children of all abilities, promoting inclusivity and joy.
  • Investigating the P68’s digital heritage preservation, utilizing 3D scanning and augmented reality brought ancient monuments and artifacts to life for global audiences.
  • By scrutinizing the Q69’s local organic produce movement, direct farmer-to-consumer platforms and community-supported agriculture initiatives revitalized local economies and promoted healthy living.
  • A deep dive into the R70’s urban beekeeping project indicates that rooftop apiaries and bee-friendly green spaces boosted pollinator populations, benefiting both biodiversity and urban agriculture.
  • In evaluating the S71’s community radio station initiative, platforms that prioritized local news and indigenous languages fostered civic participation and cultural pride.
  • Exploring the success of T72’s renewable energy transition, investments in grid-tied wind and solar farms led to the region achieving carbon neutrality within a decade.
  • The review of U73’s zero-waste community challenge highlights that community workshops on composting, recycling, and upcycling drastically reduced landfill contributions and elevated environmental consciousness.

These statements encompass a diverse range of endeavors, from technological innovations and educational transformations to environmental conservation and cultural preservation. Each thesis offers a concise yet compelling entry point, illustrating the multifaceted nature of case studies and their potential to drive change across various sectors.

Case Study Thesis Statement Example for Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay’s thesis statement presents a debatable claim about a particular scenario or situation, seeking to persuade the reader of its validity. It combines evidence from the case study with a clear stance on the matter, aiming to convince through both factual data and logical reasoning.

  • Despite the surge in e-commerce, a case study on Brick & Mortar Retail Y1 reveals that experiential in-store shopping can significantly boost customer loyalty and overall sales.
  • Examining the X2 city’s public transport model, it’s evident that prioritizing bicycles over cars results in healthier urban environments and happier citizens.
  • By studying vegan diets through the Z3 health initiative, there is undeniable evidence that plant-based diets lead to improved overall health metrics when compared to omnivorous diets.
  • Through a deep dive into the A4’s shift to remote work, productivity levels and employee well-being evidently increase when offered flexible work arrangements.
  • In the debate over renewable versus fossil fuels, the B5 country’s successful transition showcases the undeniable economic and environmental advantages of renewable energy.
  • Analyzing the C6 city’s urban greening project, it’s clear that community gardens play a pivotal role in crime reduction and social cohesion.
  • A study on the D7’s educational reforms reveals that continuous assessment, as opposed to one-off exams, offers a more comprehensive understanding of student capabilities.
  • By evaluating the E8’s plastic ban initiative, environmental rejuvenation and improved public health metrics affirm the necessity of eliminating single-use plastics.
  • Exploring the F9’s universal healthcare model, there’s a robust argument that public health services lead to more equitable societies and better health outcomes.
  • The success of the G10’s work-life balance policies underscores that a shorter workweek can lead to heightened productivity and enhanced employee satisfaction.

Case Study Thesis Statement Example for Research Paper

Case Study for  research paper thesis statement serves as a central hypothesis or primary insight derived from the chosen case. It succinctly captures the essence of the research findings and the implications they might hold, offering a foundation upon which the paper’s arguments and conclusions are built.

  • An extensive analysis of the H11 city’s water conservation techniques presents innovative methodologies that have achieved a 30% reduction in urban water consumption.
  • Investigating the I12’s coral reef restoration projects, recent advancements in marine biology have been instrumental in rejuvenating dying reef ecosystems.
  • The in-depth research on J13’s forest management strategies reveals the successful intersection of indigenous knowledge and modern conservation techniques.
  • A comprehensive study on the K14’s biodynamic farming practices demonstrates their impact on soil health and crop yield enhancement.
  • Researching L15’s approach to mental health, community-based interventions, and localized therapy models have shown significant efficacy.
  • By delving into M16’s urban waste management, innovative recycling technologies are revolutionizing urban sustainability and waste reduction.
  • The examination of N17’s digital literacy programs for seniors demonstrates adaptive pedagogies tailored for older learners, resulting in improved tech proficiency.
  • In-depth research on O18’s tidal energy projects presents groundbreaking advancements in harnessing marine energy for sustainable power generation.
  • A study of P19’s green building materials showcases the potential for sustainable construction without compromising on durability or aesthetics.
  • Extensive research on Q20’s citizen science initiatives has shed light on the profound impact of public engagement in scientific discoveries.

Case Study Essay Thesis Statement Example for Essay Writing

In essay writing, the case study thesis statement offers a central idea or perspective about the case at hand. It provides a roadmap for readers, indicating the essay’s direction and focus, and typically draws on the unique aspects of the case study to make broader observations or arguments.

  • The revitalization of the R21 town square serves as a testament to the profound impact of urban design on community engagement and cultural preservation.
  • Exploring the journey of S22’s artisanal chocolate brand offers insights into the nuances of combining traditional recipes with modern marketing.
  • The success story of the T23’s community library initiative illustrates the timeless importance of books and shared spaces in fostering community spirit.
  • Through a narrative on U24’s eco-tourism model, the delicate balance between conservation, commerce, and community involvement comes to the fore.
  • V25’s transformation from a tech-averse community to a digital hub showcases the ripple effects of targeted tech education and infrastructure investment.
  • The tale of W26’s fight against deforestation illuminates the intertwining of grassroots activism, governmental policy, and global collaboration.
  • X27’s journey in preserving endangered languages paints a vivid picture of the role of technology in safeguarding cultural heritage.
  • Diving into Y28’s transition from coal to solar energy portrays the challenges, victories, and transformative power of collective will.
  • The story of Z29’s grassroots sports academy gives a glimpse into the potential of talent nurtured through community support and dedication.
  • A narrative on A30’s urban art movement elucidates the transformative power of public art in redefining cityscapes and fostering local talent.

Does a case study have a thesis statement?

Yes, a case study often has a thesis statement, especially if it is intended for academic or formal publication. While the nature of case studies is to explore, analyze, and present specific situations or phenomena in detail, a thesis statement helps provide direction, focus, and clarity to the study. It serves as a clear indication of the main point or argument the author wishes to make, derived from their analysis of the case.

What is a thesis statement for a case study analysis?

A thesis statement for a case study analysis is a concise summary of the main insight or argument derived from reviewing and analyzing a particular case. It should be specific and based on the evidence found within the study, aiming to encapsulate the core findings or implications. This statement will guide the reader’s understanding of what the case study is ultimately trying to convey or the conclusions the author has drawn from their analysis.

How do you write a thesis statement for a case study? – Step by Step Guide

  • Select Your Case: Before you can write a thesis statement, you need to choose a case that offers enough substance and relevance. Your case should be representative or unique enough to provide meaningful insights.
  • Conduct Thorough Research: Dive deep into the details of your case. Understand its history, the key players involved, its significance, and its outcomes.
  • Identify Key Themes or Patterns: As you research, note down recurring themes or patterns that emerge. These will often hint at the broader implications of the case.
  • Formulate Your Argument: Based on your observations, craft an argument or insight about the case. Ask yourself what the case reveals about a broader phenomenon or what makes this case particularly significant.
  • Be Specific: Your thesis statement should be precise. Avoid vague or overly broad statements. Instead, focus on the specific insights or conclusions you’ve drawn from the case.
  • Write and Refine: Draft your thesis statement. It should be one or two sentences long, capturing the essence of your argument. Revisit and refine it to ensure clarity and conciseness.

Tips for Writing a Case Study Thesis Statement

  • Keep it Focused: Your thesis statement should be concise and directly related to the case in question. Avoid generalities or unrelated observations.
  • Be Evidence-Based: Ensure that your thesis statement can be backed up with evidence from the case study. It should be a result of your analysis, not a preconceived notion.
  • Avoid Jargon: Keep your thesis statement accessible. It should be understandable even to those unfamiliar with the specifics of the case.
  • Stay Objective: While your thesis statement will represent your analysis and perspective, it’s crucial to base it on facts and avoid unnecessary biases.
  • Seek Feedback: Once you’ve crafted your thesis statement, share it with peers or mentors. Their feedback can help refine your thesis and ensure it captures the essence of your case study effectively.

In conclusion, while a case study delves deep into specific instances, having a clear thesis statement is crucial to give direction to your study and offer readers a concise understanding of the case’s significance and your analysis.

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The economic impact of the Olympics

Rising fourth-year silas ruth, an economics major, examines sports mega-events like paris 2024 through an economic lens..

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The 2024 Olympic Games are set to begin on July 26 in Paris. As the world gears up to watch their compatriots compete for gold, it may seem like France has already had one big win: landing the games themselves.

But just how Paris benefits financially from the games remains to be seen, according to rising fourth-year Silas Ruth, an economics major from Rochester, New York. Ruth , a member of Penn’s track and field team , has been examining sports mega-events through an economic lens, most recently in his paper “Medals, Money, and Legacy: A Comparative Analysis of Sports Tourism and Economic Development Through Olympic Games.” What his research has revealed has been a bit of a surprise.

“I’ve found that sports mega-events, although they have been long heralded as a tool for national development in sports tourism, international trade, and international prestige, are frequently a not very good economic investment,” Ruth says.

Tourist stands in front of Eiffel Tower in Paris, with Olympic rings on the exterior.

Ruth first became interested in looking at the intersection of sports and economics during a freshman seminar class he took with professor Heather Sharkey. It was a Middle Eastern Studies class, and each student was assigned a different nation and asked to write a research paper on it. Ruth was assigned Qatar.

“As a lifelong soccer fan, the World Cup was coming up in 2022, and so I thought, How better to integrate these interests in sports and economics and read a little bit about the World Cup in Qatar,” he says.

What he found was very closely related to what he’s learning more about his current project. Big sporting events often don’t pay off for the host country.

After that class, he wanted to dig deeper into why nations would bid on the games, knowing the likely economic reality, and he transitioned his focus to the Olympics in particular.

“The Olympic Games are projects where billions and billions of dollars have been invested, anywhere from $2 billion to $40 billion since 2000. I was astonished to find that almost every single one had been a net loss since Los Angeles 1984,” Ruth says.

Los Angeles was a case study for a profitable, successful sports event. The city made $5.2 billion in profit, Ruth notes, but what set that competition apart was the high quality of existing infrastructure, including transportation systems, sporting arenas, hospitality services, all of the dozens of different functions that have to come together to support the millions of sports tourists who come to a city to attend the games.

Oftentimes nations that make these bids and cities that host these sports mega-events don’t have such infrastructure, and that was especially true of Qatar in 2022. “They basically had to build everything from scratch in the middle of the desert,” Ruth says.

His research has been funded by the Kanta Marwah College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant, supported by the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships . The grant enabled him to travel to Los Angeles this summer to meet with city officials and conduct research for the paper.

“This project is a perfect integration of two of my greatest interests: economics and sports,” he says. “I feel incredibly grateful to have received this grant from CURF.”

Ruth says he hopes his research can provide a more holistic understanding of these events and offer a perspective on what it means financially when a country bids on such games. “Hopefully my research can create conversations around the space of federal investments and the opportunity costs of these events,” he says.

Ruth’s advisor on the paper is economics professor Guillermo L. Ordoñez .

“In formulating the project, Silas has shown initiative and creativity in identifying a contemporary lens—sustainable infrastructure development—with which to examine the impact of sport mega-events on the economies of host nations,” Ordoñez says. “He has actively engaged in the conceptualization and design of the research framework, demonstrating a keen understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the topic.”

It’s not clear that sport events are in net beneficial or costly, Ordoñez says, pointing to cases in which they heavily revitalized the economy, like the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, 2012 London Olympics, and 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.

“But there are also cases in which they were very costly for local communities, like the 1976 Montreal Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympics, and 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics,” Ordoñez says. Poor planning, mismanagement, corruption, and lack of long-term vision can lead to significant economic burdens for host cities and countries. 

“Silas’ research is trying to assess these important trade-offs, which can have very beneficial or pervasive effect on local communities,” he says.

While Ruth has never been to the Olympics, he says he is looking forward to the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia and hopes he can make it to Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games.

For the upcoming Paris games, he’s particularly excited to watch the track and field events “of course, because that’s my sport, and Penn has a lot of incredible Olympians they are sending over, including one current team member that I personally know, Bella Whittaker,” he says. “I’ll be excited for her running the 4x400 relay and will be cheering her on.”

He says he’s also looking at the games with a new eye for the economics side.

“Will they be able to transition this month of excitement around sport into systems and tourism that lasts for years to come? Will they be able to build sporting leagues or youth programming in the systems they created to accommodate the games?” he asks. “The aftermath of the games will be particularly interesting for me to study.”

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper: Writing a Case Study

  • Purpose of Guide
  • Design Flaws to Avoid
  • Independent and Dependent Variables
  • Glossary of Research Terms
  • Narrowing a Topic Idea
  • Broadening a Topic Idea
  • Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
  • Academic Writing Style
  • Choosing a Title
  • Making an Outline
  • Paragraph Development
  • Executive Summary
  • The C.A.R.S. Model
  • Background Information
  • The Research Problem/Question
  • Theoretical Framework
  • Citation Tracking
  • Content Alert Services
  • Evaluating Sources
  • Reading Research Effectively
  • Primary Sources
  • Secondary Sources
  • Tiertiary Sources
  • What Is Scholarly vs. Popular?
  • Qualitative Methods
  • Quantitative Methods
  • Using Non-Textual Elements
  • Limitations of the Study
  • Common Grammar Mistakes
  • Writing Concisely
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Footnotes or Endnotes?
  • Further Readings
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Dealing with Nervousness
  • Using Visual Aids
  • Grading Someone Else's Paper
  • Types of Structured Group Activities
  • Group Project Survival Skills
  • Multiple Book Review Essay
  • Reviewing Collected Essays
  • Writing a Case Study
  • About Informed Consent
  • Writing Field Notes
  • Writing a Policy Memo
  • Writing a Research Proposal
  • Bibliography

The term case study refers to both a method of analysis and a specific research design for examining a problem, both of which are used in most circumstances to generalize across populations. This tab focuses on the latter--how to design and organize a research paper in the social sciences that analyzes a specific case.

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, phenomenon, or other type of subject of analysis in order to extrapolate  key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. A case study paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or among more than two subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm.

Case Studies . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010 ; “What is a Case Study?” In Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London: SAGE, 2010.

How to Approach Writing a Case Study Research Paper

General information about how to choose a topic to investigate can be found under the " Choosing a Research Problem " tab in this writing guide. Review this page because it may help you identify a subject of analysis that can be investigated using a single case study design.

However, identifying a case to investigate involves more than choosing the research problem . A case study encompasses a problem contextualized around the application of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion, often resulting in specific recommendations for action or for improving existing conditions. As Seawright and Gerring note, practical considerations such as time and access to information can influence case selection, but these issues should not be the sole factors used in describing the methodological justification for identifying a particular case to study. Given this, selecting a case includes considering the following:

  • 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.
  • Does the case provide important insight or illuminate a previously hidden problem? In-depth analysis of a case can be based on the hypothesis that the case study will reveal trends or issues that have not been exposed in prior research or will reveal new and important implications for practice. For example, anecdotal evidence may suggest drug use among homeless veterans is related to their patterns of travel throughout the day. Assuming prior studies have not looked at individual travel choices as a way to study access to illicit drug use, a case study that observes a homeless veteran could reveal how issues of personal mobility choices facilitate regular access to illicit drugs. Note that it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to ensure that your assumption about the need to reveal new insights or previously hidden problems is valid and evidence-based.
  • 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.
  • Does the case provide an opportunity to pursue action leading to the resolution of a problem? Another way to think about choosing a case to study is to consider how the results from investigating a particular case may result in findings that reveal ways in which to resolve an existing or emerging problem. For example, studying the case of an unforeseen incident, such as a fatal accident at a railroad crossing, can reveal hidden issues that could be applied to preventative measures that contribute to reducing the chance of accidents in the future. In this example, a case study investigating the accident could lead to a better understanding of where to strategically locate additional signals at other railroad crossings in order to better warn drivers of an approaching train, particularly when visibility is hindered by heavy rain, fog, or at night.
  • Does the case offer a new direction in future research? A case study can be used as a tool for exploratory research that points to a need for further examination of the research problem. A case can be used when there are few studies that help predict an outcome or that establish a clear understanding about how best to proceed in addressing a problem. For example, after conducting a thorough literature review [very important!], you discover that little research exists showing the ways in which women contribute to promoting water conservation in rural communities of Uganda. A case study of how women contribute to saving water in a particular village can lay the foundation for understanding the need for more thorough research that documents how women in their roles as cooks and family caregivers think about water as a valuable resource within their community throughout rural regions of east Africa. The case could also point to the need for scholars to apply feminist theories of work and family to the issue of water conservation.

Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. “Building Theories from Case Study Research.” Academy of Management Review 14 (October 1989): 532-550; Emmel, Nick. Sampling and Choosing Cases in Qualitative Research: A Realist Approach . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2013; Gerring, John. “What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?” American Political Science Review 98 (May 2004): 341-354; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Seawright, Jason and John Gerring. "Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research." Political Research Quarterly 61 (June 2008): 294-308.

Structure and Writing Style

The purpose of a paper in the social sciences designed around a case study is to thoroughly investigate a subject of analysis in order to reveal a new understanding about the research problem and, in so doing, contributing new knowledge to what is already known from previous studies. In applied social sciences disciplines [e.g., education, social work, public administration, etc.], case studies may also be used to reveal best practices, highlight key programs, or investigate interesting aspects of professional work. In general, the structure of a case study research paper is not all that different from a standard college-level research paper. However, there are subtle differences you should be aware of. Here are the key elements to organizing and writing a case study research paper.

I.  Introduction

As with any research paper, your introduction should serve as a roadmap for your readers to ascertain the scope and purpose of your study . The introduction to a case study research paper, however, should not only describe the research problem and its significance, but you should also succinctly describe why the case is being used and how it relates to addressing the problem. The two elements should be linked. With this in mind, a good introduction answers these four questions:

  • What was I studying? Describe the research problem and describe the subject of analysis you have chosen to address the problem. Explain how they are linked and what elements of the case will help to expand knowledge and understanding about the problem.
  • Why was this topic important to investigate? Describe the significance of the research problem and state why a case study design and the subject of analysis that the paper is designed around is appropriate in addressing the problem.
  • What did we know about this topic before I did this study? Provide background that helps lead the reader into the more in-depth literature review to follow. If applicable, summarize prior case study research applied to the research problem and why it fails to adequately address the research problem. Describe why your case will be useful. If no prior case studies have been used to address the research problem, explain why you have selected this subject of analysis.
  • How will this study advance new knowledge or new ways of understanding? Explain why your case study will be suitable in helping to expand knowledge and understanding about the research problem.

Each of these questions should be addressed in no more than a few paragraphs. Exceptions to this can be when you are addressing a complex research problem or subject of analysis that requires more in-depth background information.

II.  Literature Review

The literature review for a case study research paper is generally structured the same as it is for any college-level research paper. The difference, however, is that the literature review is focused on providing background information and  enabling historical interpretation of the subject of analysis in relation to the research problem the case is intended to address . This includes synthesizing studies that help to:

  • 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.].
  • Describe the relationship each work has to the others under consideration that informs the reader why this case is applicable . Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using the case to study the research problem and the underlying research questions.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research . Your review should examine any literature that lays a foundation for understanding why your case study design and the subject of analysis around which you have designed your study may reveal a new way of approaching the research problem or offer a perspective that points to the need for additional research.
  • Expose any gaps that exist in the literature that the case study could help to fill . Summarize any literature that not only shows how your subject of analysis contributes to understanding the research problem, but how your case contributes to a new way of understanding the problem that prior research has failed to do.
  • 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.

III.  Method

In this section, you explain why you selected a particular subject of analysis to study and the strategy you used to identify and ultimately decide that your case was appropriate in addressing the research problem. The way you describe the methods used varies depending on the type of subject of analysis that frames your case study.

If your subject of analysis is an incident or event . In the social and behavioral sciences, the event or incident that represents the case to be studied is usually bounded by time and place, with a clear beginning and end and with an identifiable location or position relative to its surroundings. The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on a typical or regular event. The purpose of studying a rare event is to illuminate new ways of thinking about the broader research problem or to test a hypothesis. Critical incident case studies must describe the method by which you identified the event and explain the process by which you determined the validity of this case to inform broader perspectives about the research problem or to reveal new findings. However, the event does not have to be a rare or uniquely significant to support new thinking about the research problem or to challenge an existing hypothesis. For example, Walo, Bull, and Breen conducted a case study to identify and evaluate the direct and indirect economic benefits and costs of a local sports event in the City of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of their study was to provide new insights from measuring the impact of a typical local sports event that prior studies could not measure well because they focused on large "mega-events." Whether the event is rare or not, the methods section should include an explanation of the following characteristics of the event: a) when did it take place; b) what were the underlying circumstances leading to the event; c) what were the consequences of the event.

If your subject of analysis is a person. Explain why you selected this particular individual to be studied and describe what experience he or she has had that provides an opportunity to advance new understandings about the research problem. Mention any background about this person which might help the reader understand the significance of his/her experiences that make them worthy of study. This includes describing the relationships this person has had with other people, institutions, and/or events that support using him or her as the subject for a case study research paper. It is particularly important to differentiate the person as the subject of analysis from others and to succinctly explain how the person relates to examining the research problem.

If your subject of analysis is a place. In general, a case study that investigates a place suggests a subject of analysis that is unique or special in some way and that this uniqueness can be used to build new understanding or knowledge about the research problem. A case study of a place must not only describe its various attributes relevant to the research problem [e.g., physical, social, cultural, economic, political, etc.], but you must state the method by which you determined that this place will illuminate new understandings about the research problem. It is also important to articulate why a particular place as the case for study is being used if similar places also exist [i.e., if you are studying patterns of homeless encampments of veterans in open spaces, why study Echo Park in Los Angeles rather than Griffith Park?]. If applicable, describe what type of human activity involving this place makes it a good choice to study [e.g., prior research reveals Echo Park has more homeless veterans].

If your subject of analysis is a phenomenon. A phenomenon refers to a fact, occurrence, or circumstance that can be studied or observed but with the cause or explanation to be in question. In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass anything that can be observed or presumed to exist but is not fully understood. In the social and behavioral sciences, the case usually focuses on human interaction within a complex physical, social, economic, cultural, or political system. For example, the phenomenon could be the observation that many vehicles used by ISIS fighters are small trucks with English language advertisements on them. The research problem could be that ISIS fighters are difficult to combat because they are highly mobile. The research questions could be how and by what means are these vehicles used by ISIS being supplied to the militants and how might supply lines to these vehicles be cut? How might knowing the suppliers of these trucks from overseas reveal larger networks of collaborators and financial support? A case study of a phenomenon most often encompasses an in-depth analysis of a cause and effect that is grounded in an interactive relationship between people and their environment in some way.

NOTE:   The choice of the case or set of cases to study cannot appear random. Evidence that supports the method by which you identified and chose your subject of analysis should be linked to the findings from the literature review. Be sure to cite any prior studies that helped you determine that the case you chose was appropriate for investigating the research problem.

IV.  Discussion

The main elements of your discussion section are generally the same as any research paper, but centered around interpreting and drawing conclusions about the key findings from your case study. Note that a general social sciences research paper may contain a separate section to report findings. However, in a paper designed around a case study, it is more common to combine a description of the findings with the discussion about their implications. The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:

Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings Briefly reiterate the research problem you are investigating and explain why the subject of analysis around which you designed the case study were used. You should then describe the findings revealed from your study of the case using direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results. Highlight any findings that were unexpected or especially profound.

Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important Systematically explain the meaning of your case study findings and why you believe they are important. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most important or surprising finding first, then systematically review each finding. Be sure to thoroughly extrapolate what your analysis of the case can tell the reader about situations or conditions beyond the actual case that was studied while, at the same time, being careful not to misconstrue or conflate a finding that undermines the external validity of your conclusions.

Relate the Findings to Similar Studies No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should relate your case study results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions raised from prior studies served as the motivation for choosing your subject of analysis. This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps to support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your case study design and the subject of analysis differs from prior research about the topic.

Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings It is important to remember that the purpose of social science research is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations for the case study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. Be alert to what the in-depth analysis of the case may reveal about the research problem, including offering a contrarian perspective to what scholars have stated in prior research.

Acknowledge the Study's Limitations You can state the study's limitations in the conclusion section of your paper but describing the limitations of your subject of analysis in the discussion section provides an opportunity to identify the limitations and explain why they are not significant. This part of the discussion section should also note any unanswered questions or issues your case study could not address. More detailed information about how to document any limitations to your research can be found here .

Suggest Areas for Further Research Although your case study may offer important insights about the research problem, there are likely additional questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or findings that unexpectedly revealed themselves as a result of your in-depth analysis of the case. Be sure that the recommendations for further research are linked to the research problem and that you explain why your recommendations are valid in other contexts and based on the original assumptions of your study.

V.  Conclusion

As with any research paper, you should summarize your conclusion in clear, simple language; emphasize how the findings from your case study differs from or supports prior research and why. Do not simply reiterate the discussion section. Provide a synthesis of key findings presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem. 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 function of your paper's conclusion is to: 1)  restate the main argument supported by the findings from the analysis of your case; 2) clearly state the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem using a case study design in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found from reviewing the literature; and, 3) provide a place for you to persuasively and succinctly restate the significance of your research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with in-depth information about the topic.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is appropriate:

  • If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize these points for your reader.
  • If prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the conclusion of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
  • 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.

Note that, depending on the discipline you are writing in and your professor's preferences, the concluding paragraph may contain your final reflections on the evidence presented applied to practice or on the essay's central research problem. However, the nature of being introspective about the subject of analysis you have investigated will depend on whether you are explicitly asked to express your observations in this way.

Problems to Avoid

Overgeneralization One of the goals of a case study is to lay a foundation for understanding broader trends and issues applied to similar circumstances. However, be careful when drawing conclusions from your case study. They must be evidence-based and grounded in the results of the study; otherwise, it is merely speculation. Looking at a prior example, it would be incorrect to state that a factor in improving girls access to education in Azerbaijan and the policy implications this may have for improving access in other Muslim nations is due to girls access to social media if there is no documentary evidence from your case study to indicate this. There may be anecdotal evidence that retention rates were better for girls who were on social media, but this observation would only point to the need for further research and would not be a definitive finding if this was not a part of your original research agenda.

Failure to Document Limitations No case is going to reveal all that needs to be understood about a research problem. Therefore, just as you have to clearly state the limitations of a general research study , you must describe the specific limitations inherent in the subject of analysis. For example, the case of studying how women conceptualize the need for water conservation in a village in Uganda could have limited application in other cultural contexts or in areas where fresh water from rivers or lakes is plentiful and, therefore, conservation is understood differently than preserving access to a scarce resource.

Failure to Extrapolate All Possible Implications Just as you don't want to over-generalize from your case study findings, you also have to be thorough in the consideration of all possible outcomes or recommendations derived from your findings. If you do not, your reader may question the validity of your analysis, particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research. For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed to take into consideration speed limit signage as well as warning signals. When designing your case study, be sure you have thoroughly addressed all aspects of the problem and do not leave gaps in your analysis.

Case Studies . Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Gerring, John. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007; Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education . Rev. ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998; Miller, Lisa L. “The Use of Case Studies in Law and Social Science Research.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 14 (2018): TBD; Mills, Albert J., Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Putney, LeAnn Grogan. "Case Study." In Encyclopedia of Research Design , Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010), pp. 116-120; Simons, Helen. Case Study Research in Practice . London: SAGE Publications, 2009;  Kratochwill,  Thomas R. and Joel R. Levin, editors. Single-Case Research Design and Analysis: New Development for Psychology and Education .  Hilldsale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992; Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London : SAGE, 2010; Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods . 6th edition. Los Angeles, CA, SAGE Publications, 2014; Walo, Maree, Adrian Bull, and Helen Breen. “Achieving Economic Benefits at Local Events: A Case Study of a Local Sports Event.” Festival Management and Event Tourism 4 (1996): 95-106.

Writing Tip

At Least Five Misconceptions about Case Study Research

Social science case studies are often perceived as limited in their ability to create new knowledge because they are not randomly selected and findings cannot be generalized to larger populations. Flyvbjerg examines five misunderstandings about case study research and systematically "corrects" each one. To quote, these are:

Misunderstanding 1 :  General, theoretical [context-independent knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical (context-dependent) knowledge. Misunderstanding 2 :  One cannot generalize on the basis of an individual case; therefore, the case study cannot contribute to scientific development. Misunderstanding 3 :  The case study is most useful for generating hypotheses; that is, in the first stage of a total research process, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building. Misunderstanding 4 :  The case study contains a bias toward verification, that is, a tendency to confirm the researcher’s preconceived notions. Misunderstanding 5 :  It is often difficult to summarize and develop general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case studies [p. 221].

While writing your paper, think introspectively about how you addressed these misconceptions because to do so can help you strengthen the validity and reliability of your research by clarifying issues of case selection, the testing and challenging of existing assumptions, the interpretation of key findings, and the summation of case outcomes. Think of a case study research paper as a complete, in-depth narrative about the specific properties and key characteristics of your subject of analysis applied to the research problem.

Flyvbjerg, Bent. “Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research.” Qualitative Inquiry 12 (April 2006): 219-245.

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Kranz AM, Dworsky M, Ryan J, et al.; RAND Health Care. State All Payer Claims Databases: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Multi-State Studies [Internet]. Washington (DC): Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); 2023 Oct.

Cover of State All Payer Claims Databases: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Multi-State Studies

State All Payer Claims Databases: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Multi-State Studies [Internet].

Chapter 1 introduction.

All payer claims databases (APCDs) collect data on health insurance enrollment and claims across public and private insurance plans within a single state. Today, 25 states have a mandatory APCD currently operating or in implementation (APCD Council, undated-b). Creation of APCDs has been motivated by a wide variety of goals, including improving the health of the population, reducing or controlling the growth of costs, and promoting price transparency ( McCarthy, 2020 ).

State APCDs have already been used to support a wide range of policymaking and operational activities in line with the objectives envisioned by state legislatures that established APCDs. Some examples include informing legislation on surprise billing and prescription drug prices, monitoring network adequacy, providing consumers with price transparency information, understanding population health, and evaluating the impacts of state policy and reforms ( Carman et al., 2022 ).

State APCDs offer an opportunity to support patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR), which can be defined as follows:

Patient-centered outcomes research aims to generate high-quality evidence about the effectiveness of treatments, services, and other health care interventions on the full range of outcomes that patients, caregivers, clinicians, policymakers, and other stakeholders have identified as important. ( Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation [ASPE], 2022 )
  • Data Capacity for National Health Priorities: Build data capacity for patient-centered outcomes research that informs the needs of federal health programs, providers, and the people served by these programs.
  • Data Standards and Linkages for Longitudinal Research: Expand longitudinal data resources that enable patient-centered outcomes research to advance evidence generation.
  • Technology Solutions to Advance Research: Leverage leading technology solutions to improve data capacity for patient-centered outcomes and comparative clinical effectiveness research.
  • Person-Centeredness, Inclusion, and Equity: Expand the collection and analysis of socioeconomic, environmental, and other data so all people making health care decisions have the evidence they value about the outcomes and effectiveness of health care. (ASPE, 2022)

Many of the goals cited by states for establishing APCDs are connected to patient outcomes, such as improving population health and providing quality and price information to inform patients’ choice of providers.

However, limitations of existing state APCDs have been extensively documented. Readers interested in an overview should consult Miller et al. (2010) and Carman et al. (2022) . These limitations include the payers and populations captured (or not captured) and the completeness of data elements that are submitted.

The state-by-state nature of the APCD landscape also means that research and analyses using APCD data often include only single-state data. While single state analyses are useful for many applications (and may be preferable for some applications because of differences in states’ health care systems and policy environments), there are also numerous use cases in which cross-state comparisons or multi-state analyses that pool data from multiple state APCDs could offer advantages. Key examples include research on statewide policy changes (which may require data from another state to provide a suitable comparison group) and research on population subgroups and rare conditions (which may require multi-state data to obtain a sufficiently large sample).

Addressing limitations of existing APCDs, which arise from a variety of sources, could increase the utility of APCDs for policymakers, researchers who focus on patient-centered outcomes and other topics, and public health. As noted in the OS-PCORTF strategic plan, further development of APCDs, including a database combining multiple existing state APCDs, could build and strengthen longitudinal data capacity by providing information on patients’ health care utilization and outcomes over time, across geographic boundaries, and across multiple care settings (ASPE, 2022).

  • Objectives and Approach
  • a series of semistructured individual and group discussions with stakeholders
  • preparation of a draft common data application that could potentially be used to request APCD data from multiple states
  • creation of research plans for two use cases involving multiple state APCDs.

Stakeholder Discussions

Individual and group discussions with stakeholders were held in the spring and summer of 2023. Table 1.1 summarizes the topics and number of participants by stakeholder group and discussion modality. This report describes findings from those discussions.

Overview of Stakeholder Discussions and Major Topics.

For this project, we reached out to a small group of state APCD leaders willing to participate. States recruited for this project had long-standing APCDs, contributed to a geographically diverse sample, and were deemed likely to participate given their engagement with previous ASPE-supported studies on APCDs or participation in other multi-state initiatives. This outreach began with a set of one-hour semistructured discussions with leaders from six state APCDs: Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia. These discussions were conducted separately with individual state representatives.

We then facilitated two one-hour group discussions on the topic of linking APCD data to additional data sources, such as vital records, hospital discharge data, and cancer registries. Each group discussion included representatives from two or three of the states that participated in the initial discussions, for a total of five states. State participants included state APCD leaders and/or state experts in linking APCD data.

In addition, we conducted one-hour semistructured discussions with two additional stakeholder groups: (1) data vendors that provide services to state APCDs and (2) independent researchers from academic and nonprofit organizations who have conducted research using multiple state APCDs. Data vendors were identified via suggestions from state APCDs and a recent report ( McAvey, 2022 ). Researchers, all from universities and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations, were identified based on suggestions from state APCDs and a review of the annotated bibliography of a recent literature review focused on studies using data from more than one APCD ( Carman et al., 2022 ). Invitations were extended to four data vendors and five researchers; discussions were completed with three data vendors and four researchers. The discussion guides used in this project are included in Appendix A in this report.

All discussions were conducted virtually as one-hour video meetings on Microsoft Teams. Participants were not paid. Discussions were led by a member of the project team, with a second team member taking contemporaneous notes. After finalizing the notes, we reviewed these notes and summarized key themes that emerged across the discussions.

This project was determined to be exempt from further human subjects review by the RAND Human Subjects Protection Committee.

Example Multi-State Use Cases and Prototype Common Data Application

Concurrently with the stakeholder outreach described above, we produced three documents requested by ASPE, which are included as appendixes in this report.

Example Use Cases: Insulin Out-of-Pocket Costs and Long COVID

To help illustrate the value of multi-state APCD use cases, two preliminary research use cases were developed: one for a multi-state analysis of OOP costs paid by insulin users and another for a multi-state analysis of health care costs attributable to long coronavirus disease (COVID). Without confining the analysis to any specific set of states, we identified a set of research questions of potential interest to policymakers and that could be addressed through a one-year study using APCD data. We then developed a research plan for addressing the questions identified in each use case, including a definition of the study population, high-level definitions of key measures in terms of data elements captured in APCDs, a plan for the analysis (including illustrative table shells), and a discussion of study limitations and other interpretive considerations. Finally, noting that neither example use case fully specifies all the procedures and choices that would be needed to implement these analyses, we discuss additional steps that would be necessary to execute each use case. In the insulin use case, for example, we identify resources to identify insulin prescriptions using National Drug Codes (NDCs), but we do not include the code lists necessary to implement the study.

Both use cases offer guidance on two possible approaches to a multi-state study. First, we describe a possible study approach that could be implemented in a single state alone as an initial step toward a multi-state analysis. For these analyses, a multi-state research plan would promote comparability of findings across states by supporting standardization of data processing, selection of the population of interest, measure definition, and analytic methods—steps that are necessary but not sufficient to allow meaningful cross-state comparisons. Second, we discuss research questions of potential interest (such as comparisons of state-average outcome measures) that could only be addressed using multi-state data. Our intent in describing these multi-state use cases is to illustrate the potential value of multi-state APCD use cases while also surfacing challenges to the execution and interpretability of such studies.

Example use cases were circulated to state partners for written feedback. Revisions motivated by the states’ feedback were incorporated into the example use cases included in the appendix, and we discuss state perspectives on the value of these example use cases and other possible multi-state applications of APCD data in Chapter 2 .

Prototype Common Data Application

A prototype common application was constructed that could potentially be used by researchers or other data users to request data from multiple states. We developed this prototype by reviewing elements that appear in the existing APCD data applications from the six states that participated in the project, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) purchase request, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Research Data Assistance Center’s (ResDAC’s) data application, and conversations with key stakeholders. The resulting application includes data items common to the participating states and captures common themes observed across data applications.

The exercise of developing a prototype common data application yielded insights about areas of convergence and divergence across states with respect to the information requested in their application forms. These findings are presented as inline annotations in the prototype common data application included in the appendix of this report. While discussing barriers to and potential facilitators of multi-state APCD applications, we asked states for their perspectives on the value of a common data application.

  • Organization of This Report

The body of this report is organized thematically into two chapters that synthesize findings from the discussions. In Chapter 2 , we present findings on the suitability of currently existing APCDs for patient-centered outcomes research and discuss options for improving on existing APCD data, including challenges and strategies related to missing data and missing populations. In Chapter 3 , we present findings on multi-state uses of APCDs and discuss state and other stakeholder perspectives about current uses of multi-state APCD data, the potential value of multi-state APCD data, barriers to using multi-state APCD data, and strategies for facilitating multi-state APCD use cases. In Chapter 4 , we conclude with a recap of high-level findings regarding expanded use of APCDs for patient-centered outcomes research and multi-state analyses, focusing on issues and possible actions identified by stakeholders.

In this report, we use the acronym PCOR only when “patient-centered outcomes research” is used as a modifier, as in “PCOR studies.”

  • Cite this Page Kranz AM, Dworsky M, Ryan J, et al.; RAND Health Care. State All Payer Claims Databases: Identifying Challenges and Opportunities for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research and Multi-State Studies [Internet]. Washington (DC): Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE); 2023 Oct. Chapter 1, Introduction.
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example research title of case study

OPWNAI : Cybercriminals Starting to Use ChatGPT

Introduction

At the end of November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, the new interface for its Large Language Model (LLM), which instantly created a flurry of interest in AI and its possible uses.  However, ChatGPT has also added some spice to the modern cyber threat landscape as it quickly became apparent that code generation can help less-skilled threat actors effortlessly launch cyberattacks.

In Check Point Research’s (CPR) previous blog , we described how ChatGPT successfully conducted a full infection flow, from creating a convincing spear-phishing email to running a reverse shell, capable of accepting commands in English. The question at hand is whether this is just a hypothetical threat or if there are already threat actors using OpenAI technologies for malicious purposes.

CPR’s analysis of several major underground hacking communities shows that there are already first instances of cybercriminals using OpenAI to develop malicious tools. As we suspected, some of the cases clearly showed that many cybercriminals using OpenAI have no development skills at all. Although the tools that we present in this report are pretty basic, it’s only a matter of time until more sophisticated threat actors enhance the way they use AI-based tools for bad.

Case 1 – Creating Infostealer

On December 29, 2022, a thread named “ChatGPT – Benefits of Malware” appeared on a popular underground hacking forum. The publisher of the thread disclosed that he was experimenting with ChatGPT to recreate malware strains and techniques described in research publications and write-ups about common malware. As an example, he shared the code of a Python-based stealer that searches for common file types, copies them to a random folder inside the Temp folder, ZIPs them and uploads them to a hardcoded FTP server.

example research title of case study

Figure 1 –Cybercriminal showing how he created infostealer using ChatGPT

Our analysis of the script confirms the cybercriminal’s claims. This is indeed a basic stealer which searches for 12 common file types (such as MS Office documents, PDFs, and images) across the system. If any files of interest are found, the malware copies the files to a temporary directory, zips them, and sends them over the web. It is worth noting that the actor didn’t bother encrypting or sending the files securely, so the files might end up in the hands of 3rd parties as well.

The second sample this actor created using ChatGPT is a simple Java snippet. It downloads PuTTY, a very common SSH and telnet client, and runs it covertly on the system using Powershell. This script can of course be modified to download and run any program, including common malware families.

example research title of case study

            Figure 2 –Proof of how he created Java program that downloads PuTTY and runs it using Powershell

This threat actor’s prior forum participation includes sharing several scripts like automation of the post-exploitation phase, and a C++ program that attempts to phish for user credentials. In addition, he actively shares cracked versions of SpyNote, an Android RAT malware. So overall, this individual seems to be a tech-oriented threat actor, and the purpose of his posts is to show less technically capable cybercriminals how to utilize ChatGPT for malicious purposes, with real examples they can immediately use.

Case 2 – Creating an Encryption Tool

On December 21, 2022, a threat actor dubbed USDoD  posted a Python script, which he emphasized was the first script he ever created.

example research title of case study

Figure 3 –Cybercriminal dubbed USDoD posts multi-layer encryption tool

When another cybercriminal commented that the style of the code resembles openAI code,  USDoD confirmed that the OpenAI gave him a “nice [helping] hand to finish the script with a nice scope.”

example research title of case study

Figure 4 –Confirmation that the multi-layer encryption tool was created using Open AI

Our analysis of the script verified that it is a Python script that performs cryptographic operations. To be more specific, it is actually a hodgepodge of different signing, encryption and decryption functions. At first glance, the script seems benign, but it implements a variety of different functions:

  • The first part of the script generates a cryptographic key (specifically uses elliptic curve cryptography and the curve ed25519), that is used in signing files.
  • The second part of the script includes functions that use a hard-coded password to encrypt files in the system using the Blowfish and Twofish algorithms concurrently in a hybrid mode. These functions allow the user to encrypt all files in a specific directory or a list of files.
  • The script also uses RSA keys, uses certificates stored in PEM format, MAC signing, and blake2 hash function to compare the hashes etc.

It is important to note that all the decryption counterparts of the encryption functions are implemented in the script as well. The script includes two main functions; one which is used to encrypt a single file and append a message authentication code (MAC) to the end of the file and the other encrypts a hardcoded path and decrypts a list of files that it receives as an argument.

All of the afore-mentioned code can of course be used in a benign fashion. However, this script can easily be modified to encrypt someone’s machine completely without any user interaction. For example, it can potentially turn the code into ransomware if the script and syntax problems are fixed.

While it seems that UsDoD is not a developer and has limited technical skills, he is a very active and reputable member of the underground community. UsDoD is engaged in a variety of illicit activities that includes selling access to compromised companies and stolen databases. A notable stolen database USDoD shared recently was allegedly the leaked InfraGard database.

example research title of case study

Figure 5 –USDoD previous illicit activity that involved publication of InfraGard Database

Case 3 – Facilitating ChatGPT for Fraud Activity

Another example of the use of ChatGPT for fraudulent activity was posted on New Year’s Eve of 2022, and it demonstrated a different type of cybercriminal activity. While our first two examples focused more on malware-oriented use of ChatGPT, this example shows a discussion with the title “Abusing ChatGPT to create Dark Web Marketplaces scripts.” In this thread, the cybercriminal shows how easy it is to create a Dark Web marketplace, using ChatGPT. The marketplace’s main role in the underground illicit economy is to provide a platform for the automated trade of illegal or stolen goods like stolen accounts or payment cards, malware, or even drugs and ammunition, with all payments in cryptocurrencies. To illustrate how to use ChatGPT for these purposes, the cybercriminal published a piece of code that uses third-party API to get up-to-date cryptocurrency (Monero, Bitcoin and Etherium) prices as part of the Dark Web market payment system.

example research title of case study

Figure 6 –Threat actor using ChatGPT to create DarkWeb Market scripts

At the beginning of 2023, several threat actors opened discussions in additional underground forums that focused on how to use ChatGPT for fraudulent schemes. Most of these focused on generating random art with another OpenAI technology (DALLE2) and selling them online using legitimate platforms like Etsy. In another example, the threat actor explains how to generate an e-book or short chapter for a specific topic (using ChatGPT) and sells this content online.

example research title of case study

Figure 7 –Multiple threads in the underground forums on how to use ChatGPT for fraud activity

It’s still too early to decide whether or not ChatGPT capabilities will become the new favorite tool for participants in the Dark Web. However, the cybercriminal community has already shown significant interest and are jumping into this latest trend to generate malicious code. CPR will continue to track this activity throughout 2023.

Finally, there is no better way to learn about ChatGPT abuse than by asking ChatGPT itself. So we asked the chatbot about the abuse options and received a pretty interesting answer:

example research title of case study

Figure 8 –ChatGPT response about how threat actors abuse openAI

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    example research title of case study

  4. How to Create a Case Study + 14 Case Study Templates

    example research title of case study

  5. sample case study title

    example research title of case study

  6. Case Study Analysis Title Page

    example research title of case study

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  1. What is a Case Study in Research

  2. How to make research title #research #thesis #researchtips #rrl #philippines

  3. Part 1 Quantitative Research Titles for Elementary Education

  4. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH WRITING: TITLE DEFENSE BY GRADE 11 STUDENTS

  5. Part 5 Quantitative Research Titles for Elementary Education

  6. When Should You Use a Case Study in Your Research?

COMMENTS

  1. 120 Case Study Topics For College Students

    Although the majority of academic definitions of case study talk about some process or research work related to the development of a particular person, group of people, or events over a period of time, types of case studies also involve specific analysis to identify problems and find the outcomes. Therefore, the majority of case study topics already include some challenge or an assumption that ...

  2. Case study titles and abstracts

    Abstract. Data from over 250 academic sources was aggregated in the form of a database and used to inform future design of self-compacting concrete. This large-scale study allowed researchers to precisely describe the differences between self-compacting concrete and "traditional" vibrated concrete. Keywords.

  3. How to Use Case Studies in Research: Guide and Examples

    1. Select a case. Once you identify the problem at hand and come up with questions, identify the case you will focus on. The study can provide insights into the subject at hand, challenge existing assumptions, propose a course of action, and/or open up new areas for further research. 2.

  4. Case Study

    A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation. It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied.

  5. What Is a Case Study?

    Case studies are good for describing, comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem. Table of contents. When to do a case study. Step 1: Select a case. Step 2: Build a theoretical framework. Step 3: Collect your data. Step 4: Describe and analyze the case.

  6. How to Make a Research Paper Title with Examples

    Step 4: Create a working research paper title. To create a working title, remove elements that make it a complete "sentence" but keep everything that is important to what the study is about. Delete all unnecessary and redundant words that are not central to the study or that researchers would most likely not use in a database search.

  7. Case Study Methods and Examples

    The purpose of case study research is twofold: (1) to provide descriptive information and (2) to suggest theoretical relevance. Rich description enables an in-depth or sharpened understanding of the case. It is unique given one characteristic: case studies draw from more than one data source. Case studies are inherently multimodal or mixed ...

  8. What is a Case Study?

    Case studies play a significant role in knowledge development across various disciplines. Analysis of cases provides an avenue for researchers to explore phenomena within their context based on the collected data. Analysis of qualitative data from case study research can contribute to knowledge development.

  9. Case Study

    A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organisation, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research. A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are sometimes also used.

  10. Writing a Case Study

    The purpose of a paper in the social sciences designed around a case study is to thoroughly investigate a subject of analysis in order to reveal a new understanding about the research problem and, in so doing, contributing new knowledge to what is already known from previous studies. In applied social sciences disciplines [e.g., education, social work, public administration, etc.], case ...

  11. Case Study Topics: 145 Inspiration Ideas

    Navigate the complexities of human rights with these compelling case study ideas. From the examination of global human rights challenges to the role of international organizations, these topics offer a nuanced perspective on the pursuit of justice. Analyzing the impact of human rights violations in conflict zones.

  12. Case Study Title Generator for Essays & Research Papers

    How to Make a Case Study Title. You should focus on the best practices and recommendations of professional publications' editors when composing your title: Mention that your study is a "case study" in the title so that the reader understands your research type at once. Use a specific title; your title should always reveal the gist of your study.

  13. Case Study Methodology of Qualitative Research: Key Attributes and

    A case study is one of the most commonly used methodologies of social research. This article attempts to look into the various dimensions of a case study research strategy, the different epistemological strands which determine the particular case study type and approach adopted in the field, discusses the factors which can enhance the effectiveness of a case study research, and the debate ...

  14. 16 case study examples [+ 3 templates]

    For example, the case study quotes the social media manager and project manager's insights regarding team-wide communication and access before explaining in greater detail. Takeaway: Highlight pain points your business solves for its client, and explore that influence in greater detail. 3. EndeavourX and Figma.

  15. Case Study Method: A Step-by-Step Guide for Business Researchers

    Although case studies have been discussed extensively in the literature, little has been written about the specific steps one may use to conduct case study research effectively (Gagnon, 2010; Hancock & Algozzine, 2016).Baskarada (2014) also emphasized the need to have a succinct guideline that can be practically followed as it is actually tough to execute a case study well in practice.

  16. 28+ Case Study Examples

    Below are some case study examples in research, suitable for students: Example of Case Study Suitable for Students. Title: Energy Efficiency Upgrade: A Case Study of GreenTech Office. Introduction: GreenTech Office embarked on an energy efficiency upgrade to reduce its environmental impact.

  17. How to Write a Case Study: from Outline to Examples

    1. Draft Structure. 🖋️ Your draft should contain at least 4 sections: an introduction; a body where you should include background information, an explanation of why you decided to do this case study, and a presentation of your main findings; a conclusion where you present data; and references. 2. Introduction.

  18. 15 Real-Life Case Study Examples & Best Practices

    To ensure you're making the most of your case studies, we've put together 15 real-life case study examples to inspire you. These examples span a variety of industries and formats. We've also included best practices, design tips and templates to inspire you. Let's dive in!

  19. 27 Case Study Examples Every Marketer Should See

    19. " Bringing an Operator to the Game ," by Redapt. This case study example by Redapt is another great demonstration of the power of summarizing your case study's takeaways right at the start of the study. Redapt includes three easy-to-scan columns: "The problem," "the solution," and "the outcome.".

  20. Case Study Research Topics

    Case Study Research Title Examples for Students: 2024 & Beyond. Above are the critical aspects of choosing a topic and now below is a list of exciting research topic areas that cut across various disciplines. Depending on the area of interest or your specialization, ...

  21. List of case study titles

    The case studies featured on this website were written by a range of authors for the Leverhulme Trust-funded East India Company at Home project, which ran from September 2011 to August 2014.Family and local historians, academics, curators, heritage sector professionals, PhD students, undergraduate students and even a retired civil engineer all contributed to research, bringing different ...

  22. What Is a Case Study? How to Write, Examples, and Template

    Case study examples. Case studies are proven marketing strategies in a wide variety of B2B industries. Here are just a few examples of a case study: Amazon Web Services, Inc. provides companies with cloud computing platforms and APIs on a metered, pay-as-you-go basis. This case study example illustrates the benefits Thomson Reuters experienced ...

  23. Case Study Thesis Statement

    Case Study Thesis Statement Example for Research Paper. Case Study for research paper thesis statement serves as a central hypothesis or primary insight derived from the chosen case. It succinctly captures the essence of the research findings and the implications they might hold, offering a foundation upon which the paper's arguments and ...

  24. The economic impact of the Olympics

    Los Angeles was a case study for a profitable, successful sports event. The city made $5.2 billion in profit, Ruth notes, but what set that competition apart was the high quality of existing infrastructure, including transportation systems, sporting arenas, hospitality services, all of the dozens of different functions that have to come ...

  25. Writing a Case Study

    Choosing a Title ; Making an Outline ; Paragraph Development ; 3. The Abstract Toggle Dropdown. ... particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research. For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed ...

  26. Introduction

    All payer claims databases (APCDs) collect data on health insurance enrollment and claims across public and private insurance plans within a single state. Today, 25 states have a mandatory APCD currently operating or in implementation (APCD Council, undated-b). Creation of APCDs has been motivated by a wide variety of goals, including improving the health of the population, reducing or ...

  27. OPWNAI : Cybercriminals Starting to Use ChatGPT

    Case 1 - Creating Infostealer. On December 29, 2022, a thread named "ChatGPT - Benefits of Malware" appeared on a popular underground hacking forum. The publisher of the thread disclosed that he was experimenting with ChatGPT to recreate malware strains and techniques described in research publications and write-ups about common malware.