A discussion-based case study is an education tool to facilitate learning about, and analysis of, a real-world situation.
A case study provides a well-researched and compelling narrative about an individual, or a group of people, that needs to make a decision in an organisational setting.
The case study narrative includes relevant information about the situation, and gives multiple perspectives on the problem or decision that needs to be taken, but does not provide analysis, conclusions, or a solution.
Read about getting ready to publish and visit the Emerald Cases Hub for courses and guides on writing case studies and teaching notes.
Teaching cases expose students to real-world business dilemmas in different cultural contexts.
Students are expected to read the case study and prepare an argument about the most appropriate course of action or recommendation, which can be debated in a facilitated case study class session, or documented in a case study assignment or examination.
A case teaching note, containing recent and relevant theoretical and managerial frameworks, will be published alongside the teaching case, and can be used to demonstrate the links between course content and the case situation to support teaching of the case method.
Teaching case studies have a distinctive literary style: they are written in the third person, in the past tense, and establish an objectivity of core dilemmas in the case.
We have gathered some top tips for you to think about as your write your case study.
Collect information
Cases can be based on primary or secondary data; however, carrying out interviews with the protagonist and others in the organisation, where possible, often results in a better and more balanced case study.
Make sure that you have all the materials you will need before you start the writing process. This will speed up the actual process. Most case studies have a mixture of primary and secondary sources to help capture the spirit of the protagonist.
Structure the narrative
Tell the story in chronological order and in the past tense. Identify and establish the central protagonist and their dilemma in the first paragraph and summarise the dilemma again at the end of the case.
Develop the protagonist
Ensure the protagonist is a well-developed character and that students can identify with their motivations throughout the case.
Get permission
When you submit your case study and teaching note, you must include signed permission from the relevant protagonist or company featured in the case and for any material for which you don’t own the copyright.
Be clear on your teaching objective
The case method offers a variety of class participation methods, such as discussion, role-play, presentation, or examination. Decide which method best suits the case you want to write.
Identify case lead author
You might want to consider writing your case study in partnership with colleagues. However, if you are writing a case with other people you need to make sure that the case reads as one voice.
You do not have to share the work evenly. Instead, play to your individual strengths: one author might be better at data analysis, one a better writer. Agree and clarify the order of appearance of authors. This is very important since this cannot be changed after publication.
Write a thorough teaching note
A well-written case study needs an equally well-written teaching note to allow instructors to adopt the case without the need for additional research. The standard teaching note provides key materials such as learning objectives, sample questions and answers, and more. See 'What to include in your teaching note' to produce effective teaching note for your case.
Writing a teaching case requires a distinctive literary style; it should be written in the third person, in the past tense, and establish objectivity of the core dilemmas in the case.
To begin with, a case has to have a hook: an overriding issue that pulls various parts together, a managerial issue or decision that requires urgent attention.
The trick is to present the story so that the hook is not immediately apparent but ‘discovered’ by students putting the relevant pieces together. More importantly, the hook must be linked to a particular concept, theory, or methodology.
A teaching case reflects the ambiguity of the situation and need not have a single outcome, as the intent is to create a dialogue with students, encourage critical thinking and research, and evaluate recommendations.
Research cases are a methodology used to support research findings and add to the body of theoretical knowledge, and as such are more academically-focused and evidence-based.
How to write & structure a case
The opening paragraph should make clear:
The body of the case should:
The concluding paragraph should:
Before you start, choose where to publish your case study and familiarise yourself with the style and formatting requirements.
Read about getting ready to publish and visit the Emerald Cases Hub for courses and guides on writing case studies and teaching notes.
Provide a brief summary (approximately 150-200 words) describing the case setting and key issues. Include:
Clearly identify the appropriate audience for the case (e.g., undergraduate, graduate, or both). Consider:
If there are multiple target audiences, discuss different teaching strategies.
Top tip: remember that the deciding factor for most instructors looking to find a case for their classroom is relevancy. Working with a specific audience in mind and sharing guidance on case usage helps develop the applicability of your case.
Set a minimum of one objective for a compact case study and three to four for a longer case. Your objectives should be specific and reflective of the courses you suggest your case be taught in. Make it clear what students can expect to learn from reading the case.
Top tip: Good learning objectives should cover not only basic understanding of the context and issues presented in the case, but also include a few more advanced goals such as analysis and evaluation of the case dilemma.
Outline the types of data used to develop the case, how this data was gathered, and whether any names/details/etc. within the case have been disguised. Please note that you will need to obtain consent from the case protagonist/organisation if primary data has been used. Cases based on secondary data (i.e., any information that is publicly available) are not required to obtain consent.
Provide a breakdown of the classroom discussion time into sections. Include a brief description of the opening and closing 10-15 minutes, as well as challenging case discussion questions with comprehensive sample answers.
Provide instructors a detailed breakdown of how you would teach the case in 90 minutes. Include:
Include a set of challenging assignment questions that align with the teaching objectives and relate to the dilemma being faced in the case.
Successful cases will provide:
Successful sample answers should:
Supporting materials can include any additional information or resources that supplement the experience of using your case. Examples of these materials include such as worksheets, videos, reading lists, reference materials, etc. If you are including classroom activities as part of your teaching note, please provide detailed instructions on how to direct these activities.
When you have finished writing your case study and teaching note, test them!
Try them out in class to see if students have enough information to thoughtfully address the case dilemma, if the teaching note supports an engaged class discussion, and if the teaching note assignments/lesson plan timing are appropriate. Revise as needed based on the class experience before submitting.
Our short PDF guide will give you advice on writing your teaching note, what you should include and our top tips to creating an effective teaching note.
