how to do a case study on yourself

In terms of the interview structure, I recommend categorizing the questions in a way that the answers flow into six specific sections that will mirror a successful case study format. Combined, they'll allow you to gather enough information to put together a rich, comprehensive study.

Open with the customer's business.

The goal of this section is to generate a better understanding of the company's current challenges and goals, plus how they fit into the landscape of their industry. Sample questions might include:

• How long have you been in business?
• How many employees do you have?
• What are some of the objectives of your department at this time?

Cite a problem or pain point.

To tell a compelling story, you need context that helps match the customer's needs with your solution. Sample questions might include:

• What challenges and objectives led you to look for a solution?
• What might have happened if you did not identify a solution?
• Did you explore other solutions before this that did not work out? If so, what happened?

Discuss the decision process.

Exploring how the customer decided to work with you helps to guide potential customers through their own decision-making processes.

Sample questions might include:

• How did you hear about our product or service?
• Who was involved in the selection process?
• What was most important to you when evaluating your options?

Explain how a solution was implemented.

The focus here should be placed on the customer's experience during the onboarding process. Sample questions might include:

• How long did it take to get up and running?
• Did that meet your expectations?
• Who was involved in the process?

Explain how the solution works.

The goal of this section is to better understand how the customer is using your product or service. Sample questions might include:

• Is there a particular aspect of the product or service that you rely on most?
• Who is using the product or service?

End with the results.

In this section, you want to uncover impressive measurable outcomes — the more numbers, the better. Sample questions might include:

• How is the product or service helping you save time and increase productivity?
• In what ways does that enhance your competitive advantage?
• How much have you increased metrics X, Y, and Z?

It’s a smart idea to send a copy of your interview questions to your subject ahead of time so they can prepare strong answers and collect the numerical data you need from them.

10. Lay out your case study format.

When it comes time to take all of the information you‘ve collected and actually turn it into something useful, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. I always do, but I also know that it works out in the end, so I just jump on in and work it through.

So where should you start? What should you include? What's the best way to structure it?

It‘s important to first understand that there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the ways you can present a case study.

They can be very visual, which you’ll see in some of the examples we've included below, and can sometimes be communicated through video or photos with a bit of accompanying text.

Here are the sections I’d suggest, and I'll cover these in more detail after #11 below:

• Title. Keep it short. Develop a succinct but interesting project name you can give the work you did with your subject.
• Subtitle. Use this copy to briefly elaborate on the accomplishment. What was done? The case study itself will explain how you got there.
• Executive Summary . A 2-4 sentence summary of the entire story. You'll want to follow it with 2-3 bullet points that display metrics showcasing success.
• About the Subject. An introduction to the person or company you served, which can be pulled from a LinkedIn Business profile or client website.
• Challenges and Objectives. A 2-3 paragraph description of the customer's challenges, before using your product or service. This section should also include the goals or objectives the customer set out to achieve.
• How Product/Service Helped. A 2-3 paragraph section that describes how your product or service provided a solution to their problem.
• Results. A 2-3 paragraph testimonial that proves how your product or service specifically benefited the person or company and helped achieve its goals. Include numbers to quantify your contributions.
• Supporting Visuals or Quotes. Pick one or two powerful quotes that you would feature at the bottom of the sections above, as well as a visual that supports the story you are telling.
• Future Plans. Everyone likes an epilogue. Comment on what's ahead for your case study subject, whether or not those plans involve you.
• Call-to-Action (CTA). Not every case study needs a CTA, but putting a passive one at the end of your case study can encourage your readers to take an action on your website after learning about the work you've done.

When laying out your case study, focus on conveying the information you've gathered in the most clear and concise way possible.

Make it easy to scan and comprehend, and be sure to provide an attractive call-to-action at the bottom — that should provide readers an opportunity to learn more about your product or service.

11. Publish and promote your case study.

Once you‘ve completed your case study, it’s time to publish and promote it.

Some case study formats have pretty obvious promotional outlets — a video case study can go on YouTube, just as an infographic case study can go on Pinterest.

But there are still other ways to publish and promote your case study. Here are a couple of ideas.

Lead Gen in a Blog Post

As stated earlier, written case studies make terrific lead-generators if you convert them into a downloadable format, like a PDF.

To generate leads from your case study, consider writing a blog post that tells an abbreviated story of your client‘s success and asking readers to fill out a form with their name and email address if they’d like to read the rest in your PDF.

Then, promote this blog post on social media, through a Facebook post or a tweet.

Published as a Page on Your Website

As a growing business, you might need to display your case study out in the open to gain the trust of your target audience.

Rather than gating it behind a landing page, publish your case study to its own page on your website, and direct people to it from your homepage with a “Case Studies” or “Testimonials” button along your homepage's top navigation bar.

The traditional case study format includes the following parts: a title and subtitle, a client profile, a summary of the customer’s challenges and objectives, an account of how your solution helped, and a description of the results. You might also want to include supporting visuals and quotes, future plans, and calls-to-action.

27 Case Study Examples Every Marketer Should See

7 Pieces of Content Your Audience Really Wants to See [New Data]

How to Market an Ebook: 21 Ways to Promote Your Content Offers

How to Write a Listicle [+ Examples and Ideas]

What Is a White Paper? [FAQs]

What is an Advertorial? 8 Examples to Help You Write One

How to Create Marketing Offers That Don't Fall Flat

20 Creative Ways To Repurpose Content

16 Important Ways to Use Case Studies in Your Marketing

11 Ways to Make Your Blog Post Interactive

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

Marketing software that helps you drive revenue, save time and resources, and measure and optimize your investments — all on one easy-to-use platform

Access all the online resources you need for success in your case and fit interviews.

Build a successful application with our step-by-step resume advice videos, examples, and templates.

• Resources home
• Applications
• Interview tips
• Management consulting industry guide
• Top routes for joining McKinsey, BCG and Bain in 2023
• The top-10 management consulting firms

How to practice case interviews alone

• Tips for last-minute case interview prep

Thank you for your review!

Free interview prep material in your inbox

WHAT'S INCLUDED?

You're subscribed!

What’s included?

28 emails packed with tips. 8 full cases with solutions (incl. FlashFash). Plus sample case and fit interview videos.

Nothing can beat practicing live cases with a partner. In fact, most candidates who go on to receive an offer from a top consulting firm like McKinsey, BCG or Bain complete at least 25 live practice sessions before their interview. However, there are certain skills you can practice alone to supplement your live case practice and give your preparations a boost. Here, we explain how to do this effectively.

Practice specific skills with drills

Drills are interactive exercises that pose rapid-fire questions and then provide instant feedback. They help you build your skills and confidence in specific case dimensions quickly, allowing you to make the most of the time you spend practicing live cases with partners. Our Interview Prep Course includes comprehensive sets of drills that cover four key areas: structuring, calculation, case math and chart interpretation.

Structuring

Developing effective case structures is a critical skill for success in case interviews. The former McKinsey consultants in our team at CaseCoach made structuring practice a regular habit as part of their interview preparations. In the two weeks leading up to their interviews, they spent 20-30 minutes every day reviewing case questions, developing structures for them and then evaluating their effectiveness.

Our structuring drills help you to build this kind of practice into your own preparations. The exercises include scope for posing clarifying questions and provide multiple solutions to each problem to illustrate the diversity of thinking that you can apply.

Calculations

Case interviews require candidates to demonstrate only a high school level of math skills. However, with no calculators allowed and an interviewer looking over their shoulder, many people find this aspect of the interview challenging.

If you’re not 100% confident that you can divide two numbers, simplify fractions or multiply percentages on paper, it’s a very good idea to do some practice as part of your case interview preparations. Our calculation drills help you brush up your skills across a wide range of mathematical operations under timed conditions, with questions available at both ‘standard’ and ‘advanced’ difficulty levels.

Case math questions put your calculation skills – and more – to the test in a case interview.

These questions require you to consider a hypothetical client problem that usually includes multiple data points. You must then set up an approach to solving the problem – usually in the form of an equation – and then calculate the solution. Finally, you must draw a specific conclusion to the problem that provides a recommendation to the client on how to move forward.

Our case math drills allow you to practice tackling case math questions from start to finish. They help to build familiarity and confidence with case math and to build the skills required to solve these problems.

Chart interpretation

In most case interviews, candidates are presented with at least one exhibit that they are required to interpret and draw conclusions from. This portion of the interview tests part of the dimension of ‘judgment and insight’, where showing good capability can be a major way to differentiate yourself from other candidates.

The exhibits used in case interviews often take the form of charts, and a wide range of formats can be used. Without understanding the different types of charts you might come across in a case interview, you could easily become confused or unnerved if you’re presented with a format you don’t recognise.

Our chart drills give you the opportunity to familiarize yourself with a wide range of chart formats and to practice the skill of interpreting the data under timed conditions.

Watch videos that show good case interview performance

An effective way to learn how to navigate a case interview is to observe how successful candidates tackle the challenge. Our Interview Prep Course includes many videos of former top consulting interviewers giving sample case interviews to successful candidates, and providing feedback on their performance.

To get the most from these videos, we recommend pressing pause after each question, making a note of your answer, and then comparing it to the interviewee’s response and the interviewer’s feedback.

Remember that solo practice shouldn’t replace practice with a partner

Supplementing your case practice with the solo exercises we’ve recommended here is a great way to boost your preparations for interviewing with a top consulting firm. However, it’s vital to remember that solo practice shouldn’t replace live practice sessions, which allow you to put all the skills you’ve developed through your solo work into action, and experience the case interview format first-hand with a partner.

At CaseCoach we can connect you with a diverse community of fellow candidates who are all available for case interview practice in our Practice Room . In each session, you’ll play the roles of both interviewer and interviewee to gain a robust understanding of the assessment dimensions, as well as hone your case-cracking skills.

Continue to learn

Explore other resources

Search resources, we value your privacy.

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By clicking "Accept all", you consent to our use of cookies. You can read our Privacy Information to learn more about how we use cookies.

How to Write a Case Study: A Step-by-Step Guide (+ Examples)

by Todd Brehe

on Jan 3, 2024

If you want to learn how to write a case study that engages prospective clients, demonstrates that you can solve real business problems, and showcases the results you deliver, this guide will help.

We’ll give you a proven template to follow, show you how to conduct an engaging interview, and give you several examples and tips for best practices.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is a Case Study?

A business case study is simply a story about how you successfully delivered a solution to your client.

Case studies start with background information about the customer, describe problems they were facing, present the solutions you developed, and explain how those solutions positively impacted the customer’s business.

Do Marketing Case Studies Really Work?

Absolutely. A well-written case study puts prospective clients into the shoes of your paying clients, encouraging them to engage with you. Plus, they:

• Get shared “behind the lines” with decision makers you may not know;
• Leverage the power of “social proof” to encourage a prospective client to take a chance with your company;
• Build trust and foster likeability;
• Lessen the perceived risk of doing business with you and offer proof that your business can deliver results;
• Help prospects become aware of unrecognized problems;
• Show prospects experiencing similar problems that possible solutions are available (and you can provide said solutions);
• Make it easier for your target audience to find you when using Google and other search engines.

Case studies serve your clients too. For example, they can generate positive publicity and highlight the accomplishments of line staff to the management team. Your company might even throw in a new product/service discount, or a gift as an added bonus.

But don’t just take my word for it. Let’s look at a few statistics and success stories:

5 Winning Case Study Examples to Model

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how to write a case study, let’s go over a few examples of what an excellent one looks like.

The five case studies listed below are well-written, well-designed, and incorporate a time-tested structure.

1. Lane Terralever and Pinnacle at Promontory

This case study example  from Lane Terralever  incorporates images to support the content and effectively uses subheadings to make the piece scannable.

2. WalkMe Mobile and Hulyo

This case study  from WalkMe Mobile  leads with an engaging headline and the three most important results the client was able to generate.

In the first paragraph, the writer expands the list of accomplishments encouraging readers to learn more.

3. CurationSuite Listening Engine

This is an example of a well-designed printable case study . The client, specific problem, and solution are called out in the left column and summarized succinctly.

4. Brain Traffic and ASAE

This long format case study (6 pages) from Brain Traffic  summarizes the challenges, solutions, and results prominently in the left column. It uses testimonials and headshots of the case study participants very effectively.

5. Adobe and Home Depot

This case study  from Adobe and Home Depot  is a great example of combining video, attention-getting graphics, and long form writing. It also uses testimonials and headshots well.

Now that we’ve gone over the basics and showed a few great case study examples you can use as inspiration, let’s roll up our sleeves and get to work.

A Case Study Structure That Pros Use

Let’s break down the structure of a compelling case study:

Choose Your Case Study Format

In this guide, we focus on written case studies. They’re affordable to create, and they have a proven track record. However, written case studies are just one of four case study formats to consider:

• Infographic

If you have the resources, video (like the Adobe and Home Depot example above) and podcast case studies can be very compelling. Hearing a client discuss in his or her own words how your company helped is an effective content marketing strategy

Infographic case studies are usually one-page images that summarize the challenge, proposed solution, and results. They tend to work well on social media.

Follow a Tried-and-True Case Study Template

The success story structure we’re using incorporates a “narrative” or “story arc” designed to suck readers in and captivate their interest.

Note:  I recommend creating a blog post or landing page on your website that includes the text from your case study, along with a downloadable PDF. Doing so helps people find your content when they perform Google and other web searches.

There are a few simple SEO strategies that you can apply to your blog post that will optimize your chances of being found. I’ll include those tips below.

Craft a Compelling Headline

The headline should capture your audience’s attention quickly. Include the most important result you achieved, the client’s name, and your company’s name. Create several examples, mull them over a bit, then pick the best one. And, yes, this means writing the headline is done at the very end.

SEO  Tip:  Let’s say your firm provided “video editing services” and you want to target this primary keyword. Include it, your company name, and your client’s name in the case study title.

Write the Executive Summary

This is a mini-narrative using an abbreviated version of the Challenge + Solution + Results model (3-4 short paragraphs). Write this after you complete the case study.

SEO  Tip:  Include your primary keyword in the first paragraph of the Executive Summary.

Provide the Client’s Background

Introduce your client to the reader and create context for the story.

List the Customer’s Challenges and Problems

Vividly describe the situation and problems the customer was dealing with, before working with you.

SEO  Tip:  To rank on page one of Google for our target keyword, review the questions listed in the “People also ask” section at the top of Google’s search results. If you can include some of these questions and their answers into your case study, do so. Just make sure they fit with the flow of your narrative.

Detail Your Solutions

Explain the product or service your company provided, and spell out how it alleviated the client’s problems. Recap how the solution was delivered and implemented. Describe any training needed and the customer’s work effort.

Show Your Results

Detail what you accomplished for the customer and the impact your product/service made. Objective, measurable results that resonate with your target audience are best.

List Future Plans

Share how your client might work with your company in the future.

Give a Call-to-Action

Clearly detail what you want the reader to do at the end of your case study.

Talk About You

Include a “press release-like” description of your client’s organization, with a link to their website. For your printable document, add an “About” section with your contact information.

And that’s it. That’s the basic structure of any good case study.

Now, let’s go over how to get the information you’ll use in your case study.

How to Conduct an Engaging Case Study Interview

One of the best parts of creating a case study is talking with your client about the experience. This is a fun and productive way to learn what your company did well, and what it can improve on, directly from your customer’s perspective.

Here are some suggestions for conducting great case study interviews:

When Choosing a Case Study Subject, Pick a Raving Fan

Your sales and marketing team should know which clients are vocal advocates willing to talk about their experiences. Your customer service and technical support teams should be able to contribute suggestions.

Clients who are experts with your product/service make solid case study candidates. If you sponsor an online community, look for product champions who post consistently and help others.

When selecting a candidate, think about customer stories that would appeal to your target audience. For example, let’s say your sales team is consistently bumping into prospects who are excited about your solution, but are slow to pull the trigger and do business with you.

In this instance, finding a client who felt the same way, but overcame their reluctance and contracted with you anyway, would be a compelling story to capture and share.

Prepping for the Interview

If you’ve ever seen an Oprah interview, you’ve seen a master who can get almost anyone to open up and talk. Part of the reason is that she and her team are disciplined about planning.

Before conducting a case study interview, talk to your own team about the following:

• What’s unique about the client (location, size, industry, etc.) that will resonate with our prospects?
• Why did the customer select us?
• How did we help the client?
• What’s unique about this customer’s experience?
• What problems did we solve?
• Were any measurable, objective results generated?
• What do we want readers to do after reading this case study analysis?

Pro Tip:  Tee up your client. Send them the questions in advance.

Providing questions to clients before the interview helps them prepare, gather input from other colleagues if needed, and feel more comfortable because they know what to expect.

In a moment, I’ll give you an exhaustive list of interview questions. But don’t send them all. Instead, pare the list down to one or two questions in each section and personalize them for your customer.

Nailing the Client Interview

Decide how you’ll conduct the interview. Will you call the client, use Skype or Facetime, or meet in person? Whatever mode you choose, plan the process in advance.

Make sure you record the conversation. It’s tough to lead an interview, listen to your contact’s responses, keep the conversation flowing, write notes, and capture all that the person is saying.

A recording will make it easier to write the client’s story later. It’s also useful for other departments in your company (management, sales, development, etc.) to hear real customer feedback.

Use open-ended questions that spur your contact to talk and share. Here are some real-life examples:

Introduction

• Recap the purpose of the call. Confirm how much time your contact has to talk (30-45 minutes is preferable).
• Confirm the company’s location, number of employees, years in business, industry, etc.
• What’s the contact’s background, title, time with the company, primary responsibilities, and so on?

Initial Challenges

• Describe the situation at your company before engaging with us?
• What were the initial problems you wanted to solve?
• What was the impact of those problems?
• When did you realize you had to take some action?
• What solutions did you try?
• What solutions did you implement?
• What process did you go through to make a purchase?
• How did the implementation go?
• How would you describe the work effort required of your team?
• If training was involved, how did that go?

Results, Improvements, Progress

• When did you start seeing improvements?
• What were the most valuable results?
• What did your team like best about working with us?
• Would you recommend our solution/company? Why?

Future Plans

• How do you see our companies working together in the future?

Honest Feedback

• Our company is very focused on continual improvement. What could we have done differently to make this an even better experience?
• What would you like us to add or change in our product/service?

During the interview, use your contact’s responses to guide the conversation.

Once the interview is complete, it’s time to write your case study.

How to Write a Case Study… Effortlessly

Case study writing is not nearly as difficult as many people make it out to be. And you don’t have to be Stephen King to do professional work. Here are a few tips:

• Use the case study structure that we outlined earlier, but write these sections first: company background, challenges, solutions, and results.
• Write the headline, executive summary, future plans, and call-to-action (CTA) last.
• In each section, include as much content from your interview as you can. Don’t worry about editing at this point
• Tell the story by discussing their trials and tribulations.
• Stay focused on the client and the results they achieved.
• Make their organization and employees shine.
• When including information about your company, frame your efforts in a supporting role.

Also, make sure to do the following:

Add Testimonials, Quotes, and Visuals

The more you can use your contact’s words to describe the engagement, the better. Weave direct quotes throughout your narrative.

Strive to be conversational when you’re writing case studies, as if you’re talking to a peer.

Include images in your case study that visually represent the content and break up the text. Photos of the company, your contact, and other employees are ideal.

If you need to incorporate stock photos, here are three resources:

• Deposit p hotos

And if you need more, check out Smart Blogger’s excellent resource: 17 Sites with High-Quality, Royalty-Free Stock Photos .

Proofread and Tighten Your Writing

Make sure there are no grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. If you need help, consider using a grammar checker tool like Grammarly .

My high school English teacher’s mantra was “tighten your writing.” She taught that impactful writing is concise and free of weak, unnecessary words . This takes effort and discipline, but will make your writing stronger.

Also, keep in mind that we live in an attention-diverted society. Before your audience will dive in and read each paragraph, they’ll first scan your work.  Use subheadings  to summarize information, convey meaning quickly, and pull the reader in.

Be Sure to Use Best Practices

Consider applying the following best practices to your case study:

• Stay laser-focused on your client and the results they were able to achieve.
• Even if your audience is technical, minimize the use of industry jargon . If you use acronyms, explain them.
• Leave out the selling and advertising.
• Don’t write like a Shakespearean wannabe. Write how people speak. Write to be understood.
• Clear and concise writing is not only more understandable, it inspires trust. Don’t ramble.
• Weave your paragraphs together so that each sentence is dependent on the one before and after it.
• Include a specific case study call-to-action (CTA).
• A recommended case study length is 2-4 pages.
• Commit to building a library of case studies.

Get Client Approval

After you have a final draft, send it to the client for review and approval. Incorporate any edits they suggest.

Use or modify the following “Consent to Publish” form to get the client’s written sign-off:

Consent to Publish

Case Study  Title:

I hereby confirm that I have reviewed the case study listed above and on behalf of the [Company Name], I provide full permission for the work to be published, in whole or in part, for the life of the work, in all languages and all formats by [Company publishing the case study].

By signing this form, I affirm that I am authorized to grant full permission.

Company Name:

E-mail Address:

Common Case Study Questions (& Answers)

We’ll wrap things up with a quick Q&A. If you have a question I didn’t answer, be sure to leave it in a blog comment below.

Should I worry about print versions of my case studies?

Absolutely.

As we saw in the CurationSuite  and Brain Traffic  examples earlier, case studies get downloaded, printed, and shared. Prospects can and will judge your book by its cover.

So, make sure your printed case study is eye-catching and professionally designed. Hire a designer  if necessary.

Why are good case studies so effective?

Case studies work because people trust them.

They’re not ads, they’re not press releases, and they’re not about how stellar your company is.

Plus, everyone likes spellbinding stories with a hero [your client], a conflict [challenges], and a riveting resolution [best solution and results].

How do I promote my case study?

After you’ve written your case study and received the client’s approval to use it, you’ll want to get it in front of as many eyes as possible.

Try the following:

• Make sure your case studies can be easily found on your company’s homepage.
• Tweet and share the case study on your various social media accounts.
• Have your sales team use the case study as a reason to call on potential customers. For example: “Hi [prospect], we just published a case study on Company A. They were facing some of the same challenges I believe your firm is dealing with. I’m going to e-mail you a copy. Let me know what you think.”
• Distribute printed copies at trade shows, seminars, or during sales presentations.
• If you’re bidding on a job and have to submit a quote or a Request for Proposal (RFP), include relevant case studies as supporting documents.

Ready to Write a Case Study That Converts?

If you want to stand out and you want to win business, case studies should be an integral part of your sales and marketing efforts.

Hopefully, this guide answered some of your questions and laid out a path that will make it faster and easier for your team to create professional, sales-generating content.

Now it’s time to take action and get started. Gather your staff, select a client, and ask a contact to participate. Plan your interview and lead an engaging conversation. Write up your client’s story, make them shine, and then share it.

Get better at the case study process by doing it more frequently. Challenge yourself to write at least one case study every two months.

As you do, you’ll be building a valuable repository of meaningful, powerful content. These success stories will serve your business in countless ways, and for years to come.

Content Marketing

GET PAID TO WRITE

A "cheat sheet" to making 2-5k per month as a writer,  even if you're a total beginner ..

Written by Todd Brehe

6 thoughts on “how to write a case study: a step-by-step guide (+ examples)”.

Just the guide I needed for case studies! Great job with this one!

Hey Todd, great post here. I liked that you listed some prompting questions. Really demonstrates you know what you’re talking about. There are a bunch of Ultimate Guides out there who list the theories such as interview your customer, talk about results, etc. but really don’t help you much.

Thanks, Todd. I’ve planned a case study and this will really come in handy. Bookmarked.

Very good read. Thanks, Todd. Are there any differences between a case study and a use case, by the way?

Hi Todd, Very well-written article. This is the ultimate guide I have read till date. It has actionable points rather than some high-level gyan. Creating a new case study always works better when (1) you know the structure to follow and (2) you work in a group of 3-4 members rather than individually. Thanks for sharing this guide.

Hi Todd. Very useful guide. I learn step by step. Looking forward to continually learning from you and your team. Thanks

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Latest from the blog.

How to Use the ‘Rule of Three’ to Jazz Up Your Writing (2024)

5 Best Free Blogging Platforms & Sites in 2024 (100% Unbiased)

6 Vignette Examples to Add Depth to Your Writing (+ Definition)

With over 300k subscribers and 4 million readers, Smart Blogger is one of the world's largest websites dedicated to writing and blogging.

Best of the Blog

© 2012-2024 Smart Blogger — Boost Blog Traffic, Inc.

Terms  |  Privacy Policy  |  Refund Policy  |  Affiliate Disclosure

• Translators
• Graphic Designers

Please enter the email address you used for your account. Your sign in information will be sent to your email address after it has been verified.

Your Step-By-Step Guide To Writing a Case Study

Creating a case study is both an art and a science. It requires making an in-depth exploration of your chosen subject in order to extract meaningful insights and understand the dynamics that more general surveys or statistical research might not uncover. At the same time, your case study also needs to be a compelling read to ensure those insights get attention from other people!

Unsurprisingly, the prospect of crafting an effective case study can be daunting. It calls for strategic planning, careful organization, and clear communication, all of which can be challenging even for experienced researchers. That's why we've created this step-by-step guide, which breaks the process down into manageable steps, demystifying the journey from defining your research question to sharing your findings. Whether you're a seasoned researcher or a first-timer, this guide aims to equip you with the necessary tools and tips to create a case study that's not just informative, but also engaging and impactful.

Are you ready to unlock the potential of case studies? Let's dive in!

What is a case study?

First, it's important to understand what a case study is – and what it isn't.

A case study is a thorough exploration of a specific subject or event over a certain time frame. Case studies are utilized in numerous fields, including sociology, psychology, education, anthropology, business, and the health sciences, and employ various research techniques to shed light on complex issues.

A case study does not provide absolute proof or conclusions that can be universally applied. Because it concentrates on one particular case or just a few cases, the findings might not apply to different contexts or subjects. Case studies also aren't ideal for determining cause-and-effect relationships as they do not use controlled conditions to separate and measure the impacts of different factors. Lastly, it must be said that a case study isn't just a random assortment of facts or observations; it necessitates a clear research question, a methodical approach to data collection and analysis, and a thoughtful interpretation of the results.

Getting started

Now that we've established the definition and purpose of a case study, let's explore the process by which one is created. You can produce a case study by following these nine steps:

1. Define the purpose of your case study

Before you start writing a case study, you need to define its purpose clearly. Ask yourself: What is the research question or problem you aim to solve? What insights are you looking to uncover? Your goals will guide your research design and influence your choice of case. This initial stage of introspection and clarification is crucial as it acts as a roadmap for your study.

2. Select the case to study

Once you've defined your research objective, the next step is to choose a suitable case that can help answer your research question. This might be a unique, critical, or representative instance. Unique cases offer the opportunity to observe and analyze a situation that is unusual or not well-understood. In contrast, a representative or typical case is often chosen because it represents other cases or a broader phenomenon.

In any case, be sure to justify your choice. Explain why the case is of interest and how it can contribute to the knowledge or understanding of the issue at hand. For instance, if you're studying the effects of corporate restructuring on employee morale, you might choose to focus on a company that recently underwent a significant restructure.

3. Conduct a thorough literature review

Performing a literature review involves a careful examination of relevant scholarly articles, books, and other sources related to your research question or problem. In the process, you identify gaps in the current knowledge and determine how your case study can address them. By critically examining existing research, you will not only gain a comprehensive understanding of your chosen topic but also be able to refine your research question or hypothesis, if necessary.

4. Choose a methodological approach

The methodological approach used in your case study will depend on your research objectives and the nature of the case. Methodologies that can be employed in case studies include qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods .

Qualitative methods are often used when the goal is to explore, understand, or interpret certain phenomena. These involve approaches like interviews, focus groups, or ethnography. Quantitative methods, on the other hand, are used when the goal is to test hypotheses or examine relationships between variables. Quantitative approaches often include experiments. Also, surveys may be either qualitative or quantitative depending on the question design.

You may choose to use a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods (mixed methods) if it suits your research objectives.

5. Collect and organize your data

Data collection should be systematic and organized to maintain the integrity and reliability of your research. You need to plan how you will record and store your data to ensure that it's accessible and usable.

If you're conducting interviews or observations, consider using recording devices (with participant consent) to capture the data accurately. In addition, you may want to transcribe the recorded material for easier analysis. If you're using documents or archival records, develop a system for coding and categorizing the data.

6. Analyze the data

Analysis involves interpreting your data to draw out meaningful insights; it is in this stage that your findings start to take shape. Depending on the nature of your data and your research question, you might use any of a variety of analysis methods. For qualitative data, you might employ thematic analysis to identify key themes or grounded theory to generate a new theoretical framework. For quantitative data, you might use statistical analysis to identify patterns or correlations.

Always be open to unexpected findings. Your initial hypotheses might not be supported, or you might uncover new insights that you hadn't initially considered. Remember that all data, whether they fit neatly into your analysis or not, provide valuable insights and contribute to the holistic understanding of your case.

7. Write the case study report

After analyzing the data, it's finally time to compose your case study. In terms of structure, a typical case study might consist of an introduction, background information, the collected data (results), analysis of that data, and the conclusion. Here's a brief breakdown of each section:

• Introduction: The introduction should be brief but engaging, providing a clear statement of the research question or problem, explaining why the case was chosen, and outlining what the case study will cover.
• Background: The background provides the context for your case. Describe the case, its history, and any relevant information that will help readers understand the situation.
• Results: This section should provide a comprehensive account of what you found, without interpretation or opinion. Present your findings in a clear, organized manner. Use visuals such as charts or graphs if they aid comprehension.
• Analysis: This section should provide your interpretations and arguments. Discuss the patterns, themes, or relationships you've identified in your data. Explain what these findings mean in relation to your research question.
• Conclusion: Finally, summarize the key insights from your case study along with their implications. Discuss the limitations of your study and propose avenues for future research.

8. Review and revise

The process of writing a case study doesn't actually end when the report is written; you also need to review your writing for coherence, clarity, and correctness. Don't underestimate the importance of this step! Make sure the information flows logically and that your arguments are well-supported. Check for any grammar or spelling errors. Having a peer or mentor review your work can be incredibly helpful as they provide a fresh perspective and can catch mistakes you might have missed.

9. Get approval if required

If your case study involves human subjects, you may need to obtain approval from an ethical review board. You'll also need to obtain informed consent from your subjects and ensure you respect their privacy and confidentiality throughout the research process. Always follow your institution's ethical guidelines and any other relevant legislation .

Practical tips for writing a compelling case study

Getting through all those steps can feel like a formidable challenge, but here are some practical tips to make the process more manageable:

Be systematic and organized

Given the importance of detail in case studies, it's vital to be systematic and organized from the get-go. This means keeping meticulous records of your data, your sources, and any changes to your research design. A good practice is to maintain a research journal or log where you can record your process, thoughts, and reflections.

In addition, use technology to your advantage. Digital tools like citation managers can help you keep track of your sources and make formatting references a breeze, while spreadsheet or database software can assist in managing and organizing your data. Developing a consistent system for labeling and storing information at the outset will save you time and effort later when you need to retrieve data for analysis.

Stay focused

One common pitfall in research and writing is loss of focus: getting sidetracked by interesting but ultimately irrelevant digressions, which can be very easy, especially when you're dealing with a rich and complex case. Always remember your research question and objectives, and let these guide your study at every step. It's perfectly acceptable – and in fact advisable – to delineate what your study will not cover. Setting clear boundaries can help you stay focused and manage the scope of your study effectively.

Use visual aids

Visual aids such as charts, diagrams, or photographs can greatly enhance your case study. They provide readers with a break from the monotony of text and can communicate complex data or relationships more easily. For instance, if you're presenting a lot of numerical data, consider using a chart or graph. If you're describing a process or sequence of events, portraying it in a flowchart or timeline might be useful. Remember, the goal is to aid comprehension, so make sure your visual aids are clear, well-labeled, and integrated into the text.

Include direct quotes

If your case study involves interviews, including direct quotes can add depth and a sense of the personal to your findings. They provide readers with a firsthand perspective and make your case study more engaging.

When using quotes, be sure to integrate them smoothly into your text. Provide enough context so readers understand the quote's relevance. Also, remember to adhere to ethical guidelines– always respect confidentiality and anonymity agreements.

Maintain ethical standards

Ethics is a fundamental consideration in all research, including case studies. Ensure you have proper consent from participants, respect their privacy, and accurately present your findings without manipulation.

Misrepresenting data or failing to respect participants' rights can lead to serious ethical violations. Always follow your institution's ethical guidelines and any other relevant legislation. If in doubt, seek advice from a supervisor or your institution's ethics committee.

Acknowledge limitations

Every research study has limitations, which could relate to the research design, data collection methods, or other aspects of the study. Being transparent about the limitations of your study can enhance its credibility; moreover, not only does identifying limitations demonstrate your critical thinking and honesty, but it also helps readers accurately interpret your findings.

Finally, acknowledging the limitations of your work helps to set the stage for further research. By identifying aspects that your study couldn't address, you provide other researchers with avenues for building on your findings.

Learn from examples

Before you start writing your case study, it can be helpful to review some published case studies in your field. Different fields may have different conventions, and familiarizing yourself with case studies in your own field can help guide your writing. Look at the structure, tone, and style. Pay attention to how the authors present and analyze data, and how they link their findings back to the research question. You can also learn a lot from the strengths and weaknesses of previously published works. However, remember to develop your own unique voice and perspective – don't just mimic what others have done.

Design for triangulation

Triangulation involves using multiple data sources or methods to gain a more comprehensive and balanced understanding of your research topic. By coming at your research question from multiple directions, such as by examining different datasets or using different methods, you can increase the validity of your results and gain more nuanced insights.

For example, if you're studying the impact of a new teaching method in a school, you might observe classes, interview teachers, and also survey students. Each method will provide a slightly different perspective, and together, they allow you to develop a more complete picture of the teaching method's impact.

Practice reflexivity

Reflexivity involves reflecting on how your assumptions, values, or experiences might influence your research process and interpretations. As a researcher, it's essential to be aware of your potential biases and how they might shape your study.

Consider keeping a reflexivity journal where you can note your thoughts, feelings, and reflections throughout the research process. This practice can help you stay aware of your biases and ensure your research is as objective and balanced as possible.

Write for your audience

Always make sure that your writing is on target for your intended audience. If you're writing for an academic audience, for example, you'll likely use a more formal tone and include more detailed methodological information. If you're writing for practitioners or a general audience, you might use a more accessible language and focus more on practical implications.

Remember to define any technical terms or jargon, and provide sufficient context so your readers can understand your research. The goal is to communicate your findings effectively, regardless of who your readers are.

Seek feedback

Feedback is valuable for improving your case study. Consider sharing drafts with your peers, mentors, or supervisors and asking for their input. Fresh eyes can provide different perspectives, catch errors, or suggest ways to strengthen your arguments.

Remember, feedback is not personal; it's about improving your work. Be open to critique and willing to revise your work based on the feedback you receive.

Writing a case study is a meticulous process that requires clear purpose, careful planning, systematic data collection, and thoughtful analysis. Although it can be time-consuming, the rich, detailed insights a well-executed case study can provide make this study design an invaluable tool in research.

By following this guide and adopting its practical tips, you will be well on your way to crafting a compelling case study that contributes meaningful insights to your chosen field. Good luck with your research journey!

Header image by Kateryna Hliznitsova .

• Academic Writing Advice
• All Blog Posts
• Writing Advice
• Admissions Writing Advice
• Book Writing Advice
• Short Story Advice
• Employment Writing Advice
• Business Writing Advice
• Web Content Advice
• Article Writing Advice
• Magazine Writing Advice
• Grammar Advice
• Dialect Advice
• Editing Advice
• Freelance Advice
• Legal Writing Advice
• Poetry Advice
• Graphic Design Advice
• Logo Design Advice
• Translation Advice
• Blog Reviews
• Short Story Award Winners
• Scholarship Winners

Need an academic editor before submitting your work?

Hacking the Case Interview

The best way to practice case interviews is to practice with a case partner. This is the best way to simulate a real case interview. However, this is not always possible. You may not always be able to find a great partner that you share a compatible schedule with.

In these situations, you have no other choice but to practice without a partner. Practicing case interviews by yourself can still be helpful if you practice the right way.

In this article, we’ll go through the exact steps you should take to maximize your practice and learning when practicing case interviews alone.

If you’re looking for a step-by-step shortcut to learn case interviews quickly, enroll in our case interview course . These insider strategies from a former Bain interviewer helped 30,000+ land consulting offers while saving hundreds of hours of prep time.

The Eight Steps to Practice Case Interviews by Yourself

There are 8 steps to practice case interviews by yourself. The goal of these steps is to simulate a real case interview as closely as you can so that you practice the same skills and techniques that you are going to use in a real case interview.

• Find cases that are suitable for practicing alone
• Synthesize the case background information out loud
• Ask clarifying questions out loud
• Structure a framework and present it out loud
• Propose an area to start the case
• Answer each case question out loud
• Deliver a recommendation out loud
• Review your answers and identify improvement areas

1. Find Cases That Are Suitable for Practicing Alone

Not all cases are suitable for practicing by yourself. Case interviews can be written in a number of different formats, but there are two formats you should use to practice case interviews without a partner.

The first format is the question and answer format. Many cases are written as a series of sequential questions and answers. This format is easy to practice alone because you can read the question, develop an answer, and then compare your answer to the model answer. This case format emulates an interviewer-led case .

The McKinsey case library has four cases written in this format. When you are finished with those, the Hacking the Case Interview course has twenty additional cases in this format. You can try the first three completely free.

The second format is the interactive online case format. In this format, you can submit your answers and the case will give you information based on the answers that you give. This case format emulates a candidate-led case interview.

BCG used to have an Interactive Case Library to practice case interviews by yourself. Unfortunately, they have since removed the two cases they had listed. The good news is that we recorded two videos going through these interactive cases.

You can follow along with BCG interactive case #1 and BCG interactive case #2 .

A case format you should not use is one that lays out all of the case information in an unstructured way . This format is more suited for practicing with a case partner. Your case partner reads all of the information so that they can run the mock case interview smoothly.

If you use these types of cases, you’ll likely read the answers to the case questions as you read the case background information. This makes practicing the case on your own ineffective. Therefore, only use the question and answer format and interactive online case format when practicing on your own.

For more practice, check out our article on 23 MBA consulting casebooks with 700+ free practice cases .

2. Synthesize the Case Background Information

Start the practice case interview by reading the case background information. Then, just as you would do in a live case interview, summarize the case background information out loud.

Even though you will not have a partner to confirm your understanding of the case, it is important to practice synthesizing the case out loud. This will help you improve your communication skills so that you can summarize information clearly and concisely.

3. Ask Clarifying Questions

Next, just as you would do in a live case interview, ask clarifying questions out loud. Although you do not have a case partner that can answer your questions, it is important to practice identifying the critical questions that need to be asked to fully understand the case.

Focus on asking questions that strengthen your understanding of the company, the business problem, or the objective. You’ll have an easier time solving the case if you ask the right clarifying questions.

4. Structure a Framework and Present it Out Loud

Afterwards, take a few minutes to gather your thoughts to structure a framework. Remember that you want to simulate exactly what you would say and do in a real live interview. So, talk to yourself out loud and ask for permission to have a few minutes of silence.

When you are creating a framework, it may be tempting to give yourself unlimited time since you are working through the case alone. Don’t do this.

Instead, pretend that you are in an actual interview in which you’ll only have a few minutes to put together a comprehensive and coherent framework. Replicate the stress that you will feel in an interview when you are practicing case interviews on your own by giving yourself time pressure.

When you have finished creating your framework, turn your paper around to face an imaginary interviewer and walk through the framework out loud. You will need to get good at presenting your framework concisely and in an easy to understand way.

For a complete guide on how to create tailored and unique frameworks for each case, check out our article on case interview frameworks .

5. Propose an Area to Start the Case

Next, propose an area of your framework to start the case. Make sure to say out loud the reasons why you want to start with that particular area. This is a great way to practice kicking off a case interview in candidate-led cases.

6. Answer Each Case Question Out Loud

Now that the case has started, start by reading the first question. After reading the question, don’t work on answering that question in silence. During a real interview, you’ll never work in silence. Instead, pretend that you are in a live interview and walk the interviewer through your thinking.

If the question is a quantitative problem, create a structure and walk the interviewer through how you would solve the problem. When doing math, do your calculations out loud and explain the steps that you are taking.

If the question is qualitative, structure your thinking and then brainstorm your ideas out loud. Walk the interviewer through your ideas and opinions.

For both quantitative and qualitative questions, try to anticipate objections the interviewer may raise or follow-up questions they may ask. You’ll have to make these questions up yourself since you are not practicing cases with a partner. Address these objections and answer these questions out loud.

Finally, take the time to connect your answer to the overall case objective. Synthesize the implications of your answer and how that shapes your hypothesis or working recommendation. You can also propose the next area of the case that you would like to explore or the next question you would like to answer.

Afterwards, move onto the next question and repeat this same process.

7. Deliver a Recommendation Out Loud

Once you have finished answering all of the case questions, it is time to deliver your recommendation. Just as you would do in a real case interview, ask for a brief moment to collect your thoughts and review your notes.

Once you have decided on a recommendation, present your recommendation to the interviewer. Again, it is important to do this out loud so that you can practice delivering your recommendation clearly and concisely.

8. Review Your Answers and Identify Improvement Areas

When the case is completed, review your framework and answers and compare them to the model answers that the case provides. Reflect on how you could have made your framework or answers stronger.

Also, take the time to reflect on what parts of the case you could have done better. Could your case synthesis be more concise? Was your framework mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive ? Could your math calculations be done more smoothly? Was your recommendation structured enough?

This is the most important part of practicing case interviews by yourself. Since you have no partner to provide you feedback, you will need to be introspective and identify your own improvement areas.

At the end of each practice case interview, you should have a list of new things that you have learned and a list of improvement areas to work on in future practice cases. You’ll continue to work on your improvement areas in future practice cases either by yourself or with a partner.

Other Tips For Practicing Case Interviews By Yourself

The most important thing to remember when practicing case interviews by yourself is that you want to emulate a live case interview as closely as possible. Therefore, follow these tips to make the most of your case practice:

• Don’t have notes or a calculator out when you are practicing since you won’t have these in your actual interview
• Don’t take breaks in the middle of a mock case interview
• Don’t read the case answer until you completely finish answering each question
• Talk through everything out loud as if there were an interviewer in the room
• Occasionally record yourself to understand what you look like and sound like when you speak
• Make sure to give yourself enough time to review the model answers and identify areas where you can improve
• Focus on improving one thing at a time in each practice case interview

The Best Ways to Practice Specific Parts of a Case Interview by Yourself

Besides practicing full-length case interviews, you can also practice particular parts of the case interview. In addition to 15 full-length practice cases that you can do by yourself,  The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook has over 65 practice problems covering all of the different parts of a case interview:  

• Market sizing
• Charts and graphs
• Brainstorming
• Business judgement

We recommend using this book to get high-quality case interview practice with step-by-step explanations. If you prefer to use other resources, we’ve also listed alternative methods to practice these types of questions below:

Practicing Frameworks by Yourself

• For the practice cases you are using, read only the case background information and create a framework
• Read about business problems that real companies face in the news (e.g., Wall Street Journal, The Economist, New York Times) and create a framework for them
• Read business school case studies and create a framework to solve them

Practicing Market Sizing by Yourself

• Practice with this list of market sizing and estimation questions
• Pick a particular market and estimate the market size
• Pick a particular metric and try to estimate it

Practicing Reading Graphs by Yourself

• For the practice cases you are using, go straight to the exhibits and practice reading and understanding them
• Find graphs and charts in the news to practice reading them and identifying the most important takeaways
• Practice interpreting graphs and charts found in standardized exams such as the SAT, GMAT, or GRE

Practicing Brainstorming by Yourself

• Pick a company and brainstorm ways they could increase revenues
• Pick a company and brainstorm ways they could decrease costs
• Read about business problems that real companies face in the news and brainstorm different ways to solve them

Practicing Business Judgment by Yourself

• Read about strategic decisions real companies have made in the news
• Read business school case studies
• Read through the practice cases in MBA casebooks
• Watch videos of people solving case interviews

All of these activities will help you to improve and refine your case interview skills. The most important thing is that you identify your case interview weaknesses and have consistent practice to meticulously and systematically improve.

Land Your Dream Consulting Job

Here are the resources we recommend to land your dream consulting job:

For help landing consulting interviews

• Resume Review & Editing : Transform your resume into one that will get you multiple consulting interviews

For help passing case interviews

• Comprehensive Case Interview Course (our #1 recommendation): The only resource you need. Whether you have no business background, rusty math skills, or are short on time, this step-by-step course will transform you into a top 1% caser that lands multiple consulting offers.
• Case Interview Coaching : Personalized, one-on-one coaching with a former Bain interviewer.
• Hacking the Case Interview Book   (available on Amazon): Perfect for beginners that are short on time. Transform yourself from a stressed-out case interview newbie to a confident intermediate in under a week. Some readers finish this book in a day and can already tackle tough cases.
• The Ultimate Case Interview Workbook (available on Amazon): Perfect for intermediates struggling with frameworks, case math, or generating business insights. No need to find a case partner – these drills, practice problems, and full-length cases can all be done by yourself.

For help passing consulting behavioral & fit interviews

• Behavioral & Fit Interview Course : Be prepared for 98% of behavioral and fit questions in just a few hours. We'll teach you exactly how to draft answers that will impress your interviewer.

Land Multiple Consulting Offers

Complete, step-by-step case interview course. 30,000+ happy customers.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base

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.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

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.

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

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

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved August 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, primary vs. secondary sources | difference & examples, what is a theoretical framework | guide to organizing, what is action research | definition & examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Methodology
• Case Study | Definition, Examples & Methods

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.

Prevent plagiarism, run a free check.

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.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, January 30). Case Study | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. Retrieved 30 July 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/research-methods/case-studies/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, correlational research | guide, design & examples, a quick guide to experimental design | 5 steps & examples, descriptive research design | definition, methods & examples.

SpeakUp resources

How to write a case study: step-by-step guide.

• By Matthew Jones

What is a Case Study?

Generally speaking, a case study involves the in-depth research of a subject over a specified period of time. Much like an analytical essay , a case study looks at a subject in order to validate the thesis. However, this definition is still pretty broad.

To better understand case studies, let’s say that a business wants to illustrate how one of its products can solve a specific problem for consumers. The business can simply tell people that the products works, but why should they believe them? Where is the evidence?

This is why a case study is extremely useful. The business can examine and record a situation in which a past customer had a problem and used the product to solve it. Then, the business can use this case study as evidence to promote their product in the future.

How to Write a Case Study: A Step-by-Step Guide

Every case study is unique to its subject matter. Case studies can cover a wide range of topics, and organizations can use different methods to research their subjects. That said, in order to write a clear, effective case study, you will need to follow a few simple steps.

Step 1: Identify the Problem and Solution

Most case studies are designed with the goal of promoting a specific solution to a specific problem. So, in order to write a case study, you will need to ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the problem?
• What is the solution?

The answers to these questions are extremely important, as they will form the basis of your entire case study. Once you have identified the problem and its solution, you can move on to more in-depth questions that will help you later on in the writing process:

• How does our product/service solve the problem?
• What are the key features of our product/service?
• How does our product/service differ from our competitors?

Step 2: Identify Your Subject

The term “subject” can mean many different things. In this case, we are not referring to the general topic of your case study, but rather the focus of your research. For example, let’s assume that you have already identified the following problem and solution:

• Problem : Businesses do not have in-house translators to translate documents into different languages.
• Solution : A service that provides expert linguists to quickly translate documents at a fraction of the cost of an in-house translator.

Based on this solution, we can assume that your organization specializes in translating documents for other businesses. As a result, you probably have a number of past clients for whom you have translated documents. So, how do you choose which client will be the subject of your case study?

This step will require you to research and analyze the experiences of your clients. You may find that you would like to write about more than one client, but this will require you to write more than one case study, as every case study should only have one subject.

To identify your subject, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• Which client(s) provided positive testimonials about their experience with your product/service?
• Which client(s) had a problem that most closely aligned with the problem you aim to solve?
• Do any of the clients continue to use your products/services? If so, for how long?
• Which client(s) have used your services recently?

Step 3: Research Your Subject

While Step 2 requires some research into your potential subjects, you will need to conduct more in-depth research once you have chosen the subject of your case study. If you have chosen a client that used your product/service more recently, this will likely be easier to do. You may remember specific details about the client’s needs, expectations, deadlines, etc.

In any case, you will likely need to contact the subject and request a testimonial of their experiences (as well as permission to publish a case study). While the specific information you need will depend on the nature of your product/service, you should generally ask the following questions of your client:

• How did you hear about our organization?
• What problem did you need our organization to solve?
• Had you previously tried to solve the problem on your own or with one of our competitors? If so, what happened?
• How would you describe our customer service?
• What positive impact did our service have on your business?
• How do you think we differ from our competitors?

In addition to the testimonial of your client, you will want to research other circumstances that could make this case study (or client) unique. Perhaps this was the first time the client had ever worked with your business to solve this problem, or maybe the client had an extremely tight deadline that your business was able to meet. Either way, look for details that will make your case study stand out and help market your product/service.

Finally, while you do not have to include statistics in your final draft, they do help give your case study a greater sense of legitimacy. For example, when you see an article with charts, graphs, or numerical statistics, you’ll probably think that it is well-researched and informative, right?

Needless to say, you shouldn’t include any facts or figures that would be in breach of your client’s privacy. However, with your client’s permission, you should consider using data related to your client’s budget, the final cost (especially if it is lower than your competitors), the timeline, and the steps that your organization took to solve the problem.

Step 4: Compile the Information and Write Your Case Study

Once you have identified the goal of your case study (including the problem and solution), chosen your subject, and researched the specific case, it’s time to put it all together! But you may still not know how to write a case study. Sure, you have completed all of the necessary research, but how do you give it structure?

Ultimately, every case study tells a story. Like any story, a case study needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. Naturally, you have freedom with how you choose to tell your story, but there are a few factors that you should consider to make your case study as effective as possible:

• Tone : Most case studies are professional in nature, and therefore have a tone that reflects the voice of the brand. You should always consider your brand’s voice when crafting a case study. That said, you don’t want your case study to be bland or uninteresting, so you need to write a story that you (and your target demographic) would be interested in reading.
• Structure : As previously stated, every story needs a beginning, middle, and end. Generally, you should start with an introduction of your client; talk about what they do and whom they serve. This is a great opportunity to really show off the best aspects of their business, because it is about their business as much as it is about yours. Then, discuss the problem they faced and how they tried to solve it before finding your organization (if applicable). Finally, talk about how your organization solved the problem, how it impacted your client going forward (increased profits, more conversions, etc), and how it improved your professional relationship with the client. While you the introduction is good for talking up your client, the end is where you can really show readers why your business is better than the competition!
• Length : The length of your case study will depend on a few factors, namely the complexity of the subject matter and details needed to effectively tell the story. That said, most marketing case studies are relatively short (500-2,000 words), as they are written to provide a concise example for potential clients in need of a solution to a specific problem.

Case Study Templates

Many times, you may know exactly what you want to write, but you don’t know how to format the information. Thankfully, there are a number of free case study templates available online. Keep in mind that you do not have to follow a specific structure, but the following case study templates can still serve as a good frame of reference:

• Demand Metric Templates – A basic case study template for a wide-variety of topics.
• Lightboard Templates – 4 templates for stat-heavy case studies.
• CV Partner Custom Templates – Multiple custom templates for brands, as well as preset case study templates for large organizations.

Case Study Examples

Finally, if you’d like some real-world examples to get your creative juices flowing, we’ve provided the following links to a number of high-quality case study examples:

• International Translating Company – HR Video Translations – A translation firm translates Human Resources videos at a fraction of the cost of their competitors.
• Microsoft – Global Steel Distribution – A steel company pioneers digitalization in an industry that requires modern solutions to internal and external communication issues.
• Wootric – In-Product NPS Surveys – In-product NPS surveys help an English teaching company track student feedback more efficiently.
• Dimensional Insight – New Balance Athletic Shoe – A data analysis tool helps a large shoe retailer submit and receive reports with greater speed and accuracy.
• UX Planet – Smart People Inc. – A new application based on data analysis helps English students have more fun on mobile devices.

We hope this guide was helpful! Learning how to write a case study may seem daunting. However, if you follow the steps above and look at some of the examples we’ve provided, you’ll be writing effective case studies in no time!

Matthew Jones

Free practice (Facebook group)

Phone: +1 (510) 560-7571

Terms of Use

Privacy Policy

Company Home

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

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:

• 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.

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.

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.

Need Case Study DONE FAST?

Pick a topic, tell us your requirements and get your paper on time.

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:

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.

Don't Know Where to Start?

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. Request ' write my case study ' assistance from our service.

What Is A Case Study?

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

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.

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.

More From Forbes

Creating an effective case study: 12 important tips to remember.

• Share to Facebook
• Share to Twitter
• Share to Linkedin

The practical application of a theory or idea is the most effective way of demonstrating its usefulness. Case studies allow for the dissection of practical applications to uncover the thinking that led to them.

The best thing about case studies is that they can be used as a learning tool for both successful concepts as well as failed ones, while also serving as a valuable business card when approaching new customers. Developing a case study, however, requires delving into the background of a project and uncovering what made it good or bad. In addition, the information has to be packed in such a way to emphasize your skills and creativity without being overly promotional.

To help, 12 members of Forbes Agency Council examine the key elements to keep in mind when creating an effective case study.

Members explain how to create an effective and powerful case study for your business.

1. Don't Make It About Yourself

The wrong way to approach a case study is to make it about you and your process. The reader cares less about your motivation and more about the results your efforts created. Start off by describing the results that you created and then go into the general detail of your strategic and tactical approach to delivering those results. - John Gumas , Gumas Advertising

2. Tell A Story

The best case studies tell a story, rather than recite a chronology of facts or data points. To create a story arc, start with a few sentences describing the situation, followed by a few sentences highlighting the "dramatic tension" (e.g. X almost happened, Y threatened to derail the effort), and conclude with a few sentences tying the resolution to the value or point of the product or service. - Beth Noymer Levine , SmartMouth Communications

3. Lead With A Solution

Case studies are, by their very nature, boring. It is important to break past that by creating case studies that strike at the very problem a lead needs help with. Leading with a problem and demonstrating how you fixed it is the best way to get attention -- especially if it can be produced in an engaging way, such as through video or audio media. - Stefan Pollack , The Pollack PR Marketing Group

4. Include Relevant Data

It's great that you worked with a certain company, but what did you really do for them? That should be defined in the case study. If you can't define it in numbers and results, then think about using the brand in a testimonial instead. A case study is just that -- a study of what happened in a particular case. Make sure you tell the whole story. - Christine Wetzler , Pietryla PR

5. Always Use Specific Numbers

If you're going to show an increase in a certain metric, use the actual number. When you say something like "we increased conversions by 500%," it sets off a red flag for people. They'll think you just made it up. But if you show real numbers and even have the screenshots to back it up, it'll become more relevant and believable. - Greg Trimble , Lemonade Stand

6. Keep It Succinct And Pass On The Fluff

The vast majority of people skim content, including case studies. You have to put yourself in your prospect's shoes and understand what they want. They're primarily looking for the success you've provided the client. So focus on that and skip on any fluff content that doesn't align around that. - Nishank Khanna , Demand Roll

7. Tailor Them To Your Audience

Sure, you're going to have generic case studies, but when seeing a client, ensure that you really understand the problem the client faces. Then make your case show how you've solved the problem before. You can highlight different capabilities based on different needs of the client. - Emilie Tabor , IMA - Influencer Marketing Agency

8. Make It Multi-Format

If you can get case studies, quotes and testimonials, always include hard data and tie it to revenue or cost stories. Beyond this, make it multi-format by leveraging graphics, video and text so that it can be consumed and promoted on various platforms. This will maximize the exposure and utility for your successful client case studies. - Zamir Javer , Jumpfactor

9. Let The Images Do The Work

Aside from ensuring a case study is focused on the problem your brand has solved for a customer, nothing brings it to life more than imagery. In lieu of a long-form case study, consider a photo essay with solid captions narrating the case study as a better option for illustrating the value of your product or service and keeping audiences truly engaged. - Emily Porter , Havas Formula

10. Paint A Picture For Your Prospect

Highlighting your wins is great, but remember that a case study should showcase how you solved a client's most pressing problem so that a new prospect can see how you got from point A to Z. This is how we like to tell our clients' success stories: client profile, the challenge, results, strategy and looking toward the future. Remember, the results are just one piece of the puzzle. - Bernard May , National Positions

11. Abstract It First

We think if we write it, someone will accept it. If you remove the outlet from the process, more often, you'll need to rewrite it. Develop the abstract or a couple of abstracts with four elements: company's expertise and solution; customer's industry and challenges; what solution you delivered; why that solution is so innovative. Offer the outlet a chance to contribute, then write with insight. - Dean Trevelino , Trevelino/Keller

12. Know When To Insert Them Into The Campaign

We've analyzed user footprint data on the inbound journey and see a clear trend. Most people are only interested in case studies once they are convinced that a service provider could be a good fit for them. Case studies usually come after reviewing staff profiles and thought leadership content. Insert them too soon and they lose their value in the sales campaign. - Randy Shattuck , The Shattuck Group

• Editorial Standards
• Reprints & Permissions

• English (EN)
• Português (BR)
• Deutsch (DE)
• Español (ES)
• Italiano (IT)
• Nederlands (NL)
• Français (FR)

I hope you enjoy reading this blog post. If you want my team to just do your marketing for you, click here .

11 Tips For Creating a More Effective Case Study (With Examples)

Are you using case studies to promote your business? If you’re not, it’s a good idea to consider including them in your content marketing.

Because case studies are a powerful tool to increase sales and drive conversions.

They provide real-life examples of how your brand helps customers reach their goals.

An in-depth case study highlights your successes and allows you to show rather than tell prospective customers how you can help them reach their goals.

However, writing a solid case study can be a challenge. Many examples I see online are bland, thin, and don’t deliver the value they could.

It’s time to change that. In this article, I detail 11 actionable tips explaining how to write a case study.

Let’s get started with tip number one.

1. Write About Someone Your Ideal Customer Will Relate To

Do you know who your ideal customer is ? If it’s someone in the education industry, make case studies about your university customers. If it’s someone in the automobile industry, make your case studies about auto parts and accessories manufacturers. Whatever niche you’re in, case studies give you the perfect way to reach your target market.

The goal is to ensure that your case study shows prospective customers that you are:

• comfortable in their industry
• understand their industry’s specific needs
• know how to give their industry targeted results

Think about it on a smaller level, such as when you’re reading a how-to blog post — most posts are geared toward average readers.

However, when you see a post explicitly designed for your needs (such as online marketing for the healthcare industry), you are more likely to understand and apply the information.

The same is true with case studies – people who read about results in their industry can see the possibilities. Writing case studies also positions you as an expert in your sector, helping to boost your authority and give consumers confidence.

2. Tell the Story from Start to Finish

In today’s fast-paced and competitive world, storytelling matters . Telling a memorable story as a content writer sets you apart and positions you as the go-to expert in your industry.

Storytelling is the most powerful way to breathe life into your content and brand. It’s the art of communicating an event, project, or experience in an interesting and relatable manner.

In a nutshell, it’s about time you tap into the power of storytelling if you want your readers to really know your customers.

When you’re considering writing a case study, look at:

• Who is the sample customer, and what do they do?
• What were the customer’s goals?
• What were the customer’s needs?
• How did you satisfy those needs and help customers meet their goals?

Then, apply the same rules as you would with any other form of storytelling by including a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Interesting Beginning

The image below shows how Nick Francis from HelpScout started his story with a strong line. You have to keep reading after such a captivating beginning.

Expository Middle

Remember that this is the meat of your story – the main body.  It must resonate with people. Here are some tips to help you achieve that:

• Use persuasive words, encouraging people to act.
• Lay out your thoughts and advice clearly by using bulleted points.
• Include interactive videos to make your story truly engaging. 
• Go straight to the point; avoid needless words.
• Outline the results your existing clients and students achieved by working with you.

For inspiration on the above, look at the NP digital case study library .

Action-Oriented Conclusion

Make your conclusion action-oriented. In other words, tell y our prospects what to do next and how to do it.

However, don’t bore readers and potential clients after you’ve persuaded them with a high-quality expository middle.

Remember to include a course of action in every phase of your client acquisition process . Otherwise, you’ll lose out on motivated clients.

When concluding your story-based case study, you can ask simple interview questions to avoid being sales-y or pushy. 

Later, you can follow up with the customer in the case study and update it to show how your clients continue to reap the benefits.

Finally, highlight emotional benefits and hard numbers. Did your solution improve morale, increase employee retention, or allow workers to focus on less tedious tasks?

This allows readers to see that your goal is to help with immediate needs and to deliver long-term results.

3. Structure Your Case Study to Persuade

Writing a case study only builds credibility if you know how to structure it. Don’t forget there are a gazillion case studies out there that no one cares about.

How do you write a case study that gets noticed above the noise? You need the power to persuade. Think Robert Collier, David Ogilvy, and Gary Halbert.

These copywriters are still talked about today, and they all know how to create persuasive copy by:

• Using emotional language to connect with an audience
• Focusing on the benefits of a product or service and not just the features
• Highlighting your audience’s pain points and positioning your product/service as the solution
• Including testimonials, or social proof as we most often refer to it today

You can apply these same steps to writing a case study that resonates with your audience. However, there are other approaches you could take, like telling the story from the perspective of a happy customer.

Case Study Outline Example

Here’s an example outline for a case study: 

• Introduction: Start with a brief overview of the problem your customer faced. Include a background of the company and the product/service you used to help resolve their issues.
• The Challenge: Clearly define the challenge or issue that led to the case study. This should include the impact, scope, and duration of the problem.
• The Solution: Next, explain the solution or strategy you implemented to address the challenge. Include the unique approach, resources, and other vital details.
• The Implementation: This section should cover how your company executed the solution, including timelines, roles and responsibilities of team members, and other details about the implementation process.
• The Results: Highlight the outcomes of the strategy, including the specific impact on customer satisfaction ratings, customer retention, and other metrics. Use graphs and charts to showcase the results.
• Conclusion: Finally, conclude with a recap of the problem, the solution adopted, and the results achieved. Also, include any additional insights, learnings, and recommendations for future improvements.
• References: Include references or sources that support the case study. This ensures credibility and can help readers further understand the solution and outcomes presented in the case study. For instance, include a screenshot of the increased conversions and quotes from your client.

4. Make Your Case Study Easy to Read

No one wants to read one huge chunk of text, no matter how interesting and informative it might be. Case studies, like blog posts, should be scannable and easy to read .

Be sure to use good content formatting elements as you would with articles, blog posts, and copywriting on your website, including:

• bulleted lists
• bold or italicized text

In addition to providing excellent SEO value for your case studies page, these formatting elements will help your readers (especially those that like to skim) find the most important parts of your case study and understand the value you deliver.

Consider adding multimedia elements in addition to written content, such as videos, PDFs, and images, to mix it up and make the content more engaging.

Images of the actual customer results dashboards, and even video interviews make your case study easier to read and more compelling.

• Include a clear introduction that offers context and outlines the main problem or challenges your case study covers.
• Use quotes and testimonials from customers or clients to add credibility and make the case study more relatable.
• Include a conclusion or summary that ties everything together and highlights the key takeaways.

Another way to produce case studies is with before and after images. We’ll look at an example next.

5. Provide Clear “Before and After” Examples

Fitness experts tend to use this strategy most effectively. You’ve all seen the “Before and After” example images of people who have lost a dramatic amount of weight.

When people want to lose weight or build muscle, purchasing any product or program often depends on the “before and after” images. Take a look at this example from Fit Father Project:

These case studies work well because they show what’s possible and what the program can help you achieve. There are few better ways to advertise a fitness business.

However, even as an internet marketer, you can still use the “before and after” when writing a case study.

You’ve got to understand that when prospective clients are seriously looking for the best solution or service provider to hire, they don’t want to hear or see anything except the results.

It’s not enough to highlight product features and benefits. That can help, but the real motivation usually comes from measurable results.

In your case study, you can showcase your clients’ challenges before they began using your product.

Showing the transition from before to after that product, strategy, or approach can persuade clients to hire you more than any other tactic.

I always do this when I host a live webinar or write a post, and you can do this when writing a case study, too.

6. Include Real Numbers

Have you ever read case studies where a business states they “doubled traffic” for the customer in their case study and wondered if that meant they went from 100 to 200 visits or 10,000 to 20,000 visits?

When writing a case study, you need to be specific. Share exactly how much your increased traffic, revenue, or whatever goals matter to your customers. Put the numbers out there. Including this data makes your case study more believable and helps build trust in your brand.

Instead of saying you doubled their traffic, provide specific, accurate numbers and (if possible) actual proof through charts, graphs, or analytics data.

Remember that only some people are as familiar with analytics technology as you are, so highlight the most important pieces of data and provide context as to why it matters.

Here’s an example from Page One :

This way, the reader can see where the customer began and where the customer ended up with your help.

Plus, having the picture proof can help the reader envision exactly what you might do for them, making your case study that much more powerful.

7. Talk About Specific Strategies in Your Case Study

You’ve doubled a website’s traffic or sales, right? How did you do it? This is where you sell your products or services simply by saying which ones you used and how they led to the desired result.

Don’t just say, “our online marketing services led to these results.” Instead, say something like, ” A three-month social media campaign focusing on Facebook and YouTube and a five-month link-building campaign led to an increase in rankings and an increase in traffic from 2,000 to 15,000 per month.”

Consider including metrics and data to support the campaign’s success, such as click-through rates, conversions, or engagement metrics. This helps to back up your claims and establish credibility with potential clients or customers.

Don’t worry about giving away your secrets — the goal is to establish your brand as an industry leader, and you need to show you know your stuff.

8. Test Different Content Formats

Writing a case study doesn’t have to follow the typical format. Try different types of case studies, such as video testimonials , where you have your clients answer questions about what they do, their needs, their goals, and how you met them.

Quoting your customer in their own words makes the case study even more relatable to your ideal customer than you telling the story.

Infographics, webinars , testimonials, and even podcasts can also be used to highlight case studies. Don’t get stuck in the same old text-only format — get creative and see what type of content your users respond to.

Here’s a case study example from Venngage that uses a brochure-style case study to highlight how Vortex grew conversion. (Notice the results section that highlights specific gains).

9. Find the Right Competitor to Profile in Your Case Study

Who are your competitors, and what results did they achieve? Profiling your competitor in your case study analysis is a great way to show how your product works.

Not sure how to get started? Check out our step-by-step guide below.

First, let’s find your competitors, in case you don’t know yet who they are.

i).   First step: Go to Semrush.com . Enter your blog URL (e.g., neilpatel.com) into the search box. Then, click on the “search” button.

ii).   Second step: Analyze your competitors. Scroll down through the results, and you’ll see your “Main Organic Competitors”:

iii).  Third step: Research your competitors. From the list of your main organic competitors, you can pick one of them to research.

Visit their website and read a couple of posts. Look for experiments, split tests, case studies, client testimonials, interview questions, etc.

Then, leverage that data in your case study.

In the client’s mind, since a brand offers the same service or sells the same product and it worked, your own offer may also work – all things being equal.

For example, if you’re a software marketer who just started out, you probably don’t have much data or any compelling success stories yet.

However, you can profile other SaaS marketers. You could share the results that Pat Flynn’s clients got or profile Derek Halpern and his students.

Here’s a recent case study where I profiled some of my competitors. I shared how these competitors increased their email open rates.

You don’t even have to showcase data from your core competitors as part of your custom paper.

If you see a brand that’s doing great and making a real impact, you can share its journey and revenue (assuming you have access to it).

Way back in February 2016, Pat Flynn generated over $65,000. You could share a case study on your blog to inspire clients on what’s obtainable.

Your titles could be similar to these:

• Case Study: How Pat Flynn Generated Over $65,000 in February [3-Step Process]
• 7 Steps to Making Over $100,000 From Blogging [Must Read for B2B Marketers]

Not too long ago, I profiled Shopify and shared how the online shopping cart company grew 10x in 3 years .

Is there a benefit of this case study, seeing that it’s not directly related to my blog or the results from my clients?

Well, take a look at the title again. See the underlined section. That’s what matters to any client.

When showcasing the results from competitors or other brands, find a way to provide value.

Help the reader see the possibility of getting similar or even better results. You could showcase results from competitors and use those as a benchmark for your own performance. 

Showcasing competitors’ results also gives you the opportunity to create content highlighting your brand’s unique value proposition or competitive advantages. This can help to differentiate your brand from the competition and make it more appealing to potential customers or clients.

10. Appeal to Different Types of Learners

While some people enjoy reading, others may prefer audio, video, or visual representation of your case study; consider taking your text-based case studies and re-purposing the content as:

• A YouTube video
• An engaging infographic (Hubspot has a list of 20 to inspire you).

The bonus of YouTube videos and infographics is that they are easy to share. Your case study could go beyond your site, helping more potential customers discover the benefits of your products/services.

You could also embed your case studies into other types of content — such as an ebook, how-to blog post, or resource guide. Additionally, you might link to your case study from other posts to prove your value, mention it in a webinar, or include numbers in a presentation.

11. Make Your Case Studies Easy to Find

What’s the point of writing a case study if no one reads it? For easy discoverability, keep your case studies organized and easy to find. This means listing them on your website, optimizing them for search , and promoting them in email and social media.

Here are a few case study examples that are easy to find — and, therefore, much more powerful.

Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services provides case studies from multiple niches. AWS also makes it easy to look for industry-specific case studies. 

AWS mixes it up with podcasts, videos, and other media types.

What AWS also does well is detail specifics, as we suggested earlier. For instance, in a case study for its client Silverblaze, AWS highlights the 66 percent reduction in annual infrastructure costs.

Drupal provides case studies right on its homepage. Users considering using the solution don’t have to look far to see how other brands are succeeding with Drupal.

Quick Checklist: 11 Steps to Create a Better Case Study

Writing an in-depth case study helps highlight your successes and turn prospects into customers. Here’s how to make them more effective.

• Make it relatable. Highlight a customer similar to your ideal customer so they can relate to the results.
• Tell the whole story from start to finish. That means including a beginning, middle, and end and using storytelling. Don’t just tell how you helped a week out — carry the story through and show how your product or service delivered value weeks or months down the line.
• Structure your case study to persuade.
• Make it easy to read. Your case study should be detailed, but don’t make it dissertation-level. Use clear formatting and casual language.
• Provide before and after case study examples. .
• Include numbers: Storytelling is valuable, but so is proof. Use precise numbers to prove your value.
• Get specific about strategies. If you helped a client double their traffic, discuss how you did it. Did you up their content production, increase on-page SEO , etc.
• Find the right kind of competitor to profile in your case study. Look for competitors in your niche and profile them. Detail their results and let readers know what’s possible.
• Use different formats: Case studies don’t have to be in blog form! Consider videos, infographics, webinars, or even podcasts.
• Appeal to different learners: Some people respond to different kinds of content. Consider including multiple elements, such as an infographic in a blog post, to appeal to all types of learners.
• Make your case studies easy to find: Highlight them on your website, optimize them, and promote them on social media.

Case Study FAQs

What makes a good case study.

A good case study focuses on the customer’s experience and how they benefited from using a product or service.  It should be concise and evergreen, providing contextual details without being overly wordy. Rather than solely promoting the company, a case study should focus on the customer’s problem, how your product or service provided a solution, and the results your customer got.

What is the format of a case study report?

Typically, a case study details your customer’s problem, followed by the solution provided by the product or service, results, and data analysis. It also includes any limitations or challenges encountered and a conclusion with key takeaways. Case studies can come in a variety of formats from videos to infographics to text with images strategically placed throughout.

How long should a case study be?

The length varies, but they usually range from 500-1,500 words. Be sure to keep it to the point and don’t add copy just to make it longer.

What are the most important parts of a case study?

The most important parts of a case study typically include:

• The problem or challenge faced by the customer or client.
• The solution or approach provided by the product or service being studied.
• The results and data analysis of the solution or approach.
• The limitations or challenges encountered during the process.
• A conclusion or key takeaways that summarize the overall impact of the solution or approach.

Additionally, you can include a well-crafted title and executive summary that capture the reader’s attention and set the tone for the rest of the case study.

Make it relatable, easy to read, and use storytelling. That’s the simplest way to build a case study. 

It starts with research. Ask your customers to fill out a short form highlighting how you helped them reach their goals — and be sure to ask for specific results.

Explain how the case study will help them by increasing brand awareness and link opportunities. Remember, a highly effective case study helps both you and your client build trust and reach a wider audience.

Then mix it up with different formats, ensuring you’re appealing to different learners, and apply the other tips in this article. 

I bet that was easier than you thought, wasn’t it? 

Keep trying different methods to find the ones that hit home with your clients, and you’ll soon be writing case studies that secure new leads .

How do you feel about building a client case study and then using them on your website? Share your thoughts below.

See How My Agency Can Drive More Traffic to Your Website

• SEO - unlock more SEO traffic. See real results.
• Content Marketing - our team creates epic content that will get shared, get links, and attract traffic.
• Paid Media - effective paid strategies with clear ROI.

Book a Call

Are You Using Google Ads? Try Our FREE Ads Grader!

Stop wasting money and unlock the hidden potential of your advertising.

• Discover the power of intentional advertising.
• Reach your ideal target audience.
• Maximize ad spend efficiency.

source: https://neilpatel.com/blog/creating-a-great-case-study/

30% of the world’s marketers visit Neil Patel’s blog every month for insights, strategies, and the latest trends in the dynamic realm of marketing..

Fill out the form below to download this blog

Monthly Marketing Budget Under $750 $750 to $1,500 $1,500 to $5,000 $5,000 to $10,000 $10,000 to $25,000 $25,000 to $50,000 $50,000 to $100,000 Above $100,000

Marketing team size I don’t have a marketing team 1 person 2-5 people 6-10 people 10+ people

Business type Ecommerce Professional Services SaaS Other

Industry Animal & Pet Apparel, Fashion & Jewelry Arts & Entertainment Attorneys, Law & Legal Automotive (Sales & Rental) Beauty, Cosmetics & Personal Care Career & Employment Education, Coaching & Instruction Farming, Agriculture & Sustainability Finance, Banks, Investments & Accounting Fitness, Supplements & Vitamins Health-Related, Wellness & Medical Heavy Industry, Energy & Manufacturing Home Improvement, HVAC, Roofing, Furniture, Decor Insurance Logistics & Transportation Marketing, Advertising, PR & Digital Services Pharma Real Estate Restaurants, Foods & Beverages Travel, Hotel & Tourism Other

Challenges Need more awareness and traffic Not enough leads Leads not converting into sales The current strategy is not working A mix of the above

Number of employees 1 - 5 6 - 25 26 - 100 100+

Your urgency for hiring help I need help IMMEDIATELY I need to start working on it THIS QUARTER I have 6 MONTHS to decide I have more than A YEAR Gathering information for DIY Not a priority

By clicking the button below, you consent for NP Digital and partners to use automated technology, including pre-recorded messages, cell phones and texts, and email to contact you at the number and email address provided. This includes if the number is currently on any Do Not Call Lists. This consent is not required to make a purchase. Privacy Policy .

Thank you for providing your information

Preparing the file. Please wait...

Your download will automatically start in a few seconds. If your download does not start, please click here .

If you want my team to do your marketing for you, just click the button below and schedule a call with us:

Book a call

• EXPLORE Random Article
• Happiness Hub

How to Write a Case Study

Last Updated: April 1, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Annaliese Dunne . Annaliese Dunne is a Middle School English Teacher. With over 10 years of teaching experience, her areas of expertise include writing and grammar instruction, as well as teaching reading comprehension. She is also an experienced freelance writer. She received her Bachelor's degree in English. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. In this case, 82% of readers who voted found the article helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 581,034 times.

There are many different kinds of case studies. There are also various uses for writing case studies, from academic research purposes to provision of corporate proof points. There are approximately four types of case studies: illustrative (descriptive of events), exploratory (investigative), cumulative (collective information comparisons) and critical (examine particular subject with cause and effect outcomes). After becoming familiar with the different types and styles of case study instructions and how each applies to your purposes, there are some steps that make writing flow smoothly and ensure the development and delivery of a uniform case study that can be used to prove a point or illustrate accomplishments.

Getting Started

• Whatever case study method you're employing, your purpose is to thoroughly analyze a situation (or "case") which could reveal factors or information otherwise ignored or unknown. These can be written about companies, whole countries, or even individuals. What's more, these can be written on more abstract things, like programs or practices. Really, if you can dream it, you can write a case study about it. [1] X Research source

• Start your research at the library and/or on the Internet to begin delving into a specific problem. Once you've narrowed down your search to a specific problem, find as much about it as you can from a variety of different sources. Look up information in books, journals, DVDs, websites, magazines, newspapers, etc. As you go through each one, take adequate notes so you can find the info later on! [1] X Research source

• Find out what has been written before, and read the important articles about your case's situation . When you do this, you may find there is an existing problem that needs solution, or you may find that you have to come up with an interesting idea that might or might not work in your case situation.
• Review sample case studies that are similar in style and scope to get an idea of composition and format, too.

Preparing the Interview

• Find knowledgeable people to interview. They don't necessarily have to be on your site, but they must be, actively or in the past, directly involved.
• Determine whether you will interview an individual or group of individuals to serve as examples in your case study. It may be beneficial for participants to gather as a group and provide insight collectively. If the study focuses on personal subject matter or medical issues, it may be better to conduct personal interviews.
• Gather as much information as possible about your subjects to ensure that you develop interviews and activities that will result in obtaining the most advantageous information to your study.

• When you are interviewing people, ask them questions that will help you understand their opinions. I.e., How do you feel about the situation? What can you tell me about how the site (or the situation) developed? What do you think should be different, if anything? You also need to ask questions that will give you facts that might not be available from an article--make your work different and purposeful.

• Make sure all your informants are aware of what you're doing. They need to be fully informed (and signing waivers in certain cases) and your questions need to be appropriate and not controversial.

Obtaining Data

• When you ask a question that doesn't let someone answer with a "yes" or a "no" you usually get more information. What you are trying to do is get the person to tell you whatever it is that he or she knows and thinks --even though you don't always know just what that is going to be before you ask the question. Keep your questions open-ended.
• Request data and materials from subjects as applicable to add credibility to your findings and future presentations of your case study. Clients can provide statistics about usage of a new tool or product and participants can provide photos and quotes that show evidence of findings that may support the case.

• You can't include it all. So, you need to think about how to sort through it, take out the excess, and arrange it so that the situation at the case site will be understandable to your readers. Before you can do this, you have to put all the information together where you can see it and analyze what is going on.

• This will allow you to concentrate on what material is the most important. You're bound to receive information from participants that should be included, but solely on the periphery. Organize your material to mirror this.

Writing Your Piece

• The introduction should very clearly set the stage. In a detective story, the crime happens right at the beginning and the detective has to put together the information to solve it for the rest of the story. In a case, you can start by raising a question. You could quote someone you interviewed.
• Make sure to include background information on your study site, why your interviewees are a good sample, and what makes your problem pressing to give your audience a panoramic view of the issue. [2] X Research source After you've clearly stated the problem at hand, of course. [1] X Research source Include photos or a video if it would benefit your work to be persuasive and personalized.
• After the reader has all the knowledge needed to understand the problem, present your data. Include customer quotes and data (percentages, awards and findings) if possible to add a personal touch and more credibility to the case presented. Describe for the reader what you learned in your interviews about the problem at this site, how it developed, what solutions have already been proposed and/or tried, and feelings and thoughts of those working or visiting there. You may have to do calculations or extra research yourself to back up any claims.
• At the end of your analysis, you should offer possible solutions, but don't worry about solving the case itself. You may find referring to some interviewees' statements will do the alluding for you. Let the reader leave with a full grasp of the problem, but trying to come up with their own desire to change it. [1] X Research source Feel free to leave the reader with a question, forcing them to think for themselves. If you have written a good case, they will have enough information to understand the situation and have a lively class discussion.

• You may have terms that would be hard for other cultures to understand. If this is the case, include it in the appendix or in a Note for the Instructor .

• Go over your study section by section, but also as a whole. Each data point needs to fit into both it's place and the entirety of the work. If you can't find an appropriate place for something, stick it in the appendix.

• Have someone else proofread, too. Your mind may have become oblivious to the errors it has seen 100 times. Another set of eyes may also notice content that has been left open-ended or is otherwise confusing.

Expert Q&A

• If you are developing many case studies for the same purpose using the same general subjects, use a uniform template and/or design. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Be sure to ask open-ended questions while conducting interviews to foster a discussion. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Ask for permission to contact case study participants as you develop the written case study. You may discover that you need additional information as you analyze all data. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

Expert Interview

Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about writing, check out our in-depth interview with Annaliese Dunne .

• ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 http://www.essayforum.com/grammar-usage-13/to-write-case-study-366/
• ↑ https://www.universalclass.com/articles/business/the-process-of-writing-a-case-study.htm
• http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/research/casestudy/pop2a.cfm Colorado State University Case Study writing guides
• http://www.hoffmanmarcom.com/casestudy/howtowrite.php Hoffman Marketing and Communications case study overview

About this article

To write a case study, start with an introduction that defines key terms, outlines the problem your case study addresses, and gives necessary background information. You can also include photos or a video if they will help your work to be more persuasive. Then, present your findings from the case study and explain your methodology, including how you used your data to come to your conclusions. In your conclusion, offer possible solutions or next steps for research, based on your results. To learn how to select participants for your case study, keep reading. Did this summary help you? Yes No

Reader Success Stories

Aaron Farrell

Jul 11, 2019

Did this article help you?

Sep 11, 2016

Sep 21, 2017

Dec 18, 2017

Mar 6, 2017

• About wikiHow
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

How to Write a Case Study – An Easy Step by Step Guide

As freelance writers, we are always on the lookout for ways to generate more profit and higher rates from our writing services, right?

Adding services, like learning how to write a case case study, can be highly profitable and can help to advance your skills as a web writer.

If you aren’t too familiar with them, writing case studies help businesses tell a story about how they’ve helped their customers reach their goals and how their products or services add value to their customers’ bottom line.

However, learning how to write a case study is different than other forms of content marketing that businesses might use, such as white papers or blog posts.

It’s not an ebook or even a general article.

So, what is a case study and how do you effectively write a case study?

Whether you’re a new or experienced online writer looking to expand your services, I want to share with you how to successfully write case studies that will wow your clients.

In this post, I will share with you what a case study is, how to research for a case study, how to write a case study, give you some case study examples, and even share my tried and true template for formatting my case studies.

You don’t have to be an expert case study writer to offer this as a service to your clients either.

If you want to try your hand at case studies, you can add to your portfolio and even write one for yourself and focus on how you’ve helped your clients with their goals.

I’ve had many of my course students write a case study for clients when they had never written one before.

Adding case studies to their services has helped them to get high-paying projects as a new writer.

Even if you are an experienced writer, it’s always beneficial to get some extra help when taking on a new type of writing service.

So, let’s dive into how to write a case study when you’re new to all of this!

Case Study Definition

Diving into a case study analysis, you’ll notice that case studies offer real-life examples of how your client was able to take their customers from point A to point B. Similar to white papers, case studies use cold, hard statistics. Case studies are also research-driven and require setting up interviews and developing interview questions.

One thing you should know right away is that writing case studies require a little more research and time-intensive hours than other forms of writing.

Not only are you gathering analytics and interviewing clients or customers, but you’re also telling a story.

You have to be able to mesh together the numbers and the emotion of the case study to create a written work that will become a powerful piece of advertising for your client.

If you’re new to this style of writing, it’s easy to see how a case study can be confused with white papers as both are research-driven. However, there are two very large differences that make case studies unique.

The first is case studies are more interview-driven about a successful strategy while white papers are more written like a report about a new feature from a business.

The second part is the story behind how your client was able to provide their customers with value that brought them results.

Even if your client is meticulously tracking their customers’ before and after results, you have to get the story behind that information to write an informative and highly valuable case study. One of the biggest advantages of offering case studies as a service is that you can charge a lot more for them.

A typical case study are anywhere between $500 to $1500 and more.

Finally, most case studies are short-for, research problem focussed content. Case studies, unlike white papers, are often much shorter but the information gathering process can be just as time-intensive.

Case studies, therefore, only span a few pages and are usually under 1500 words.

Case Study Examples

For some, learning how to write a business case study  requires looking at examples of what a great case study looks like.

So, what is an example of a case study?

Companies often use a case study as a way to market their services to a potential customer. It helps to showcase how they’re able to solve their customers’ problems and bring them value – kind of like a testimonial – only with way more information!

For example, Drift uses the case studies to highlight how they’re helping their customers book new business and increase leads through the use of real-time messaging chatbots.

Here’s a case study from Drift that focuses on how they helped Aventri book $1.7 million in new sales in just five months!

Or this case study on how Groupon used Sprinklr to increase their customer response time by responding to 76% of their customer messages within 30 minutes.

Any kind of business can use a case study to highlight a client’s success story.

If the business can get testimonials, it can have a marketing case study written. Like Clio, a legal practice management and client intake software increased their chat leads by 625% with Drift within five months for their global sales team.

Drift and Sprinklr, as well as thousands of other businesses like Wishpond and Creative Industries , use case studies to highlight how their products have helped their customers’ businesses, which in turn, helps to get new customers interested in their products or services.

While many businesses use case studies in a B2B format, businesses can also use case studies to market directly to customers.

As well, case studies can also be podcasts, testimonials, or blog posts like this one for the Allergy Kit.

Case Study Template

Now that you know what a case study is, let’s break down exactly what you should put into an effective case study to help your clients bring in more business. Here is a simple case study template that I follow that you can use to get started writing your first case study.

1.   Introduction

The introduction of your case study should always talk about your client. You can mention their brand, their industry, their services, and any other relevant information.

Then, you can make sure to share some important details that highlight what makes them different – their unique selling point.

You can also briefly mention the problem that the customer faced that relates to the solution that the client was able to provide, without going into too much detail. This is what I did in my mock case study example.

2.   Their Challenges

In this section, talk about the key problem, challenges, or any pain points that the customer was facing that the prospective client wanted you to address (you learn about this in the interview process).

Go much more in-depth about the customer’s problem in this section of your case study.

• How did this problem develop?
• Was it a pre-existing issue or something new?
• Was this problem due to changes in their market or other unforeseen circumstances?

Also talk about what the customer’s initial goals were for working with the client, and how they expected to have their problem solved; this will lead to part four of the case study.

Lastly, why did the customer choose to work with my client specifically? A case study interview might proof to help you with this aspect of writing a case study.

This is great information to have as it will help to further build the client’s social proof.

3.   The Solution

The solution part of the case study is where you can propose the solution and mention all the great things that you client did to help their customers achieve amazing results. Include specific strategies that worked or did not.

• Did the client offer a tried and true method to solve the issue or did they do something new?
• What parts of the client’s team were involved and how did they contribute?
• What was the end solution, what did it look like?
• How did the client use their products or services to solve their customer’s issues?
• What was the timeline involved in delivering the solution to the customer?

Try to only focus on the things that potential customers will care about and don’t worry about including things they will not.

I always make sure to tailor my writing to appeal to the particular avatar that the client is marketing to (you find this out in the interview process as well).

4.   The Results

This is where you can include stats about the progress with supporting evidence. Discuss how the client solved their customers’ issues or accomplished the objectives they set out to achieve.

This is the part that ties back into section #2, their challenges.

If you collected or made any fancy charts or graphs, include them in the results section. Make sure to also focus on the benefits that the client’s customers received that go beyond any of the stats listed.

If this is a case study that covers a longer period of time, I like to include both immediate and long term benefits that the customers have experienced.

In talking about the various stats, try and highlight one as the most important and talk about why that is.

Finally, focus on the relationship between the client and their customer and how the customer now feels about their ROI. Was it worth it? Would they hire the client again?

How Do You Write a Case Study?

Now that you saw a basic case study template, let’s dive into how to write a case study for your clients.

How do you write a case study when you a new to this type of case study writing?

Writing case studies includes three parties, you (the writer), the company you are writing the case study for (client), and who the case study is being written about (customer).

The steps to actually writing a case study are not much different than any other form of writing.

It includes research from your client and their customers and the writing itself, being a bit less formal than a white paper.

Finally, you need to know how to format your case study and how to go about gathering all of the information that you need.

Here are some things to consider when writing your case study:

• Your client’s ideal customer (their avatar)
• The case study format
• Researching the company
• Interviewing clients and customers
• Putting together the numbers and emotion

Your Client’s Ideal Customer

While you find this out during the interviewing process, it’s worth noting here.

Before you write your first word, you need to know who your client’s ideal customer is , who they are specifically trying to market to. While some companies might only offer one service that they target one specific customer, others might have multiple.

You need to know who you’re talking to before you start talking.

How to Format a Case Study

There are several different ways you can format a case study.

A case study can be used as a lead magnet or a blog post. They can even be repurposed and turned into sharable infographics or brochures.

You can write your case study on whatever writing platform you’re most comfortable with, such as Google Docs or Microsoft Word.

If you’re looking for a formatted case study that can really catch a customer’s eye, Venngage has some really colorful and beautiful case study templates.

Make sure that you’re clarifying with the client beforehand exactly what they’re looking for and what their expectations are.

Technically speaking, it’s not your job as the writer to format the case study.

However, if you’re confident in your design skills you can offer that service as an add-on. You can also easily create beautifully formatted case studies in free programs like Canva, PicMonkey and even Google Docs (that’s what I used for my mock up case study template).

How to Research for a Case Study

Make sure you know enough about the company before you write a case study for them.

You should at least know about their history, what products and services they offer, and what value they bring their customers. It’s helpful to interview someone from the client’s company that’s familiar with marketing so they can give you some insight into how their services are marketed.

You need to know how they’re planning on using the case study in their marketing to really make it effective.

For example, a case study that will be a blog post might be different than a case study that will be a lead magnet.

Interviewing Clients and Customers

You should have two main points of contact for interviews. One from your client and one from their customer base.

As mentioned before, the client you interview should have knowledge of the marketing aspect of the business.

This will help to make sure that what you’re writing about is in line with their marketing goals.

The customer you interview should, first of all, know the goal of the interview and be able to give you the information and stats you’re looking for.

They should also be able to tell you their story and how the client’s service or product benefitted them and added value to their business and to their bottom line.

The actual interview itself can take place over Skype or video chat, on the phone, or if necessary through email.

Although, I would suggest actually talking to people – rather than email – as there might be more questions and further insight that comes up during the conversation.

Putting it All Together

This is where you flex your copywriting skills. Compile all of your data and present it in a way that is engaging to the reader.

You don’t want a boring list of statistics that are going to put your reader to sleep.

This is the part of the case study where the story really comes together and focuses on how your client was able to deliver amazing results to their customers.

You can also format the case study during this time as well.

Writing Case Study Questions

Do you have some questions about writing case studies? Let’s look at the most common questions.

How long do writing case studies take?

It depends on who you are interviewing. If you can reach the company or person quickly, it can take a few weeks to a month to compile the information and write the case study.

However, for some interviews, it can take months before you solidify a date for an interview.

What is the typical length of a case study?

Most case studies are short and no more than 1500 words.

What should a case study include?

The most important things a case study should include is the problem and how the company being profiled helped solved the problem. Case studies are success stories, so laying out the problem is key to understanding if the process was successful.

What/how should you quote pricing for case studies?

My recommendation is to either price each case study individually or to have a starting rate of $300-$500. One thing to note is that case study writing isn’t usually recurring, so adding additional services to your freelance writing business is important.

How to Market Case Study Writing to Businesses

Okay. Let’s look at how you can market yourself as a case study writer.

1. Build a Case Study Portfolio

To show potential clients proof that you can write a case study, have writing samples in your portfolio to support this.

It can be as easy as a mock up – like the one I crated for this post – to guest posting about the importance of white papers for businesses.

2. Niche Yourself as a Case Study Writer

It’s a good idea to title yourself as a case study writer, if you primarily want to write case studies. For example, Bonnie mentions her case study writing as the first thing on her services page.

She does a great job by also providing:

• A case study testimonial
• Case study writing samples
• A case study checklist for people who want to DIY it
• Tips to writing a case study (which are more writing samples for her)

It’s also a good idea to title yourself as a case study writer on social media too!

3. Provide Informational Guest Posts on Case Studies

A great marketing strategy to use is to guest post on topics that relate to how case studies can help businesses with their bottom line.

Find blogs that your ideal client reads or visit business blogs that accept guest posts and guest post those types of topics!

Writing a Case Study

There ya go!

How to write a case study with some case study examples and more!

I hope you find this helpful and start pitching to businesses as a case study writer!

For more posts like this, look at my How to Write Series:

• How to Write a White Paper – A Simple Step by Step Guide
• How to Write a Writing Sample for a Job
• How to Write an About Me Page as a Freelance Writer
• How Writing a Cover Letter Can Help You Land That Job
• How to Write an Email as as Copywriter

Over to you – tell me if case studies is something you will offer now!

Share this post with your friends!

Leave a reply cancel reply, 21 comments.

Get Active in Our Amazing Community of Over 465,000 Peers!

Is there a good way to prep case by yourself.

Hey community,

I know prelounge has case partners, but I have an intense working schedule that makes planned sessions quite hard. Also, to be honest, I sometimes feel stressful to practice with strangers.

What are some good ways that I can practice by myself? I'm reading a case book now but don't very effective.

Overview of answers

• Date ascending
• Date descending

Hi, Practising by yourself will always be less effective than practising with your peers and / or with a coach because

- you are not pressured by time and unexpected/hard questions - not all existing preparation material is good enough provides a comprehensive and accurate feedback to which you can refer to understand your mistakes and revise the approach - it is more time consuming That said, you can complement your preparation with self studies especially for the part on structuring and maths. On that, as other experts have already indicated there are good sources here on Preplounge and on the web. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Best

Practicing cases is a MUST. Case interviews are not to test if you can solve the problem. It's to test how you solve the problem - are you demonstrating critical thinking, can you articulate the message clearly, can you keep well under pressure and most importantly how would you be as a colleague to work with. Case interviews are another way to gauge if you'll be a good fit at that firm. And you cannot sharpen these attributes without practice. A couple of things you can do to help:

+ Shadow your friends/peers when they practice. Ask them if it's ok to sit and watch them observe. You will learn a lot - from the interview itself and also from the feedback that would be given to the interviewee

+ Once you get a hang of it, administer more cases (i.e. be the interviewer not the interviewee). In my last week before my interviews, this is all that I did. Helped me fine tune some small but important things based on my observations. This is more effective because you'll be responsible for giving feedback and will follow everything more closely

Having said this, I would re iterate, you need to practice yourself if you want a realistic shot at a good consulting firm. Hope this helps!

If you really value your time and have an intense schedule - please prepare with the other candidates. Preparing on your own will be just a waste of your time!

If you are stressed with other candidates, you will be 5x more stressed during the real interview.

In other words - if you commit doing something - do it well

The very direct and simple answer to your question would be solving cases out of loudly assuming you are presenting it to the interviewer.

Having said that, a mock interview is the best way of preparing for the interview. Remember, the interviewer will be a stranger too. You may want to start practicing with people you already know.

You can practice alone to some extent, but will never be as good as you could be by practicing with peers or coaches. Just like learning a lesson by just reading it vs. learning a lesson & testing yourself on mock exams, doing cases "on your own" will have limited value and poor retention.

If that is really what you want, so suggestions:

1. Read books (NOT "Case In Point", which I think net detrimental; Victor Cheng's book is good however)

2. Speaking about Victor Cheng, use his following resources:

2a. 6 hours of free video on YouTube

2b. "Look Over My Shoulder" (LOMS). Yes there are some free (illegal) versions everywhere, but please honor his work and pay for the product, it is not that expensive

2c. Do plenty of quick math exercises on caseinterviewmath.com, where he will rank you against fellow candidates on both accuracy and speed (in that order)

3. Plenty of great resources are available on the web and obviously here at PrepLounge

Again, none of this will replace actual practice with fellow candidates, and I strongly suggest you work with a coach or current consultant at some point. Many of us have spent over 100 hours to prepare for these cases, you shoul expect to spend even more if you want to work on your own.

Honestly though... if you are "stressed out" when doing a case with a stranger, don't expect to feel good when doing an actual interview. I'll be blunt: I don't think you can get in with that approach. Good luck - but remember it is a competition and the other guys get prepped properly -> you are helping them by "preparing" alone.

some good ways to practice alone are following ways:

1. Do cases alone, not just read.

2. Do drills or take structuring course. For ex., https://www.rocketblocks.me

3. Listen and watch best examples of case interviews.

Combine it with some practice and you would definitely see as your performance improves.

Super important! Good that you are asking about it.

Couple of things:

1). Practice openings on your own. Take a crappy case book that you can 'waste', and practice just openings

2). Similarly, practice just exhibits + maths. Not really useful to practice anything else except openings and maths in this way

2). Mentally walk through cases you've practiced with partners and refine your process. Especially in the beginning, when you try to come up with your own re-usable frameworks (you won't need them later in the process), it's useful.

Happy to chat more.

Related Products

Premium membership — 1 week.

• Unlimited meetings with peers
• Access to #number-of-cases# cases and more
• 1 week membership, no subscription

Break Into Consulting - Strategy Consulting Firm's All-In-One by Alexandre

• Created by 2 BCG consultants
• Covers most strategy consulting firms
• Get you to the backstage of the strategy world

Break Into Consulting - Industry Overviews by Alexandre

• 15+ industries covered
• Practical tips to master any industry

Break Into Consulting - Frameworks I wish I knew by Alexandre

• Covers most interview cases
• Practical tips to crack the case

Integrated FIT Guide for MBB by Clara

• Combines key concepts review and a hands-on methodology
• Contains printable worksheets to prepare your stories
• Includes 20+ real examples and 50+ practice questions

Premium Membership — 6 weeks

• 6 weeks membership, no auto-renewal

Related Articles

Case interview 2024, ey-parthenon case guide, bain case interview, case interview prep, free guide to lek consulting case interviews, the most common pitfalls in case interview preparation, candidate-led cases vs. interviewer-led cases, prepare your case with chatgpt, related cases.

Bain Case: Old Winery

MBB Final Round Case - Smart Education

MBB Case: COVID-19 Vaccine

Espresso, Whatelse?

Bain 1st round case – blissottica, related case interview basics article(s), how to start the case interview preparation.

Learn the basics of a real consulting case interview and repeatedly train the skills you need to ace your real case interview at MBB or the Big Four.

Preparation for Case Studies

Learn how to best prepare for case interviews at the world's largest consulting firms. In our Case Interview Basics, you will find everything you need!

Similar Questions

Should i apply in this september or wait, mckinsey solve, mbb hiring in a germany.

• Select category
• General Feedback
• Case Interview Preparation
• Technical Problems

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essays Samples >
• Essay Types >
• Case Study Example

Yourself Case Studies Samples For Students

12 samples of this type

If you're looking for an applicable way to simplify writing a Case Study about Yourself, WowEssays.com paper writing service just might be able to help you out.

For starters, you should skim our large collection of free samples that cover most diverse Yourself Case Study topics and showcase the best academic writing practices. Once you feel that you've studied the basic principles of content presentation and taken away actionable ideas from these expertly written Case Study samples, developing your own academic work should go much easier.

However, you might still find yourself in a situation when even using top-notch Yourself Case Studies doesn't let you get the job done on time. In that case, you can get in touch with our writers and ask them to craft a unique Yourself paper according to your custom specifications. Buy college research paper or essay now!

Interviews Task Case Study

List of questions one is likely to be asked during an interview.

The following questions are not specific to a given type of work but are general and can be asked in any interviewing environment. Accompanying the questions, are possible answers and an evaluation (guideline and the do’s and don’ts) when tackling the questions.

i. Tell me about yourself.

My name is Victor, I was born in Chicago a place where computers were used to do almost everything. Ever since my childhood, I have had the passion for computers. This made me pursue a course in computer engineering that has motivated me to apply for a position in your firm.

Put Yourself Into Tim’s Shoes: What Are You Going To Do Now?: Exemplar Case Study To Follow

Gadget battles: laptops or tablets case study sample.

Don't waste your time searching for a sample.

Get your case study done by professional writers!

Just from $10/page

Free Case Study On Behaviour Concern

< Behavior Concern> < Lecturer’s Name and Course Number>

Apple’s Best Practices Case Studies Example

Inside apple, case study on customer service and sales policy, good example of case study on risk assessment, marketing academic case study examples, ikea in usa: future of swedish giant, case study on employee behavior.

This paper will consider over what the employees behavior should be at all-time. It will also reflect on why this is significant. Last, it will provide benefits for managing a professional performance.

Example Of Self-Concept Case Study

Workplace and personal stress within management case study sample, case study on interview techniques, interview techniques.

What interview techniques do companies employ? From your experience, have you been in an interview when these were used? Describe the differences and the approach to being successful at them.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

• Neuroscience

How Do We Explore Ourselves? Here's What Science Has to Say

Exploring our internal world by mentally navigating cognitive maps..

Updated August 3, 2024 | Reviewed by Margaret Foley

• Often, the process of exploring ourselves resembles navigation in a physical environment.
• Research has found that the same brain regions that work during spatial navigation support mental navigation.
• It can be argued that self-exploration consists of mental navigation of our internal conceptual space.

Socrates famously stated, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” The Delphic maxims urged, "Know yourself.” Modern psychotherapists, coaches, and spiritual teachers advise us to explore ourselves to gain greater self-awareness. Clearly, the concept of self-exploration occupies a huge part of psychological growth, but the talk about it largely remains on the folk level. So, what does modern neuroscience have to say about it?

Recent findings from cognitive neuroscience suggest conceptualizing our internal exploration as mental navigation [1]. Broadly, mental navigation is our ability to map and navigate our cognitive space, which consists of memories, concepts, ideas, and their interconnections. The word navigation in this context is used similarly to how navigation happens in our physical environment [2].

Although the concept of mental navigation is novel in the scientific discourse, the idea of exploring our mind as if it were a physical space is not a new one. Take the memory palace technique, for example, which originated in ancient Greece. This method involves using familiar physical spaces to enhance memory. By associating information with specific locations within these spaces, we can mentally "walk through" them to recall what we've learned more effectively.

Moreover, different philosophers, writers, and early psychologists were also influenced by this idea. Rainer Maria Rilke wrote, “The only journey is the one within,” and William James compared our search in memory to the search for a lost object in our house [3]. Indeed, why does the way we explore our minds so much resemble the way we navigate our physical environment? Why does this idea of an inner journey intuitively makes so much sense?

Links Between Mental and Spatial Navigation

Recent research into exploratory behavior has uncovered interesting similarities between how we navigate physical spaces and how we search for information in our minds [4]. One theory suggests that we've developed effective algorithms for locating resources in our physical environment, and we now use these same patterns to search for information within our minds [4].

What is even more interesting is that findings on the brain level support the similarity of spatial and mental navigation. Already in 1948, psychologist Edward Tolman suggested the concept of a “cognitive map” [5]. He argued that to facilitate our wayfinding, we build structured and abstract representations in the brain to reflect the environment —cognitive maps.

Later, researchers found the so-called place and grid cells in the hippocampal-entorhinal system of the brain [6]. Place cells, for example, encode particular places in the environment. To illustrate, if a rat stands in one place, a corresponding place cell will fire, and if it moves to a different place, another place cell will activate. It was suggested that this brain mapping mechanism forms the so-called cognitive maps [7].

Strikingly, it has recently been found that the same mechanism encodes not only physical spaces but also abstract concepts. For example, when people engage in a role-playing game where they need to interact with other individuals in a social space, researchers can see that the grid cells form a kind of cognitive map of social space to reflect the relationships, hierarchy, and intimacy between different characters in the social space [8]. Many more papers show a similar phenomenon in different tasks: cognitive maps of social space, musical sounds, odors, narratives, word meanings, etc. (reviewed in [1]).

A New View of Cognitive Maps

These findings reconceptualized the way researchers view cognitive maps. Perhaps, besides cognitive maps for navigating our physical environment, we also possess "conceptual maps" for mapping and navigating the space of abstract concepts in our minds (see the figure below).

After all, the cells that fire to physical space encode a concept of this place and not a place itself. Similarly, when we learn new information, we learn a conceptual abstraction. For this reason, it should not be too surprising that the same system might encode the information from different domains of our experience and structure them in cognitive maps for future use. What is interesting, though, is that our ability to navigate in space is much more ancient.

Therefore, it was suggested that our ability to construct abstract cognitive maps and navigate them mentally is the so-called recycling or reuse of the system that was previously designed for the navigation of physical environments [9]. If this hypothesis is true, then we indeed structure and navigate our mind similarly to the physical world in which we live.

Updating Our Conceptual Maps

Building on this realization, two intriguing papers have developed theories centered on mental navigation. The first paper proposes that insights or sudden "Aha!" moments occur during the mental navigation of conceptual spaces [2]. The fascinating part is that when we experience insight, it can be compared to finding a shortcut in our physical environment. This can occur, for example, when you find a link between two previously unconnected ideas.

Another research group has taken the idea of mental navigation further to explore its application in psychotherapy [10]. They suggest that people seek therapy to organize and update their conceptual maps, much like correcting or expanding an outdated physical map. According to this view, our conceptual maps might sometimes be maladaptive, and mental navigation during therapy helps identify these issues and restructure them.

Interestingly, a key aspect of psychotherapy is fostering positive change by increasing the client’s awareness. This moment of enhanced awareness can be seen as broadening one's conceptual map, similar to how a physical map is expanded when new territories are discovered.

We truly live in remarkable times where neuroscience, paired with creative thinking , can offer scientific explanations for some very ancient concepts.

1. Behrens, T. E., Muller, T. H., Whittington, J. C., Mark, S., Baram, A. B., Stachenfeld, K. L., & Kurth-Nelson, Z. (2018). What is a cognitive map? Organizing knowledge for flexible behavior. Neuron , 100 (2), 490-509.

2. Aru, J., Drüke, M., Pikamäe, J., & Larkum, M. E. (2023). Mental navigation and the neural mechanisms of insight. Trends in Neurosciences , 46 (2), 100-109.

3. James, W., Burkhardt, F., Bowers, F., & Skrupskelis, I. K. (1890). The principles of psychology (Vol. 1, No. 2). London: Macmillan.

4. Hills, T. T., & Dukas, R. (2012). The evolution of cognitive search. Cognitive search: Evolution, algorithms, and the brain , 11-24.

5. Tolman, E. C. (1948). Cognitive maps in rats and men. Psychological review , 55 (4), 189.

6. Fyhn, M., Molden, S., Witter, M. P., Moser, E. I., & Moser, M. B. (2004). Spatial representation in the entorhinal cortex. Science , 305 (5688), 1258-1264.

7. O'Keefe, J., & Nadel, L. (1978). The hippocampus as a cognitive map . Oxford University Press.

8. Tavares, R. M., Mendelsohn, A., Grossman, Y., Williams, C. H., Shapiro, M., Trope, Y., & Schiller, D. (2015). A Map for Social Navigation in the Human Brain. Neuron , 87 (1), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.06.011

9. Buzsáki, G., & Moser, E. I. (2013). Memory, navigation and theta rhythm in the hippocampal-entorhinal system. Nature neuroscience , 16 (2), 130-138.

10. Kabrel, M., Tulver, K., & Aru, J. (2024). The journey within: mental navigation as a novel framework for understanding psychotherapeutic transformation. BMC psychiatry , 24 (1), 91.

Nick Kabrél, MA, is a psychology researcher at the University of Zurich.

• Find a Therapist
• Find a Treatment Center
• Find a Psychiatrist
• Find a Support Group
• Find Online Therapy
• United States
• Brooklyn, NY
• Chicago, IL
• Houston, TX
• Los Angeles, CA
• New York, NY
• Portland, OR
• San Diego, CA
• San Francisco, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, DC
• Asperger's
• Bipolar Disorder
• Chronic Pain
• Eating Disorders
• Passive Aggression
• Personality
• Goal Setting
• Positive Psychology
• Stopping Smoking
• Low Sexual Desire
• Relationships
• Child Development
• Self Tests NEW
• Therapy Center
• Diagnosis Dictionary
• Types of Therapy

Sticking up for yourself is no easy task. But there are concrete skills you can use to hone your assertiveness and advocate for yourself.

• Emotional Intelligence
• Gaslighting
• Affective Forecasting

• INNOVATION FESTIVAL
• Capital One

07-31-2024 CAREER EVOLUTION

How do I answer the interview question ‘Tell me about yourself?’

More than half of recruiters admit to asking this as a first question in an interview. This question is intended as an icebreaker but feels vague. Here’s what to say and what not to say.

[Photo: Drobot Dean/Adobe Stock]

BY  Kathleen Davis 2 minute read

Welcome to  Pressing Questions ,  Fast Company ’s work-life advice column. Every week, deputy editor Kathleen Davis, host of  The New Way We Work  podcast, will answer the biggest and most pressing workplace questions. Q: How do I answer the interview question “Tell me about yourself?” A: Chances are you’ve been asked this question in a job interview before and chances are you will be again. More than half of recruiters admit to asking this as a first question in an interview. This question is intended as an icebreaker but feels vague. They aren’t looking for your life story or for you to recite your résumé. But the question is autobiographical, so elements of who you are as a person and what you’ve done (and are interested in doing professionally) should be included. And while you don’t have to have a tight 30-second elevator pitch–style answer planned, you also shouldn’t ramble on for several minutes. Here’s how I might answer this question: “I’m one of those rare people who have always wanted to know what they want to do, although that’s evolved a lot over the years. I’ve been working in journalism for nearly 20 years, mostly on the digital side. I’ve been at Fast Company for 11 years, where I started as the editor of the Work Life section and redefined the coverage of the topic, including launching the company’s podcasting arm with The New Way We Work podcast that I’ve hosted for six years. In 2018, I became the deputy editor of Fastcompany.com and led our News and Work Life sections and overall strategy. During the pandemic, I moved back to my home state of Michigan. I’ve found that working outside of New York has increased my access to stories that often get overlooked by journalists based on the coasts, which we’ve found have a lot of success with readers.” 

In a real-life situation, I’d likely go into a little more detail than I did above, but that statement gives the interviewer a lot of jumping-off points for further discussion. It tells them a little about who I am as a person. I also acknowledge the elephant in the room right away by saying that I would likely be a remote candidate, but highlight how it’s a strength.

Since I’ve been at my job for a long time, I focused on one company on my résumé, but if you’ve moved around a bit more, your answer might draw the connections between your roles—something they might not get on their own from reading bullet points on your résumé. 

When thinking about what you will say to this question, think about how your answer can be the start of a deeper conversation, leading to a stronger relationship with your interviewer. According to public speaking coach Eileen Smith, you should keep three themes in mind when crafting your response : Engage your audience, establish credibility, and tell your interviewers why they should care.  Open-ended interview questions can feel tricky, but they are also an opportunity to highlight exactly what you want to share, what makes you look your best, and what is most important to you. 

Want a little more advice? Here you go: The ultimate guide to nailing the ‘tell me about yourself’ interview question Use these 3 solid answers next time someone asks: ‘Tell me about yourself’ You’re probably answering these 5 common interview questions wrong

Apply to the Most Innovative Companies Awards and be recognized as an organization driving the world forward through innovation. Early-rate deadline: Friday, August 23.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen Davis is Deputy Editor at FastCompany.com, Supervising Editor of Fast Company podcasts, and Host of The New Way We Work podcast. She frequently covers topics including Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, gender equity, education, economic inequality, remote work, and the future of work.   More

Explore Topics

• pressing questions
• Tech Google’s web cache is going away. Here are 3 free replacements
• Tech Netflix plans compared: how to best balance price and features
• Tech What Amazon’s NBA deal means for the future of sports media rights
• News How the real Olivia Pope would have handled the CrowdStrike outage
• News Mortgage rates hit yearly low following disappointing Jobs report
• News For many Americans, social security worries steer voting in presidential election
• Design Online fundraising may require different design strategies to get donors to give
• Design Kamala Harris has already perfected the pantsuit. Now’s her chance to change what power looks like
• Design Kohler’s unusual trick to spur innovation: let artists use the factory
• Work Life As VP Harris brings joy to the presidential campaign, the GOP’s taunt ‘laughing Kamala’ highlights a long history of disrespecting Black women
• Work Life Research reveals the damage to mental health from an invisible dimension of household chores
• Work Life What do good bosses have in common?