How To Write A Case Study Assignment

Student life is distinguished not only by fun moments but also by a variety of academic tasks. On average, young people spend 50-60 hours a week on them, which is 15% longer than the business week duration.

One of the most challenging types of assignments is a case study one. 

It allows a tutor to assess the student’s ability to:

• analyze a situation;
• identify key problems;
• look for cause-and-effect relationships;
• make logical predictions;
• recommendatory conclusions.

This task’s key feature is a compulsory personal analysis of the issue and the provision of alternative solutions.

In order not to make significant mistakes, students rush to google how to write a case study assignment. We decided to make the search easier and created a full guideline containing all you should know about case study assignments, including useful examples and tips.

Types Of Case Study Assignments 

Before you start to formulate an ambitious plan for how to write a case study assignment: there are 5 following types of case studies:

#1 Historical

Without knowing the past, it is impossible to build the future – this is the credo of this type of assignment. Here the student needs to analyze a circumstance or phenomenon to determine the patterns of occurrence and predict the future development of events in this area, based on the received data. The shining example of such tasks could be: “Nazism in the 20th century: the scale and impact on the future of humanity.”

#2 Problem-Oriented

It allows you to study a specific problem, determine the scale of its impact and propose solutions. If you get a case study on “Global Warming and Ways to Reduce Its Scale” or something similar, you should know that this is a problem-oriented one.

#3 Cumulative

It helps to consolidate existing research information on a specific topic and form a general understanding of it. An example of such a case study might be “Reformation through the eyes of Medieval Philosophers.”

# 4 Critical

This assignment requires one subject studying through the prism of several areas to prove or dispute existing ideas about it. Example: “The main personality traits of a criminal: forensics, psychology, sociology, genetics.”

#5 Illustrative

This type of case study allows the reader to get familiar with a subject in general. The author should describe a circumstance or phenomenon, its features, causes, and consequences of existence. The topic “AI developments in modern medicine” can be a useful example here.

How To Start Writing Your Case Study Assignment 

After the student has identified the type of received case study, the fun begins. Often people get stuck on how to write an introduction for a case study assignment, in other words – from where to start. We suggest you consider a sequence of actions that will help to get together and write a high-grade paper.

1. First, identify the problem. Let it be a Clubhouse phenomenon. You need to consider the underlying reasons why this startup became so popular in a matter of months. Perhaps the secret of success is on time. In the world collapse period, this social network helps to make self-education, communication, and sharing experience more available. The Clubhouse is a smart alternative to podcasts, webinars, and conferences.
2. Make an outline. It will help you structure your thoughts, select the most important information from the large data stream that you have studied, and create a logical plan of the text.
3. Think about cause-and-effect relations. What events could cause the Clubhouse’s popularity? Perhaps you will think about the lack of live communication on serious topics, coronavirus restrictions, and people’s desire to develop comprehensively. 
4. Describe your position on how the business is already using and use the Clubhouse experience to further develop. Here a marketing approach is most fascinating. It’s about a redistribution of invites into a limited and privileged group, including some famous personalities, like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg.

It will be enough to filter information and compile what you want to share with the reader. The writing process itself will wait ahead.

Main Steps On Writing Case Study

Now let’s consider the way you should write a case study assignment.

1. Intro

Describe the core problem in several sentences. Sum up its current condition and form a thesis statement. 

2. Body

• Existing Data & Your research. Support your thesis with some facts and other relevant information. Based on them, form your point of view.
• Number Of Solutions. Highlight how humanity strived to solve the issue. Describe the reasons why some of the solutions were rejected and which of them are used now. Don’t forget to notice in which measure they are efficient.
• Your Solution. Suggest the most appropriate one that can be effective. Support your vision with facts in figures, examples of research, thoughts of authoritative experts in this field, etc. The more relevant evidence you provide, the stronger your position will be.
• Implementation. Write a plan for translating your idea into a real result. Answer the question of what actions must be performed to release the solution.

3. The Bottom Line 

Summarize your work by describing all the previous points and the connections between them in a nutshell.

4. References 

List all the used sources following the case study assignment requirements.

Case study assignment outline example

The best way to understand how to write a case study assignment is to evaluate the example. We’re glad to share an outline template with you.

1.Intro

1.1. Core statement: Environmental pollution is not a necessity but a result of permissiveness.

1.2. Presentation of the issue: There are 3 types of environmental pollution: water, land, and air. According to Britannica, more than 7 million people die from the last one every year. Natural disasters, such as wildfires in Australia, are damaging the environment. However, the most harm is caused by industrial activity and the lack of people’s concern with this issue.

1.3. Explanation of the terms: Environmental pollution is a consequence of human development and, in turn, reflects a regression manifested in actions against nature.

1.4. Hypothesis: Environmental pollution level almost always depends on the human’s actions

1.5. Importance: This paper will help people realize the downside of their actions and think about how they can fix the damage caused to nature.

2.Body

2.1. Background: 

Researches in this area are based on abstract phenomena such as emissions to air, water, etc. However, to reduce pollution, it is necessary to clearly define who is responsible for this problem and how we can change the situation. My goal is to trace how human indifference to this issue affects the ecological situation.

2.2. Presentation of analysis and data: 

I decided to establish relations between the population behavior and the level of pollution in a particular world region.

Argument 1: Legislation affects humanity’s behavior and environmental situation in regions.

Countries with the most stringent legislation in this field include Scandinavian ones, France, Morocco, and Kenya. Following the Environmental Democracy Index, the South Asia region and a majority of Africa states have the worst legal regulations. According to Statista, the most polluted countries are Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Mongolia.

Argument 2. Humans cause the greatest damage to nature.

Medium published the top 5 causes of air pollution, including industrial and automotive waste, household chemicals, deforestation, and smoking. They did not list natural disasters.

3.Conclusion

3.1. Concluding statement: Thus, I found out that the problem of environmental pollution is primarily the indifference of people to this issue…

3.2. Recommendations: The list of actions people should do to prevent further environmental pollution.  

Illustrate all ideas with Data 

Working on a case study or any other assignment, remember the importance of facts and data. They reinforce your position and make the work insightful. Take some time to find information to liven up your paper.

For clarity, let’s consider a few examples of what data-backed and non-data-backed information look like.

Example #1

With data: Following the Time Use Institute, on ordinary people spend 41 minutes buying groceries.

Without data: We spend a lot of time in a grocery store.

Example #2

With data: According to IMF data, in 2020, the world economy was reduced by 4.4% because of coronavirus. 

Without data: Coronavirus damaged the global economy.

Example #3

With data: Around 3000 tribes live in Africa.

Without data: There are a large number of tribes in Africa.

Checklist for a case study assignment 

So, now you know how to write a case study assignment. But don’t forget to check it out. Finally, we have compiled a checklist for you, which will help to get the highest score for the completed task.

• Read your text a few times to fix any logical mistakes there.
• Check a thesis statement once more and make sure it’s clear.
• Check your sources and evidence. They must be relevant.
• Review content for missing information.
• Correct the paper following your tutor requirements.

Writing a work, you should also avoid the following mistakes:

1. Excessive generalization. Try not to deviate from the topic and write only what directly relates to your research subject.
2. Blurred wording. You must clearly define the general research subject and use the same approach to shape any part of the paper.
3. Not fully thought-out ideas. You should have a clear understanding of your position, suggestion, and the way of its implementation.
4. Derogation from requirements. Writing a paper, you have to follow the established standards. 

We hope these materials will become a solid foundation for creating smart case studies and shaping academic performance. Good luck writing your work.