A case study is an in-depth study of one person, group, or event. In a case study, nearly every aspect of the subject’s life and history is analyzed to seek patterns and causes of behavior. Case studies can be used in various fields, including psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work.
The purpose of a case study is to learn as much as possible about an individual or group so that the information can be generalized to many others. Unfortunately, case studies tend to be highly subjective, and it is sometimes difficult to generalize results to a larger population.
While case studies focus on a single individual or group, they follow a format similar to other types of psychology writing. If you are writing a case study, it is important to follow the rules of APA format.
Benefits and Limitations
A case study can have both strengths and weaknesses. Researchers must consider these pros and cons before deciding if this type of study is appropriate for their needs.
Pros
One of the greatest advantages of a case study is that it allows researchers to investigate things that are often difficult to impossible to replicate in a lab. Some other benefits of a case study:
- Allows researchers to collect a great deal of information
- Give researchers the chance to collect information on rare or unusual cases
- Permits researchers to develop hypotheses that can be explored in experimental research
Cons
On the negative side, a case study:
- Cannot necessarily be generalized to the larger population
- Cannot demonstrate cause and effect
- May not be scientifically rigorous
- Can lead to bias
Researchers may choose to perform a case study if they are interested in exploring a unique or recently discovered phenomenon. The insights gained from such research can help the researchers develop additional ideas and study questions that might be explored in future studies.
However, it is important to remember that the insights gained from case studies cannot be used to determine cause and effect relationships between variables. However, case studies may be used to develop hypotheses that can then be addressed in experimental research.
Case Study Examples
There have been a number of notable case studies in the history of psychology. Much of Freud’s work and theories were developed through the use of individual case studies. Some great examples of case studies in psychology include:
- Anna O: Anna O. was a pseudonym of a woman named Bertha Pappenheim, a patient of a physician named Josef Breuer. While she was never a patient of Freud’s, Freud and Breuer discussed her case extensively. The woman was experiencing symptoms of a condition that was then known as hysteria and found that talking about her problems helped relieve her symptoms. Her case played an important part in the development of talk therapy as an approach to mental health treatment.
- Phineas Gage: Phineas Gage was a railroad employee who experienced a terrible accident in which an explosion sent a metal rod through his skull, damaging important portions of his brain. Gage recovered from his accident but was left with serious changes in both personality and behavior.
- Genie: Genie was a young girl subjected to horrific abuse and isolation. The case study of Genie allowed researchers to study whether language could be taught even after critical periods for language development had been missed. Her case also served as an example of how scientific research may interfere with treatment and lead to further abuse of vulnerable individuals.
Such cases demonstrate how case research can be used to study things that researchers could not replicate in experimental settings. In Genie’s case, her horrific abuse had denied her the opportunity to learn language at critical points in her development.
This is clearly not something that researchers could ethically replicate, but conducting a case study on Genie allowed researchers the chance to study phenomena that are otherwise impossible to reproduce.
Types of Case Studies
There are a few different types of case studies that psychologists and other researchers might utilize:
- Collective case studies: These involve studying a group of individuals. Researchers might study a group of people in a certain setting or look at an entire community. For example, psychologists might explore how access to resources in a community has affected the collective mental well-being of those living there.
- Descriptive case studies: These involve starting with a descriptive theory. The subjects are then observed, and the information gathered is compared to the pre-existing theory.
- Explanatory case studies: These are often used to do causal investigations. In other words, researchers are interested in looking at factors that may have caused certain things to occur.
- Exploratory case studies: These are sometimes used as a prelude to further, more in-depth research. This allows researchers to gather more information before developing their research questions and hypotheses.
- Instrumental case studies: These occur when the individual or group allows researchers to understand more than what is initially obvious to observers.
- Intrinsic case studies: This type of case study is when the researcher has a personal interest in the case. Jean Piaget’s observations of his own children are good examples of how an intrinsic cast study can contribute to the development of a psychological theory.
The three main case study types often used are intrinsic, instrumental, and collective. Intrinsic case studies are useful for learning about unique cases. Instrumental case studies help look at an individual to learn more about a broader issue. A collective case study can be useful for looking at several cases simultaneously.
The type of case study that psychology researchers utilize depends on the unique characteristics of the situation as well as the case itself.
How to Write a Case Study
There are also different methods that can be used to conduct a case study, including prospective and retrospective case study methods.
Prospective case study methods are those in which an individual or group of people is observed in order to determine outcomes. For example, a group of individuals might be watched over an extended period of time to observe the progression of a particular disease.
Retrospective case study methods involve looking at historical information. For example, researchers might start with an outcome, such as a disease, and then work their way backward to look at information about the individual’s life to determine risk factors that may have contributed to the onset of the illness.
Where to Find Data
There are a number of different sources and methods that researchers can use to gather information about an individual or group. Six major sources that have been identified by researchers are:
- Archival records: Census records, survey records, and name lists are examples of archival records.
- Direct observation: This strategy involves observing the subject, often in a natural setting. While an individual observer is sometimes used, it is more common to utilize a group of observers.
- Documents: Letters, newspaper articles, administrative records, etc., are the types of documents often used as sources.
- Interviews: Interviews are one of the most important methods for gathering information in case studies. An interview can involve structured survey questions or more open-ended questions.
- Participant observation: When the researcher serves as a participant in events and observes the actions and outcomes, it is called participant observation.
- Physical artifacts: Tools, objects, instruments, and other artifacts are often observed during a direct observation of the subject.
Section 1: A Case History
This section will have the following structure and content:
Background information: The first section of your paper will present your client’s background. Include factors such as age, gender, work, health status, family mental health history, family and social relationships, drug and alcohol history, life difficulties, goals, and coping skills and weaknesses.
Description of the presenting problem: In the next section of your case study, you will describe the problem or symptoms that the client presented with.
Describe any physical, emotional, or sensory symptoms reported by the client. Thoughts, feelings, and perceptions related to the symptoms should also be noted. Any screening or diagnostic assessments that are used should also be described in detail and all scores reported.
Your diagnosis: Provide your diagnosis and give the appropriate Diagnostic and Statistical Manual code. Explain how you reached your diagnosis, how the client’s symptoms fit the diagnostic criteria for the disorder(s), or any possible difficulties in reaching a diagnosis.
Section 2: Treatment Plan
This portion of the paper will address the chosen treatment for the condition. This might also include the theoretical basis for the chosen treatment or any other evidence that might exist to support why this approach was chosen.
- Cognitive behavioral approach: Explain how a cognitive behavioral therapist would approach treatment. Offer background information on cognitive behavioral therapy and describe the treatment sessions, client response, and outcome of this type of treatment. Make note of any difficulties or successes encountered by your client during treatment.
- Humanistic approach: Describe a humanistic approach that could be used to treat your client, such as client-centered therapy. Provide information on the type of treatment you chose, the client’s reaction to the treatment, and the end result of this approach. Explain why the treatment was successful or unsuccessful.
- Psychoanalytic approach: Describe how a psychoanalytic therapist would view the client’s problem. Provide some background on the psychoanalytic approach and cite relevant references. Explain how psychoanalytic therapy would be used to treat the client, how the client would respond to therapy, and the effectiveness of this treatment approach.
- Pharmacological approach: If treatment primarily involves the use of medications, explain which medications were used and why. Provide background on the effectiveness of these medications and how monotherapy may compare with an approach that combines medications with therapy or other treatments.
This section of a case study should also include information about the treatment goals, process, and outcomes.
Discussion
When you are writing a case study, you should also include a section where you discuss the case study itself, including the strengths and limitiations of the study. You should note how the findings of your case study might support previous research.
In your discussion section, you should also describe some of the implications of your case study. What ideas or findings might require further exploration? How might researchers go about exploring some of these questions in additional studies?
More Tips
Here are a few additional pointers to keep in mind when formatting your case study:
- Never refer to the subject of your case study as «the client.» Instead, their name or a pseudonym.
- Read examples of case studies to gain an idea about the style and format.
- Remember to use APA format when citing references.
A Word From Verywell
Case studies can be a useful research tool, but they need to be used wisely. In many cases, they are best utilized in situations where conducting an experiment would be difficult or impossible. They are helpful for looking at unique situations and allow researchers to gather a great deal of information about a specific individual or group of people.
If you have been directed to write a case study for a psychology course, be sure to check with your instructor for any specific guidelines that you are required to follow. If you are writing your case study for professional publication, be sure to check with the publisher for their specific guidelines for submitting a case study.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Simply Psychology. Case Study Method.
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Crowe S, Cresswell K, Robertson A, Huby G, Avery A, Sheikh A. The case study approach. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2011 Jun 27;11:100. doi:10.1186/1471-2288-11-100
Additional Reading
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Gagnon, Yves-Chantal. The Case Study as Research Method: A Practical Handbook. Canada, Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Independent Pub Group, 2010.
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Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. United States, SAGE Publications, 2017.
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By Kendra Cherry
Kendra Cherry, MS, is the author of the «Everything Psychology Book (2nd Edition)» and has written thousands of articles on diverse psychology topics. Kendra holds a Master of Science degree in education from Boise State University with a primary research interest in educational psychology and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Idaho State University with additional coursework in substance use and case management.
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A case study is an effective research method that specifically studies a single case over a period of time. Writing a case study is a very useful form of study in the educational process.
If students have real-life examples, it can help them learn more and synthesize information in a more effective manner. Such writing projects are one of the best ways of learning in a classroom.
A case study also has different types and forms. As a rule of thumb, all of them require a detailed and convincing answer based on a thorough analysis.
So, in this article, we are going to discuss the different types of case study research methods in detail.
What is a Case Study?
Case studies are a type of research methodology. They examine subjects, projects or organizations to tell stories and try conclusions about them based on evidence gathered during the process.
It allows you not only explore new avenues but also get insight into what drives any subject’s decisions and actions. Case studies are a great way for first-year students to develop their research skills.
A case study focuses on a single project for an extended period of time, which allows students to explore the topic in depth.
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What are the Types of Case Study?
There are 6 types of case studies used for different purposes. The main purpose of case studies is to analyze problems within the boundaries of a specific organization, environment, or situation.
According to design, case studies can be divided into the following categories:
- Illustrative Case Study
- Exploratory Case Study
- Cumulative Case Study
- Critical Instance Case Study
- Descriptive Case Study
- Intrinsic Case Study
Refer to the following section for a detailed description of each type of case study with examples.
Illustrative Case Study
An illustrative case study is used to examine a familiar case in order to help others to understand it. It is one of the main types of case studies in research methodology and is primarily descriptive.
In this type of case study, usually, one or two instances are utilized to explain what a situation is like.
Exploratory Case Study
An exploratory case study is a primary project conducted before a large-scale investigation. These types of case studies are very popular in the social sciences like political science and primarily focus on real-life contexts and situations.
Typically, these are used to identify research questions and methods for a large and complex study. The main purpose of an exploratory case study is to help identify situations for the further research process.
Cumulative Case Study
A cumulative case study is one of the main types of case studies in qualitative research. It is used to collect information from different sources at different times.
The aim of this case study is to summarize the past studies without spending additional cost and time on new investigations. So, it is a form of data analysis.
Critical Instance Case Study
Critical instances case studies are used to determine the cause and consequence of an event.
The main reason for this type of case study is to investigate one or more sources with unique interest and sometimes with no interest in general. A critical case study can also be used to question a universal assertion.
Descriptive Case Study
When you have a hypothesis, you can design a descriptive study. This type of report starts with describing what you are studying. It aims is to find connections between the subject being studied and a theory.
After making these connections, the study can be concluded. The results of the descriptive case study will usually suggest how to develop a theory further.
A descriptive report would use the quantitative data as a starting point for more in-depth research.
Intrinsic Case Study
Intrinsic studies are more common in psychology. This type of case study can also be conducted in healthcare or social work. So, if you were looking for types of case study in sociology, or type of case study in social research, this is it.
The focus of intrinsic studies is on a unique individual. These types can sometimes study groups close to the researcher as well.
The aim of such studies is not only to understand the subject better, but also their history and how they interact with everything around them. Basically, studying the subject with the perspective of their suroundings is what is needed for this type of case study.
Here is a PDF example to help you learn more about different types of case studies.
Now you know the different types of case study methods in research. Make sure you follow the right case study format for great results.
Remember each type is defined in general terms but keep in mind that many aspects of a case study such as data collection and analysis, qualitative research questions, etc. are dependent on the researcher and what the study is looking to address.
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Types of Subjects of Case Study
In general, there are six types of case studies and 5 types of subjects they address. Every case study whether exploratory, critical, or cumulative, fits into the following subject categories.
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Person
This type of study focuses on one subject or individual and can use several research methods to determine the outcome.
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Group
This type of study takes into account a group of individuals. This could be a group of friends, coworkers, or family.
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Location
The main focus of this type of study is the place. It also takes into account how and why people use the place.
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Organization
This study focuses on an organization or company. This could also include the company employees or people who work in an event at the organization.
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Event
This type of study focuses on a specific event. It could be societal or cultural and examines how it affects the surroundings.
Review some case study examples online before starting working on a specific type of case study. These examples will help you understand how a specific case study is conducted.
Case studies are being used more and more in colleges and universities to help students understand how a hypothetical event can influence a person, group, or organization in real life.
Writing a case study can be tricky and complicated especially when you are facing an urgent deadline. That’s why our legitimate essay writing service is here to provide you a full case study writing service.
Not everyone can handle the case study writing assignment easily. It is even scary to think that your time and work could be wasted if you don’t do the case study paper right. So, it is better to get help from our paper writer who can write a professional case study for you.
Place your order now and get your case study done in the best way.
Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.
Dr. Barbara is a highly experienced writer and author who holds a Ph.D. degree in public health from an Ivy League school. She has worked in the medical field for many years, conducting extensive research on various health topics. Her writing has been featured in several top-tier publications.
Case study research remains a controversial data collection approach. However, it is recognized widely in different social studies. That’s because it enables researchers to provide in-depth explanations of different social behaviors.
Perhaps, you’re wondering, what is a case study research? Maybe you want to know what it involves. Well, this is a research method that utilizes reports from past studies. It allows researchers to explore and understand complex issues using those reports. This research method may be considered robust, especially when researchers require holistic, in-depth investigation.
Most social sciences recognize case study research design and methods and their roles have become more prominent. This approach is used to research and write about topics in education, sociology, and community-based issues like drug addiction, poverty, and unemployment.
What is Case Study Research?
In social studies, the case study is a research method in which a phenomenon is investigated in its real-life context. It’s an empirical inquiry and research strategy that is based on an in-depth investigation of a group, event, or individual to explore the underlying principles causes.
Essentially, this study can be defined as an exploratory and descriptive analysis of a case. But, what is a case study in research? Well, a case can be anything that a researcher wants to investigate. This can include a person, a group, an event, a decision, a policy, period, institution, or any other system that can be studied historically.
Methods Used in Case Study Research
This type of research uses the same study methodology with other research types. But, the most common case study research method starts with the definition of a single case. It can also be a group comprising similar cases. These can be incorporated for a multiple-case study.
This is followed by a search to determine what is already known about the case or cases. This search can involve a review of grey literature, reports, and media content. This review plays a critical role in enabling the researchers to understand the case. It also informs researchers when it comes to developing case study research questions.
In most case studies, data is often qualitative, though not exclusively. Thus, researchers engage in case study qualitative research. When researchers use multiple cases, they analyze each case separately. Themes can arise from assertions or analysis about the entire case.
Case study research methodology can include:
- Personal interviews
- Archival records
- Psychometric tests
- Direct observation
Case studies are more in-depth when compared to observational research. That’s because they use several records or measures while focusing on a single subject. In some cases, a multiple-case design can be used. What’s more, a case study can be retrospective or prospective. A retrospective case study uses criteria to choose cases from historical records. Prospective case studies, on the other hand, uses established criteria while including extra cases as long as they meet the set criteria.
Because case studies use qualitative data like the one collected from interviews, they tend to be more liable. However, quantitative data and questionnaires can also be used. For instance, a case study can be used in clinical research to monitor and determine the effectiveness of treatment.
Types of Case Study Research
When you research case study, you explore causation to identify the underlying principles. But, they can’t be generalized to a larger population the way researchers do when conducting experimental research. They also can’t provide predictive power the same way correlational research can do. Rather, they provide extensive data that can be used to develop new hypotheses that can be used for further research. It can also be used to study rare conditions or events that are hard-to-study.
A case study research paper can fall into any of these categories:
- Illustrative case study- This is a descriptive type of case study. It uses one or two instances to describe an event. The purpose of an illustrative case study is to make what is considered unfamiliar familiar. It also provides a common language for the readers about a subject.
- Exploratory case study- This is also called a pilot case study. It comprises condensed case studies that are performed before a large-scale investigation. Its purpose is to help researchers identify research questions and select the measurement types before the main investigation. The major drawback of this study is that it can make initial findings convincing and lead to their premature release as conclusions.
- Cumulative case study- This is a case study that entails the aggregation of information from different sources that were collected at varying times. The goal is to collect past studies to enhance generalization without spending more time or cost on new and probably repetitive studies.
- Critical instance case study- This examines one or several sites to examine a situation of specific interest with no or little interest in generalizing them. It can also be used to challenge or question universal or highly generalized assertions. This method can be used to answer the cause and effect study questions.
People may define case study research differently based on these major types of this investigation. Nevertheless, it’s an intensive and systematic investigation of a group, community, individuals, or other units where the researchers examine in-depth data that relate to several variables.
Example of Case Study Research
Case study definition in research may vary. However, students should be keen to choose topics they are comfortable researching and writing about. Here are case study research question examples that be used for this kind of investigation.
- How and why are employees abusing drugs at workplaces?
- How is social media influencing modern businesses?
- What are the most effective ways for small businesses to plan their advertising budget?
- How can social media ads help in driving customers?
- How can employees engage during tough times?
- How can a business consider small customers to make bigger profits?
- How good is care quality for complex patients at major Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics?
- How effective are pediatric pain management practices by nurses?
Different data collection methods can be used to assess and understand each case separately. This can lead to a better understanding of the phenomenon under investigation. The goal of the case study research design is to provide a framework that can be used to evaluate and analyze complex issues. For instance, in the last two examples above, a case study can be used to shed light on the nursing practice as a holistic approach. It can also provide a perspective that will inform the nurses to give improved care to their patients.
How to Do Case Study Research
When writing a case study paper, follow these steps, suggested by our writing professionals:
- Determine the case to study, data collection methods, and the information to gather.
- Select the subjects or people to participate in the case study.
- Prepare relevant materials like questionnaires to collect relevant information. This should also include your research problem.
- Use the collected data to write your case.
- Add the appendices and references
- Proofread and edit your final case study paper
In a nutshell, a case study entails collecting data that leads to a better understanding of a phenomenon. The methodology of a case study provides a framework that is used to analyze and evaluate more complex issues.
September 17, 2019 |
Case Studies |
18 min read
Building an effective content marketing strategy that can take your prospects through every stage of the buyer’s journey means creating a variety of content.
From relevant, informative blog content to engaging webpages, landing pages, whitepapers, and emails, a comprehensive content marketing strategy should run deep.
One powerful, but often underused, piece of content is the case study.
What Is a Case Study?
A case study acts a narrative, featuring real-world situations where certain products or services are used in a way that demonstrates thier value. They are a special type of thought leadership content that brands can use in marketing and sales to guide their target audience to the decision stage of their buyer’s journey. Engaging case studies walk prospects through how a real life customer identified a specific pain point, started using your product or service, and overcame that pain point while reaping additional benefits.
A case study is a special type of thought leadership content that tells a story.
Case studies are narratives that feature real world situations or uses of products or services to demonstrate their value. A well written case study will follow a customer as they define a problem, determine a solution, implement it, and reap the benefits.
Case studies offer readers the ability to see a situation from the customer’s perspective from beginning to end.
Why Case Studies Are Important
A marketing case study is one of the most compelling content items in your sales funnel.
It’s the perfect way to guide people into and through the decision phase, when they have the best options laid out on the table and they’re ready to puzzle through that final selection.
Because of this, case studies are uniquely useful as bottom of the funnel content.
By the time prospects are ready to read case studies, they have a nuanced grasp of the problem in front of them. They also have a good selection of potential solutions and vendors to choose from.
There may be more than one option that’s suitable for a given situation. In fact, there usually is. But there’s just one option that fits the prospect best. The challenge is figuring out which one.
Since B2B decision makers aren’t mind readers, they need content to bridge the gap between “what they know about your solution” and “what they know about their own business.” The case study does that by showing how a similar customer succeeded.
The more similar the prospect is to the customer in the case study, the more striking it will be.
For that reason, you might want to have a case study for every buyer persona you serve. And naturally, case studies pertain to specific products or services, not your whole brand.
So, you could find yourself with multiple case studies for each buyer type.
However, the effort is worth it, since case studies have a direct impact on sales figures.
How Long Should a Case Study Be?
via GIPHY
Honestly, the more to-the-point you can be in a case study, the better.
Great case studies should pack a lot of meaning into a small space. In the best examples, your reader can grasp the single main idea of each page in a short paragraph or two.
Each detail should build on the next, so they’ll keep moving forward until the end without getting distracted.
Sure, it’s no Dan Brown novel, but if you do it right, it’ll still be a real page-turner.
Note: Some businesses will have a brief case study in PDF form to use as sales collateral then a longer form, more in-depth version of the same case study on their website. In this case, it can be normal to write a lengthier case study.
Where Should I Put My Case Studies?
via GIPHY
Anywhere you want, really!
Ideally, you should upload case studies somewhere on your website so new leads coming to your site have the opportunity to see just how kickass your business is at driving revenue and results for your current customers.
Whether it’s an online case study or a PDF version, making your successes available to the public can prove just how valuable your efforts are.
Plus, make sure every member of your sales team has access to your case studies so they can use them as sales collateral to send to prospects and opportunities! A quick PDF attachment to a sales email can be very convincing.
The Best Case Study Format
- Introduction: Provide context for the story.
- Challenge: Describe the primary issue being faced.
- Solution: Identify the product or service being used.
- Benefit: Emphasize the most impactful advantages.
- Result: Detail the specific outcomes the customer earned.
Like press releases, case studies often fall into a certain specific format.
While it’s not required that you have all of the possible topics in a particular order, picking a consistent format will help you accelerate production down the road. It also makes your content easier to read.
Many B2B businesses use the following approach:
- Introduction: sets the stage by providing context for the situation.
- Challenge: discusses the key problem that the customer was facing.
- Solution: a basic overview of the product or service the customer used.
- Benefit: recaps the solution’s top advantages – why it was the right choice.
- Result: the positive business outcome arising from the solution and benefits.
This formula gives you enough flexibility to highlight what’s most important about your enterprise, solution, and the customer you’re showcasing.
At the same time, it ensures that your team will know exactly what information they need to compile to design case studies in the future.
It also serves as an intuitive trail of breadcrumbs for your intended reader.
How to Write a Case Study
1. Ask Your Client/Customer for Approval.
This first step is crucial because it sets the layout for your entire case study.
If your client or customer gives the ok to use their name and information, then you can add as much detail as you want to highlight who they are, what you helped them do, and the results it had.
But, if they would rather remain anonymous or want you to leave out any specific details, you’ll have to find a way to keep your information more generalized while still explaining the impact of your efforts.
2. Gather Your Information.
Like any good story, a marketing case study has a beginning, middle, and end. Or, you could think of it as “before, during, and after.”
Before: The Problem
Your case study will always open by presenting a problem suffered by one of your clients.
This part of the study establishes what’s at stake and introduces the characters – your company, the client company, and whichever individual decision makers speak for each side.
During: The Solution
Once you define the problem, the next step presents your offering, which serves as the answer to the dilemma.
Your product or service is, in a very real sense, the hero of the story. It catalyzes the change, which you describe in terms of your features, advantages, and other differentiators.
After: The Result
In the final step, you discuss the “happy ending” brought about by your solution.
Returning to the “stakes” you established at the very start, you expand on how much better things are thanks to your intervention. You want prospects to imagine themselves enjoying that level of success.
3. Get a Quote.
via GIPHY
Of course, a study about two corporations isn’t very interesting on its own. The best case studies personify the protagonists, including the vendor and the client company, by having plenty of quotes peppered throughout the entire story.
Naturally, the business problem to be solved is the big, bad villain here, so you want the client (and preferably, your own team as well) to weigh in on that problem: How complex it is, what solving it would mean, and what not solving it would cost.
Then, as the situation turns around, testimonials become essential.
Naturally, the longest, most emphatic testimonial should come from the top decision maker. But you should aim to include a glowing quote from many different stakeholders – representing the full cast of “characters” who might be making consensus buying decisions around your solution.
Note: Don’t use a testimonial or quote if your case study is anonymous.
4. Find Some Compelling Graphics.
A case study isn’t a whitepaper: You shouldn’t be trudging through page after page of text.
In fact, some of the most powerful case studies establish their own vivid, graphics-heavy style – looking a lot more like an infographic, or even a magazine, than traditional B2B marketing collateral.
Color blocks, strong contrasts, skyscraper photography, and hero shots are all on the table when it comes to case studies. The more data you have to convey, the more creative you should be in presenting it so it can be understood at a glance.
15 Great Examples of Offline Case Studies
1. Adobe: Royal Bank of Scotland
Source: DocSend
This study focuses on the solutions Adobe provided for the Royal Bank of Scotland. Their top challenges included fostering a culture of data driven decision making, eliminating disjointed systems, and delivering digital experiences that are relevant and easy to use.
Adobe’s approach resulted in a 20 percent increase in conversion, as well as improved internal communications, faster optimization, and a reduction of their content management footprint.
2. BrightEdge: Stanley
In 2015, Stanley consolidated two separate brand web properties into one site. The process needed to mitigate traffic disruption, improve traffic, and increase organic search results.
The results? Almost 40 percent of keywords Stanley ranked for were on the first page of organic results, and the company generated a 100 percent lift in revenue, thanks to support from the BrightEdge platform.
3. LeadGnome: Host Analytics
Source: DocSend
Host Analytics moved to an account based marketing strategy in 2015. They noticed that the marketing efforts were limited by a large number of low quality needs.
Their problem was solved when they used an automated email marketing approach from LeadGnome to nurture and qualify leads via email marketing.
4. Bitly: Vissla
Vissla is an online ecommerce company with a need to understand big data across multiple marketing platforms.
Bitly provided a a way to consolidate data and literally link channels together to display all information on a single dashboard.
5. Taboola: The Line
Source: DocSend
The Line is an online boutique that offers shoppers a unique experience and showcases products that can be found at their brick and mortar store in NYC’s Soho neighborhood. Their goal was to increase first time visitors to their site.
Taboola offers a product that drives first time users. The result? Over 72 million impressions within three months, and email subscriber growth of 12 percent.
6. OutBrain: Lane Bryant
Lane Bryant, the leading retailer for women sized 14 – 28, launched a campaign designed to celebrate all women and redefine the traditional notion of sexy with a simple message – ALL women are sexy.
The goal was to amplify the campaign and drive traffic and engagement.
The result? OutBrain used media amplification to take the campaign viral, resulting in over 48,500,000 impressions in just two weeks!
7. Google Analytics: Optimizely
Source: DocSend
Optimizely is a leading online A/B testing and user experience optimization platform that offers innovative data-driven marketing solutions to maximize user experience and keep them coming back for more.
The challenge they faced was better identifying page views to determine where customers are in the buying cycle.
The solution was provided by using data from Google Analytics Premium to successfully move leads through the sales funnel.
8. LinkedIn Marketing Solutions: HubSpot
HubSpot, in search of quality leads, turned to LinkedIn Marketing Solutions to engage with marketing professionals in small to medium sized businesses, targeting them with ebooks, webinars, and how-to guides. Sponsored organic content appeared in members’ LinkedIn feeds.
The result: 400 percent more leads within their target audience than efforts on other platforms.
9. LevelEleven: Staples
Source: DocSend
LevelEleven helped Staples focus their teams on the critical sales activities that matter.
The end result? Their team developed a better understanding of the KPIs that matter and experienced a 182 percent increase in key selling activities.
10. Life Size: Rackspace
Rackspace is a world leader in hybrid cloud computing with offices throughout the world. The challenge was collaborating and communicating across offices.
The approach? LifeSize created a video solution to build stronger relationships across international offices.
11. Five9: Weed Man
Source: DocSend
Five years ago, the lawn care company Weed Man had an idea — If their phone-based reps could connect with more prospects, more decisions would result, without adding sales reps.
The solution? Five9 assisted Weed Man with migrating their data to the cloud. This case study shows why SMBs like Weed Man should store business data on the cloud for CRM.
12. LogMeIn: Extent Technologies
One of the better, more concise case study examples, this one page synopsis clearly defines the challenges and goals of Extent.
It explores how LogMeIn provided effective solutions and produced stellar results, including a boost in staff productivity, an increase in first contact resolution rate, and an improvement in overall service.
13. Red Hat: North Carolina State Websites
Source: DocSend
Under mandate from the governor, the North Carolina Department of Information Technology needed to update state websites to overcome complex processes and limited technical resources.
The resulting solutions from Red Hat reduced maintenance times and lowered staffing costs.
14. VMWare: CenturyLink
This study addresses the complexities of cloud hosted infrastructure. One element of all case study examples is to educate perspective clients about the services and products offered.
This study takes a complex subject and makes it easy to understand, while clearly outlining the solutions VMWare can provide.
15. Hewlett Packard Enterprise: Mendix
Source: DocSend
This study breaks down another complex subject: rapid hosted cloud app development.
HPE links to additional content so readers can gain even more knowledge about the subject and the solutions HPE offers.
5 of the Best Online Case Studies
1. Gravitate: Global Expeditions Group
This case study is a great example of how to break up a detailed case study for an easier read.
Gravitate starts off by introducing their client, Global Expeditions Group (GXG), to give visitors a little background into what they do. They then dive straight into what their role was in helping GXG with a robust content marketing strategy.
What catches your eye at the beginning of this case study is the results. Rather than forcing readers to find out the impact of their efforts at the very end, they call out some major statistics and improvements that they helped GXG achieve. It’s a great way to entice readers to keep them wanting to learn just how they did it.
Gravitate did a great job breaking up their rather long case study. Since it focuses on an entire content marketing strategy, they put various parts of their case study into separate sections, from their rebranding efforts to their website design and copywriting.
2. IDEO: INFARM
What we like so much about IDEO’s case study about INFARM is that it reads just like a simple blog post – there’s no sections and no busy graphics. While this doesn’t work for everyone, it really matches the vibe of IDEO’s brand.
This case study is short, sweet, and to the point, with the largest elements on the page being the images and a quote. At the very top, they outline the entire case study in two small sections – the challenge and the outcome.
What we like about this particular case study is how IDEO talks about what’s next for INFARM. Beyond the typical problem-solution-result structure, they took it one step further to talk about the future and what INFARM plans on doing next.
3. Forge and Smith: Happy Planet
Forge and Smith effectively uses real mockups and examples from the work they did for Happy Planet to showcase their work in action.
This case study is perfectly designed into multiple modules to break up chunks of text into three phases. They start off with the objectives they set in place for their website design and development work for Happy Planet, which is pretty unique for a case study.
What’s great about this case study is the opportunity to view the finished website. A hyperlink isn’t just hidden within the text forcing you to dig around looking for it; it’s called out right then and there to let you view their finished work on the Happy Planet website.
Another great feature is the option to view a previous case study or all the case studies if you’re interested. No need to locate the main page, you have direct access!
4. CoSchedule: English Heritage
CoSchedule treats their case studies as customer stories, highlighting who their customers are and how their platform was able to help them. Their case study on English Heritage is simple to view and comprehend.
On the left, there is a customer spotlight on English Heritage, complete with a company logo, brief description, industry, company size, size of the marketing team, and more. These little details help give you a better idea of who the company is.
Then, on the right side of the screen, is a blog-like case study.
Rather than breaking up their message into the standard format, CoSchedule calls out the results that English Heritage has seen since switching to CoSchedule. Within each result, they touch on the challenge they had before CoSchedule then the lasting impact it created.
Throughout the case study, CoSchedule includes relevant screenshots and impactful quotes from English Heritage employees. This helps readers visualize what they are talking about.
5. Bluleadz: BandGrip
We couldn’t not pat our own backs for recently publishing a case studies page on our website.
Bluleadz often uses case study PDFs as sales collateral to send to qualified prospects. While we used these PDF designs internally, we wanted to make sure our client success stories were available to everyone coming to our site.
Thus, our case study page was born.
Our BandGrip case study really sticks out to us. We start off by introducing who BandGrip is, who they serve, and what they do.
Then, we highlight the struggles they were having with getting demo sign-ups on their page. We included relevant quotes from the CEO to show their need for a solution.
We then begin to outline all the pre-show and post-show tactics that we implemented to help them tackle their challenge and earn them more demo sign ups. Landing page screenshots and other various graphics help readers visualize what we were able to do.
Toward the end of the case study, we highlight the impact of our efforts, calling out some of the major statistics.
Highlight Your Past Successes to Attract Future Business
Each of these case study examples does an excellent job of outlining the challenges, solutions, and results provided. If you are building a portfolio of case studies, use these excellent examples for inspiration and format.
Once you master the art of the case study, you’ll find it’s packed with marketing power, giving you a huge ROI for the time you put into creating it.
If your leads have been falling off in the decision phase, a marketing case study may be just what you need.
Case studies are a powerful tool in your content marketing arsenal, so why not create one today? Click below to create your very own case study!
Can’t figure out how to write a case study? No need to worry; you are in the right spot!
Sometimes we might need to write a case study for work or school and not know where to start. This guide will show you the basics of a case study, how to structure it, and some examples from famous people.
A case study is a research that uses one person as an example. It can be used in fields such as marketing, psychology, or medicine. In this blog post, we’ll go into detail about how they’re structured and give tips on writing your own!
What is a Case Study?
Case studies are a common type of assignment in medical, business, and law schools. They prove to be an effective way of learning for students.
Students encounter different forms of cases; some are extremely basic and simple, while others require detailed analysis and research.
This type of writing usually requires students to work in groups and answer open-ended questions to find a solution for the issue at hand.
From the definition of a case study, it sounds like you should be prepared to invest some time in order for your paper’s findings and conclusions. But with this detailed guide, students will find out how easy writing an informative paper can actually become!
A case study is both exploratory as well as descriptive analysis on what causes problems. It seeks answers by exploring different factors within any given phenomenon or event while also providing insight into their root cause(s).
Now that we’ve defined its scope let’s get started learning more about writing one yourself.
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Purpose Case Study
The purpose of conducting case studies is to explore the theories which can improve society. Social scientists intend to do this by using interventions and exploring whether or not these would benefit their subject’s well-being in some way, shape, or form.
Case studies are a good way to explore a theory and see if it can be improved. Of course, it is not always clear whether any changes will have benefits outside of just this one case study, but doing the research helps us learn more about how society works to make better decisions!
Types of Case Study
There are different types of case studies which include: illustrative, explorative, critical instance, and cumulative. The purpose of all of these case studies is to explore the issues while utilizing different means. Some are linear; some are process-oriented, while some are grounded.
Depending on the research method utilized by the researcher, a study could be completed in one day, one month, one year, or even longer. No matter how long it takes, the purpose remains the same, to make society a better place.
- Explanatory — In an Explanatory study, the main focus is explaining a particular phenomenon or question.
- Exploratory — Exploratory is a large-scale research project that proves the need for further investigation.
- Intrinsic — In an intrinsic case study, the focus of the study is the case/subject itself.
- Instrumental — This study takes a deeper look into the insights of an event.
Case Study Format
Given below is the case study outline that you need to follow for a logical flow.
- Title
An engaging title that describes the overall purpose of the study.
- Abstract
A brief executive summary of the study is stated in one-two paragraphs. The abstract should answer the what, when, where, who, and why of your topic. In addition, it is an introduction to the overall study, problem, hypothesis, and findings.
- Introduction
In the introductory paragraph, highlight your reasons for interest in the particular topic. And provide the background information on the research problem and its significance. For example, what you knew about the topic at hand prior to conducting the study, and what did you learn from it?
- Hypothesis
Next, state your hypothesis, how you decided on it, what led to its development, etc.
Make sure that the hypothesis is testable and that you can prove it using evidence.
- Methodology
Here, present the research methodology used to carry out the research and find relevant data.
- Results
Organize the gathered data and present it logically so the reader can conclude.
- Analysis
Provide an explanation of the results and findings and how they support your hypothesis.ConclusionsEnd with a short description stating what the case study could achieve, was the hypothesis proven, and what did you learn from it?
Also, provide some recommendations for further work and improvement.
- References
Cite all the sources used to gather information.
- Acknowledgments
Thank those who helped carry out the study.
- Appendix
Add any extra information related to the case study, such as graphs.
How to Write a Case Study?
In order to write it, one must plan and design beforehand. The author must then figure out methods for collecting information through research. Then conduct analysis, research the case history and finally present their findings. It seems straight-forward enough; however, it is more complicated than it first appears.
The following goes into more detail about writing this type of academic paper with case study approaches.
1. Case Study Research
Before you start writing a good case study, it is necessary to construct an effective research methodology.
Doing so will help you decide how the data will be gathered and how you will answer the research question. You must have credible sources of data to conduct your research.
To figure out the best research strategy and compose the data collected, try answering these questions:
- What issue or research question is this study going to address?
- Who is the target audience of this study?
- What type of study will this be?
- Who or what do you want to study. A person or an organization.
- The time period you want to study. Current state or the changes that have happened over time.
- Where is the issue taking place?
There are two different types of case study research methods (qualitative and quantitative) that you can follow according to the type of case study you are going for.
You can learn about these types from this article on qualitative vs. quantitative research methodology.
2. Identify the Key Problems
Case studies are problem-oriented, but they should also define a solution to such a problem. One of the most important steps of writing is to explain the problem. The researchers or the students should be very careful about presenting the details of the problem according to content formats.
They should also explain the purpose of the study or the scenario which motivated them to conduct it. Excessive use of social media affects students’ grades and can be used as a key problem for conducting a study.
If multiple challenges or issues are present, separate the more important ones and then state the most significant ones. Then, describe the issue in a few sentences and describe how it affects the overall working of an organization. When you present the key issues, you also need to explain why they occurred?
Remember that you have to address these issues within a real-life context.
3. Description of Solution
Another important step necessary for writing is the description of the solution. The most important purpose of conducting the study is to explore the roots and causes of the problem and then accomplish the proposed solution for it to eradicate the problem from society.
However, if there is no detailed description of the solution, the purpose would not be fulfilled.
4. Case Study Analysis
To write a great case study, a detailed analysis of the results and solutions must be included. Creating your case studies is meant to highlight the reasons and causes of the research problem and are created for the purpose of helping the researchers to derive a solution accordingly.
Make sure to use the brainstorming technique when coming up with solutions.
- First, thoroughly read over your case and think about all of its possible outcomes. This will allow for more ideas in a shorter amount of time than if you only looked at one solution beforehand without exploring every avenue firsthand.
- Secondly, pick out which sounds most interesting. These should be based on what’s going on currently or might have been mentioned within it by either side so as not to make any mistakes here!
- Thirdly take some extra care because picking wrong can really kill what was supposed.
The detailed analysis provides an opportunity for the researchers to apply the solution of the problem to the whole society to improve society’s working and recommend further action.
Before writing as a case study, you must also know about its design and methodology. Have a look at these important aspects before you start writing.
Case Study Research Design and Method
The research design and method let you explore specific cases as a means to test a theory or investigate a specific topic.
Grounded theory is a research design that has been used by researchers for decades now. This method aims to understand the context of the study by generating a thesis from the collected data.
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The first step in conducting a rigorous study is to decide on the group or individuals you want your research methodology to focus on. This should be done carefully, taking into account things like their age and gender so as not to bias any results found during this process!
- Case Study Design
The design focuses on how the study will be addressed and whether the gathered background information is relevant to the study.
There are no hard and fast rules here, unlike some scientific works, but the main goal is to ensure that your work is brief but comprehensive in order to avoid irrelevant data.
To ensure that you don’t go off-topic, you should write down a list of key points you want to address in your study. Keep referencing back to it by sharing the relevant facts.
- Case Study Methodology
The case study method is simply observing the subject or the person’s group. The goal is to find out information that wouldn’t have been possible if the number of individuals under observation was large.
Fields Utilizing a Case Studies as Research Type
In the context of education or psychology, individual case studies are conducted to better understand an individual and his problems. In addition, the researchers seek to find the cause of the issue.
Social and real-life sciences do not work on rigid formulas. As such, researchers have to use empirical research methods to explore what is going on behind closed doors.
They try generalizing their findings across similar groups of people so we can all learn from each other’s experiences while also providing solutions that will help us live better lives together!
The success stories of potential customers and their experience with products or services can be used in the formula to analyze a business’ successes.
Case Study Examples
Before you start writing your case study, it is good to read existing business case studies. This further clears any ambiguities that you might have regarding the case study format or how to cite a case study.
Here we have added informative case study samples for your help.Case study psychology PDF
We hope that this guide was successful in simplifying and writing multiple case studies for you. And that by now, you are aware of how to do a case study.
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