Teaching and research case studies
Case studies can be used for either research or teaching purposes. The content and structure of research and teaching case studies differ based on their objectives. A research case aims to contribute new research insights by developing or testing research hypotheses using rigorous methodologies to analyse a real-life situation that reflects a specific theoretical perspective. On the other hand, a teaching case is a factual narrative of actual events and real people. It aims to provide an opportunity for students to learn and appreciate existing concepts and real-world issues through facilitated case discussions. This article focuses on how to write a teaching case study.
A teaching case is usually used in a pedagogical setting. As such, a teaching case study is not a literature review to identify gaps in research, not an argument for a particular perspective, not an advocacy for certain recommendations, not about policy evaluation, and not simply a collation of facts. Instead, the key is to emphasise the tension between policy choices, and what it means for the decision-maker, the organisation, the interest groups concerned and the general public. The goal is to set out the policy context and possible repercussions, so that readers may navigate the issue for themselves.
A public policy study is a teaching tool:
By presenting a detailed account of a policy issue,
it
allows readers
to situate themselves in the complexity of real-world policymaking, adopt different vantage points,
apply knowledge,
develop analytical skills and acquire insight about larger policy principles. It usually frames the
policy situation
as one of tension, due to diverse perspectives and ideas, or competing interests and institutions.
-
Ideas: From political ideologies to social attitudes, how policymakers and the public think about
a
policy issue
determine what is identified as a problem, how that problem is explained, and what are considered
appropriate
solutions. Cases help to highlight different interpretations of a situation and allow the reader
to
reflect on a
range of possible policy responses.
-
Interests: Policies often create winners and losers, people who benefit from particular decisions
and others who
are penalized. Case studies illustrate how policymakers make decisions by considering the
competing
interests of
various stakeholders, and the costs and consequences of any course of action, so that readers can
weigh the
trade-offs associated with policymaking.
-
Institutions: Institutions play a key role in organising public life. They include the
organisations
through
which society is governed, as well as informal rules and established ways of doing things. Cases
explore how
policymakers are locked in by past decisions, how change often happens only in small incremental
steps, but also
how policy legacies can sometimes be upturned.
Three common types of teaching case studies
-
Decision Case. The decision case discusses how decision-makers have to consider various perspectives given the incomplete information at a point in time and come to a
decision recognising the trade-offs that have to be made.
-
Documentation Case. The documentation case discusses the historical context of a policy situation and how things came to be. It documents policy ‘branch points’ or
moments when different options were available and the consequences of particular choices.
-
Issues Case. The issues case discusses different aspects of a topic or trend, highlighting complexity and uncertainty, and often compares how different governments and
organisations manage the policy issue.
Additional resources:
- Derek Abell, “What makes a Good Case” in ECCHO: The Newsletter of the European Case Clearing
House, Fall 1997.
- Emerald Group Publishing, “eCases: Writing Teaching Cases” in Author how-to guides. 2019, https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/sites/default/files/2020-02/guide-writing-cases.pdf
- June Gwee, The Case Writer’s Toolkit (Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore, 2018).
- William Naumes and Margaret Naumes, The Art & Craft of Case Writing (Third Edition) (New York: M.E. Sharpe, Inc., 2012).
- Pennsylvania State University Schreyer Institute, “Case Writing Guide,” July 2007, https://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/pdf/CaseWritingGuide.pdf.
- Michael J. Roberts, “Developing a Teaching Case (Abridged).” Harvard Business School Background Note 901-055. June 2001 (Revised March 2012).
- Stanford Law School, “10 Tips for Developing Effective Policy Case Studies,” Year unknown, https://law.stanford.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Writing-Policy-Case-Studies-Guidelines.pdf.
- The Case Centre, “A Brief Guide to Case Writing,” 2024, https://www.thecasecentre.org/caseWriting/guide.
- University of Hull, “Other Assessments: Case Studies” in SkillsGuides, February 2024, https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/other/cases.
- Gina Vega, The Case Writing Workbook: A Guide for Faculty and Students (Third Edition) (New York: Routledge, 2022).
- J. David M. Wood, Michiel R. Leenders, Louise A. Mauffette-Leenders, and James A. Erskine, Writing Cases (Fifth Edition) (Case Method Books, 2019).
Our case studies adhere to our in-house LKYSPP Case Writing Technical Guidelines