CASE STUDY

UIDELINES FOR WRITING A CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

A case study analysis requires you to investigate a patient case or problem, examine the alternative solutions, and propose the most effective solution using supporting evidence.

What are case studies?

Case studies are stories. They present realistic, complex, and contextually rich situations and often involve a dilemma, conflict, or problem that one or more of the characters in the case must negotiate.

A good case study, according to Professor Paul Lawrence is: “the vehicle by which a chunk of reality is brought into the classroom to be worked over by the class and the instructor. A good case keeps the class discussion grounded upon some of the stubborn facts that must be faced in real life situations.” (quoted in Christensen, 1981).

Although they have been used most extensively in the teaching of medicine, law and business, case studies can be an effective teaching tool in any number of disciplines. As an instructional strategy, case studies have a number of virtues. They “bridge the gap between theory and practice and between the academy and the workplace” (Barkley, Cross, and Major 2005, p.182). They also give students practice identifying the parameters of a problem, recognizing and articulating positions, evaluating courses of action, and arguing different points of view.

Preparing the Case

Before you begin writing, follow these guidelines to help you prepare and understand

the case study: 1. Readandexaminethecasethoroughly o Take notes, highlight relevant facts, underline key problems. 2. Focusyouranalysis o Identify two to five key problems o Why do they exist? o How do they impact the patient? o Who is responsible for them? 3. Uncoverpossiblesolutions o Review course readings, discussions, outside research, your experience. 4. Selectthebestsolution o Consider strong supporting evidence, pros, and cons: is this solution realistic?

Drafting the Case

Once you have gathered the necessary information, a draft of your analysis should include these sections:

1. Introduction o Identify the key problems and issues in the case study. o Formulate and include a thesis statement, summarizing the outcome of your analysis in

1–2 sentences.

2. Background o Set the scene: background information, relevant facts, and the most important issues. o Demonstrate that you have researched the problems in this case study.

3. Alternatives o Outline possible alternatives (not necessarily all of them) o Explain why alternatives were rejected o Constraints/reasons o Why are alternatives not possible at this time?

4. ProposedSolution o Provide one specific and realistic solution o Explain why this solution was chosen o Support this solution with solid evidence o Concepts from class (text readings, discussions, lectures) o Outside research o Personal experience (anecdotes)

5. Recommendations o Determine and discuss specific strategies for accomplishing the proposed solution. o If applicable, recommend further action to resolve some of the issues o What should be done and who should do it?

Finalizing the Case

After you have composed the first draft of your case study analysis, read through it to check for any gaps or inconsistencies in content or structure: Is your thesis statement clear and direct? Have you provided solid evidence? Is any component from the analysis missing?

Proofread, proofread, proofread, proofread. Then.... Give it to your smartest friend and ask them to proofread your document. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes and just plain not making sense are all common mistakes made in documents that we write. Take measures to prevent this from happening. After all, we are professionals or soon to be professionals in the realm of human movement science, not professional writing or English. However, mistakes cost points.