tools in case study

How to write a case study — examples, templates, and tools

It’s a marketer’s job to communicate the effectiveness of a product or service to potential and current customers to convince them to buy and keep business moving. One of the best methods for doing this is to share success stories that are relatable to prospects and customers based on their pain points, experiences, and overall needs.

That’s where case studies come in. Case studies are an essential part of a content marketing plan. These in-depth stories of customer experiences are some of the most effective at demonstrating the value of a product or service. Yet many marketers don’t use them, whether because of their regimented formats or the process of customer involvement and approval.

A case study is a powerful tool for showcasing your hard work and the success your customer achieved. But writing a great case study can be difficult if you’ve never done it before or if it’s been a while. This guide will show you how to write an effective case study and provide real-world examples and templates that will keep readers engaged and support your business.

In this article, you’ll learn:

What is a case study?

How to write a case study, case study templates, case study examples, case study tools.

A case study is the detailed story of a customer’s experience with a product or service that demonstrates their success and often includes measurable outcomes. Case studies are used in a range of fields and for various reasons, from business to academic research. They’re especially impactful in marketing as brands work to convince and convert consumers with relatable, real-world stories of actual customer experiences.

The best case studies tell the story of a customer’s success, including the steps they took, the results they achieved, and the support they received from a brand along the way. To write a great case study, you need to:

• Celebrate the customer and make them — not a product or service — the star of the story.
• Craft the story with specific audiences or target segments in mind so that the story of one customer will be viewed as relatable and actionable for another customer.
• Write copy that is easy to read and engaging so that readers will gain the insights and messages intended.
• Follow a standardized format that includes all of the essentials a potential customer would find interesting and useful.
• Support all of the claims for success made in the story with data in the forms of hard numbers and customer statements.

Case studies are a type of review but more in depth, aiming to show — rather than just tell — the positive experiences that customers have with a brand. Notably, 89% of consumers read reviews before deciding to buy, and 79% view case study content as part of their purchasing process. When it comes to B2B sales, 52% of buyers rank case studies as an important part of their evaluation process.

Telling a brand story through the experience of a tried-and-true customer matters. The story is relatable to potential new customers as they imagine themselves in the shoes of the company or individual featured in the case study. Showcasing previous customers can help new ones see themselves engaging with your brand in the ways that are most meaningful to them.

Besides sharing the perspective of another customer, case studies stand out from other content marketing forms because they are based on evidence. Whether pulling from client testimonials or data-driven results, case studies tend to have more impact on new business because the story contains information that is both objective (data) and subjective (customer experience) — and the brand doesn’t sound too self-promotional.

Case studies are unique in that there’s a fairly standardized format for telling a customer’s story. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for creativity. It’s all about making sure that teams are clear on the goals for the case study — along with strategies for supporting content and channels — and understanding how the story fits within the framework of the company’s overall marketing goals.

Here are the basic steps to writing a good case study.

1. Identify your goal

Start by defining exactly who your case study will be designed to help. Case studies are about specific instances where a company works with a customer to achieve a goal. Identify which customers are likely to have these goals, as well as other needs the story should cover to appeal to them.

The answer is often found in one of the buyer personas that have been constructed as part of your larger marketing strategy. This can include anything from new leads generated by the marketing team to long-term customers that are being pressed for cross-sell opportunities. In all of these cases, demonstrating value through a relatable customer success story can be part of the solution to conversion.

2. Choose your client or subject

Who you highlight matters. Case studies tie brands together that might otherwise not cross paths. A writer will want to ensure that the highlighted customer aligns with their own company’s brand identity and offerings. Look for a customer with positive name recognition who has had great success with a product or service and is willing to be an advocate.

The client should also match up with the identified target audience. Whichever company or individual is selected should be a reflection of other potential customers who can see themselves in similar circumstances, having the same problems and possible solutions.

Some of the most compelling case studies feature customers who:

• Switch from one product or service to another while naming competitors that missed the mark.
• Experience measurable results that are relatable to others in a specific industry.
• Represent well-known brands and recognizable names that are likely to compel action.
• Advocate for a product or service as a champion and are well-versed in its advantages.

Whoever or whatever customer is selected, marketers must ensure they have the permission of the company involved before getting started. Some brands have strict review and approval procedures for any official marketing or promotional materials that include their name. Acquiring those approvals in advance will prevent any miscommunication or wasted effort if there is an issue with their legal or compliance teams.

3. Conduct research and compile data

Substantiating the claims made in a case study — either by the marketing team or customers themselves — adds validity to the story. To do this, include data and feedback from the client that defines what success looks like. This can be anything from demonstrating return on investment (ROI) to a specific metric the customer was striving to improve. Case studies should prove how an outcome was achieved and show tangible results that indicate to the customer that your solution is the right one.

This step could also include customer interviews. Make sure that the people being interviewed are key stakeholders in the purchase decision or deployment and use of the product or service that is being highlighted. Content writers should work off a set list of questions prepared in advance. It can be helpful to share these with the interviewees beforehand so they have time to consider and craft their responses. One of the best interview tactics to keep in mind is to ask questions where yes and no are not natural answers. This way, your subject will provide more open-ended responses that produce more meaningful content.

4. Choose the right format

There are a number of different ways to format a case study. Depending on what you hope to achieve, one style will be better than another. However, there are some common elements to include, such as:

• An engaging headline
• A subject and customer introduction
• The unique challenge or challenges the customer faced
• The solution the customer used to solve the problem
• The results achieved
• Data and statistics to back up claims of success
• A strong call to action (CTA) to engage with the vendor

It’s also important to note that while case studies are traditionally written as stories, they don’t have to be in a written format. Some companies choose to get more creative with their case studies and produce multimedia content, depending on their audience and objectives. Case study formats can include traditional print stories, interactive web or social content, data-heavy infographics, professionally shot videos, podcasts, and more.

5. Write your case study

We’ll go into more detail later about how exactly to write a case study, including templates and examples. Generally speaking, though, there are a few things to keep in mind when writing your case study.

• Be clear and concise. Readers want to get to the point of the story quickly and easily, and they’ll be looking to see themselves reflected in the story right from the start.
• Provide a big picture. Always make sure to explain who the client is, their goals, and how they achieved success in a short introduction to engage the reader.
• Construct a clear narrative. Stick to the story from the perspective of the customer and what they needed to solve instead of just listing product features or benefits.
• Leverage graphics. Incorporating infographics, charts, and sidebars can be a more engaging and eye-catching way to share key statistics and data in readable ways.
• Offer the right amount of detail. Most case studies are one or two pages with clear sections that a reader can skim to find the information most important to them.
• Include data to support claims. Show real results — both facts and figures and customer quotes — to demonstrate credibility and prove the solution works.

6. Promote your story

Marketers have a number of options for distribution of a freshly minted case study. Many brands choose to publish case studies on their website and post them on social media. This can help support SEO and organic content strategies while also boosting company credibility and trust as visitors see that other businesses have used the product or service.

Marketers are always looking for quality content they can use for lead generation. Consider offering a case study as gated content behind a form on a landing page or as an offer in an email message. One great way to do this is to summarize the content and tease the full story available for download after the user takes an action.

Sales teams can also leverage case studies, so be sure they are aware that the assets exist once they’re published. Especially when it comes to larger B2B sales, companies often ask for examples of similar customer challenges that have been solved.

Now that you’ve learned a bit about case studies and what they should include, you may be wondering how to start creating great customer story content. Here are a couple of templates you can use to structure your case study.

Template 1 — Challenge-solution-result format

• Start with an engaging title. This should be fewer than 70 characters long for SEO best practices. One of the best ways to approach the title is to include the customer’s name and a hint at the challenge they overcame in the end.
• Create an introduction. Lead with an explanation as to who the customer is, the need they had, and the opportunity they found with a specific product or solution. Writers can also suggest the success the customer experienced with the solution they chose.
• Present the challenge. This should be several paragraphs long and explain the problem the customer faced and the issues they were trying to solve. Details should tie into the company’s products and services naturally. This section needs to be the most relatable to the reader so they can picture themselves in a similar situation.
• Share the solution. Explain which product or service offered was the ideal fit for the customer and why. Feel free to delve into their experience setting up, purchasing, and onboarding the solution.
• Explain the results. Demonstrate the impact of the solution they chose by backing up their positive experience with data. Fill in with customer quotes and tangible, measurable results that show the effect of their choice.
• Ask for action. Include a CTA at the end of the case study that invites readers to reach out for more information, try a demo, or learn more — to nurture them further in the marketing pipeline. What you ask of the reader should tie directly into the goals that were established for the case study in the first place.

Template 2 — Data-driven format

• Start with an engaging title. Be sure to include a statistic or data point in the first 70 characters. Again, it’s best to include the customer’s name as part of the title.
• Create an overview. Share the customer’s background and a short version of the challenge they faced. Present the reason a particular product or service was chosen, and feel free to include quotes from the customer about their selection process.
• Present data point 1. Isolate the first metric that the customer used to define success and explain how the product or solution helped to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Present data point 2. Isolate the second metric that the customer used to define success and explain what the product or solution did to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Present data point 3. Isolate the final metric that the customer used to define success and explain what the product or solution did to achieve this goal. Provide data points and quotes to substantiate the claim that success was achieved.
• Summarize the results. Reiterate the fact that the customer was able to achieve success thanks to a specific product or service. Include quotes and statements that reflect customer satisfaction and suggest they plan to continue using the solution.
• Ask for action. Include a CTA at the end of the case study that asks readers to reach out for more information, try a demo, or learn more — to further nurture them in the marketing pipeline. Again, remember that this is where marketers can look to convert their content into action with the customer.

While templates are helpful, seeing a case study in action can also be a great way to learn. Here are some examples of how Adobe customers have experienced success.

Juniper Networks

One example is the Adobe and Juniper Networks case study , which puts the reader in the customer’s shoes. The beginning of the story quickly orients the reader so that they know exactly who the article is about and what they were trying to achieve. Solutions are outlined in a way that shows Adobe Experience Manager is the best choice and a natural fit for the customer. Along the way, quotes from the client are incorporated to help add validity to the statements. The results in the case study are conveyed with clear evidence of scale and volume using tangible data.

The story of Lenovo’s journey with Adobe is one that spans years of planning, implementation, and rollout. The Lenovo case study does a great job of consolidating all of this into a relatable journey that other enterprise organizations can see themselves taking, despite the project size. This case study also features descriptive headers and compelling visual elements that engage the reader and strengthen the content.

Tata Consulting

When it comes to using data to show customer results, this case study does an excellent job of conveying details and numbers in an easy-to-digest manner. Bullet points at the start break up the content while also helping the reader understand exactly what the case study will be about. Tata Consulting used Adobe to deliver elevated, engaging content experiences for a large telecommunications client of its own — an objective that’s relatable for a lot of companies.

Case studies are a vital tool for any marketing team as they enable you to demonstrate the value of your company’s products and services to others. They help marketers do their job and add credibility to a brand trying to promote its solutions by using the experiences and stories of real customers.

When you’re ready to get started with a case study:

• Think about a few goals you’d like to accomplish with your content.
• Make a list of successful clients that would be strong candidates for a case study.
• Reach out to the client to get their approval and conduct an interview.
• Gather the data to present an engaging and effective customer story.

Adobe can help

There are several Adobe products that can help you craft compelling case studies. Adobe Experience Platform helps you collect data and deliver great customer experiences across every channel. Once you’ve created your case studies, Experience Platform will help you deliver the right information to the right customer at the right time for maximum impact.

To learn more, watch the Adobe Experience Platform story .

Keep in mind that the best case studies are backed by data. That’s where Adobe Real-Time Customer Data Platform and Adobe Analytics come into play. With Real-Time CDP, you can gather the data you need to build a great case study and target specific customers to deliver the content to the right audience at the perfect moment.

Watch the Real-Time CDP overview video to learn more.

Finally, Adobe Analytics turns real-time data into real-time insights. It helps your business collect and synthesize data from multiple platforms to make more informed decisions and create the best case study possible.

Request a demo to learn more about Adobe Analytics.

https://business.adobe.com/blog/perspectives/b2b-ecommerce-10-case-studies-inspire-you

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/business-case

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/what-is-real-time-analytics

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• 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.

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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.

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

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Blog Graphic Design

15+ Professional Case Study Examples [Design Tips + Templates]

By Alice Corner , Jan 12, 2023

Have you ever bought something — within the last 10 years or so — without reading its reviews or without a recommendation or prior experience of using it?

If the answer is no — or at least, rarely — you get my point.

Positive reviews matter for selling to regular customers, and for B2B or SaaS businesses, detailed case studies are important too.

Wondering how to craft a compelling case study ? No worries—I’ve got you covered with 15 marketing case study templates , helpful tips, and examples to ensure your case study converts effectively.

Click to jump ahead:

• What is a Case Study?

Business Case Study Examples

Simple case study examples.

• Marketing Case Study Examples

Sales Case Study Examples

• Case Study FAQs

What is a case study?

A case study is an in-depth, detailed analysis of a specific real-world situation. For example, a case study can be about an individual, group, event, organization, or phenomenon. The purpose of a case study is to understand its complexities and gain insights into a particular instance or situation.

In the context of a business, however, case studies take customer success stories and explore how they use your product to help them achieve their business goals.

As well as being valuable marketing tools , case studies are a good way to evaluate your product as it allows you to objectively examine how others are using it.

It’s also a good way to interview your customers about why they work with you.

Related: What is a Case Study? [+6 Types of Case Studies]

Marketing Case Study Template

A marketing case study showcases how your product or services helped potential clients achieve their business goals. You can also create case studies of internal, successful marketing projects. A marketing case study typically includes:

• Company background and history
• The challenge
• How you helped
• Specific actions taken
• Visuals or Data
• Client testimonials

Here’s an example of a marketing case study template:

Whether you’re a B2B or B2C company, business case studies can be a powerful resource to help with your sales, marketing, and even internal departmental awareness.

Business and business management case studies should encompass strategic insights alongside anecdotal and qualitative findings, like in the business case study examples below.

Conduct a B2B case study by researching the company holistically

When it comes to writing a case study, make sure you approach the company holistically and analyze everything from their social media to their sales.

Think about every avenue your product or service has been of use to your case study company, and ask them about the impact this has had on their wider company goals.

In business case study examples like the one above, we can see that the company has been thought about holistically simply by the use of icons.

By combining social media icons with icons that show in-person communication we know that this is a well-researched and thorough case study.

This case study report example could also be used within an annual or end-of-year report.

Highlight the key takeaway from your marketing case study

To create a compelling case study, identify the key takeaways from your research. Use catchy language to sum up this information in a sentence, and present this sentence at the top of your page.

This is “at a glance” information and it allows people to gain a top-level understanding of the content immediately. 

You can use a large, bold, contrasting font to help this information stand out from the page and provide interest.

Learn  how to choose fonts  effectively with our Venngage guide and once you’ve done that.

Upload your fonts and  brand colors  to Venngage using the  My Brand Kit  tool and see them automatically applied to your designs.

The heading is the ideal place to put the most impactful information, as this is the first thing that people will read.

In this example, the stat of “Increase[d] lead quality by 90%” is used as the header. It makes customers want to read more to find out how exactly lead quality was increased by such a massive amount.

If you’re conducting an in-person interview, you could highlight a direct quote or insight provided by your interview subject.

Pick out a catchy sentence or phrase, or the key piece of information your interview subject provided and use that as a way to draw a potential customer in.

Use charts to visualize data in your business case studies

Charts are an excellent way to visualize data and to bring statistics and information to life. Charts make information easier to understand and to illustrate trends or patterns.

Making charts is even easier with Venngage.

In this consulting case study example, we can see that a chart has been used to demonstrate the difference in lead value within the Lead Elves case study.

Adding a chart here helps break up the information and add visual value to the case study. 

Using charts in your case study can also be useful if you’re creating a project management case study.

You could use a Gantt chart or a project timeline to show how you have managed the project successfully.

Use direct quotes to build trust in your marketing case study

To add an extra layer of authenticity you can include a direct quote from your customer within your case study.

According to research from Nielsen , 92% of people will trust a recommendation from a peer and 70% trust recommendations even if they’re from somebody they don’t know.

So if you have a customer or client who can’t stop singing your praises, make sure you get a direct quote from them and include it in your case study.

You can either lift part of the conversation or interview, or you can specifically request a quote. Make sure to ask for permission before using the quote.

This design uses a bright contrasting speech bubble to show that it includes a direct quote, and helps the quote stand out from the rest of the text.

This will help draw the customer’s attention directly to the quote, in turn influencing them to use your product or service.

Less is often more, and this is especially true when it comes to creating designs. Whilst you want to create a professional-looking, well-written and design case study – there’s no need to overcomplicate things.

These simple case study examples show that smart clean designs and informative content can be an effective way to showcase your successes.

Use colors and fonts to create a professional-looking case study

Business case studies shouldn’t be boring. In fact, they should be beautifully and professionally designed.

This means the normal rules of design apply. Use fonts, colors, and icons to create an interesting and visually appealing case study.

In this case study example, we can see how multiple fonts have been used to help differentiate between the headers and content, as well as complementary colors and eye-catching icons.

Marketing case study examples

Marketing case studies are incredibly useful for showing your marketing successes. Every successful marketing campaign relies on influencing a consumer’s behavior, and a great case study can be a great way to spotlight your biggest wins.

In the marketing case study examples below, a variety of designs and techniques to create impactful and effective case studies.

Show off impressive results with a bold marketing case study

Case studies are meant to show off your successes, so make sure you feature your positive results prominently. Using bold and bright colors as well as contrasting shapes, large bold fonts, and simple icons is a great way to highlight your wins.

In well-written case study examples like the one below, the big wins are highlighted on the second page with a bright orange color and are highlighted in circles.

Making the important data stand out is especially important when attracting a prospective customer with marketing case studies.

Use a simple but clear layout in your case study

Using a simple layout in your case study can be incredibly effective, like in the example of a case study below.

Keeping a clean white background, and using slim lines to help separate the sections is an easy way to format your case study.

Making the information clear helps draw attention to the important results, and it helps improve the  accessibility of the design .

Business case study examples like this would sit nicely within a larger report, with a consistent layout throughout.

Use visuals and icons to create an engaging and branded business case study

Nobody wants to read pages and pages of text — and that’s why Venngage wants to help you communicate your ideas visually.

Using icons, graphics, photos, or patterns helps create a much more engaging design. 

With this Blue Cap case study icons, colors, and impactful pattern designs have been used to create an engaging design that catches your eye.

Use a monochromatic color palette to create a professional and clean case study

Let your research shine by using a monochromatic and minimalistic color palette.

By sticking to one color, and leaving lots of blank space you can ensure your design doesn’t distract a potential customer from your case study content.

In this case study on Polygon Media, the design is simple and professional, and the layout allows the prospective customer to follow the flow of information.

The gradient effect on the left-hand column helps break up the white background and adds an interesting visual effect.

Did you know you can generate an accessible color palette with Venngage? Try our free accessible color palette generator today and create a case study that delivers and looks pleasant to the eye:

Add long term goals in your case study

When creating a case study it’s a great idea to look at both the short term and the long term goals of the company to gain the best understanding possible of the insights they provide.

Short-term goals will be what the company or person hopes to achieve in the next few months, and long-term goals are what the company hopes to achieve in the next few years.

Check out this modern pattern design example of a case study below:

In this case study example, the short and long-term goals are clearly distinguished by light blue boxes and placed side by side so that they are easy to compare.

Use a strong introductory paragraph to outline the overall strategy and goals before outlining the specific short-term and long-term goals to help with clarity.

This strategy can also be handy when creating a consulting case study.

Use data to make concrete points about your sales and successes

When conducting any sort of research stats, facts, and figures are like gold dust (aka, really valuable).

Being able to quantify your findings is important to help understand the information fully. Saying sales increased 10% is much more effective than saying sales increased.

While sales dashboards generally tend it make it all about the numbers and charts, in sales case study examples, like this one, the key data and findings can be presented with icons. This contributes to the potential customer’s better understanding of the report.

They can clearly comprehend the information and it shows that the case study has been well researched.

Use emotive, persuasive, or action based language in your marketing case study

Create a compelling case study by using emotive, persuasive and action-based language when customizing your case study template.

In this well-written case study example, we can see that phrases such as “Results that Speak Volumes” and “Drive Sales” have been used.

Using persuasive language like you would in a blog post. It helps inspire potential customers to take action now.

Keep your potential customers in mind when creating a customer case study for marketing

82% of marketers use case studies in their marketing  because it’s such an effective tool to help quickly gain customers’ trust and to showcase the potential of your product.

Why are case studies such an important tool in content marketing?

By writing a case study you’re telling potential customers that they can trust you because you’re showing them that other people do.

Not only that, but if you have a SaaS product, business case studies are a great way to show how other people are effectively using your product in their company.

In this case study, Network is demonstrating how their product has been used by Vortex Co. with great success; instantly showing other potential customers that their tool works and is worth using.

Related: 10+ Case Study Infographic Templates That Convert

Case studies are particularly effective as a sales technique.

A sales case study is like an extended customer testimonial, not only sharing opinions of your product – but showcasing the results you helped your customer achieve.

Make impactful statistics pop in your sales case study

Writing a case study doesn’t mean using text as the only medium for sharing results.

You should use icons to highlight areas of your research that are particularly interesting or relevant, like in this example of a case study:

Icons are a great way to help summarize information quickly and can act as visual cues to help draw the customer’s attention to certain areas of the page.

In some of the business case study examples above, icons are used to represent the impressive areas of growth and are presented in a way that grabs your attention.

Use high contrast shapes and colors to draw attention to key information in your sales case study

Help the key information stand out within your case study by using high contrast shapes and colors.

Use a complementary or contrasting color, or use a shape such as a rectangle or a circle for maximum impact.

This design has used dark blue rectangles to help separate the information and make it easier to read.

Coupled with icons and strong statistics, this information stands out on the page and is easily digestible and retainable for a potential customer.

Case Study Examples Summary

Once you have created your case study, it’s best practice to update your examples on a regular basis to include up-to-date statistics, data, and information.

You should update your business case study examples often if you are sharing them on your website .

It’s also important that your case study sits within your brand guidelines – find out how Venngage’s My Brand Kit tool can help you create consistently branded case study templates.

Case studies are important marketing tools – but they shouldn’t be the only tool in your toolbox. Content marketing is also a valuable way to earn consumer trust.

Case Study FAQ

Why should you write a case study.

Case studies are an effective marketing technique to engage potential customers and help build trust.

By producing case studies featuring your current clients or customers, you are showcasing how your tool or product can be used. You’re also showing that other people endorse your product.

In addition to being a good way to gather positive testimonials from existing customers , business case studies are good educational resources and can be shared amongst your company or team, and used as a reference for future projects.

How should you write a case study?

To create a great case study, you should think strategically. The first step, before starting your case study research, is to think about what you aim to learn or what you aim to prove.

You might be aiming to learn how a company makes sales or develops a new product. If this is the case, base your questions around this.

You can learn more about writing a case study  from our extensive guide.

Related: How to Present a Case Study like a Pro (With Examples)

Some good questions you could ask would be:

• Why do you use our tool or service?
• How often do you use our tool or service?
• What does the process of using our product look like to you?
• If our product didn’t exist, what would you be doing instead?
• What is the number one benefit you’ve found from using our tool?

You might also enjoy:

• 12 Essential Consulting Templates For Marketing, Planning and Branding
• Best Marketing Strategies for Consultants and Freelancers in 2019 [Study + Infographic]

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Home » Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Case Study – Methods, Examples and Guide

Table of Contents

A case study is a research method that involves an in-depth examination and analysis of a particular phenomenon or case, such as an individual, organization, community, event, or situation.

It is a qualitative research approach that aims to provide a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the case being studied. Case studies typically involve multiple sources of data, including interviews, observations, documents, and artifacts, which are analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, and grounded theory. The findings of a case study are often used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Types of Case Study

Types and Methods of Case Study are as follows:

Single-Case Study

A single-case study is an in-depth analysis of a single case. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand a specific phenomenon in detail.

For Example , A researcher might conduct a single-case study on a particular individual to understand their experiences with a particular health condition or a specific organization to explore their management practices. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a single-case study are often used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Multiple-Case Study

A multiple-case study involves the analysis of several cases that are similar in nature. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to identify similarities and differences between the cases.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a multiple-case study on several companies to explore the factors that contribute to their success or failure. The researcher collects data from each case, compares and contrasts the findings, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as comparative analysis or pattern-matching. The findings of a multiple-case study can be used to develop theories, inform policy or practice, or generate new research questions.

Exploratory Case Study

An exploratory case study is used to explore a new or understudied phenomenon. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to generate hypotheses or theories about the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an exploratory case study on a new technology to understand its potential impact on society. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as grounded theory or content analysis. The findings of an exploratory case study can be used to generate new research questions, develop theories, or inform policy or practice.

Descriptive Case Study

A descriptive case study is used to describe a particular phenomenon in detail. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to provide a comprehensive account of the phenomenon.

For Example, a researcher might conduct a descriptive case study on a particular community to understand its social and economic characteristics. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of a descriptive case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Instrumental Case Study

An instrumental case study is used to understand a particular phenomenon that is instrumental in achieving a particular goal. This type of case study is useful when the researcher wants to understand the role of the phenomenon in achieving the goal.

For Example, a researcher might conduct an instrumental case study on a particular policy to understand its impact on achieving a particular goal, such as reducing poverty. The researcher collects data from multiple sources, such as interviews, observations, and documents, and uses various techniques to analyze the data, such as content analysis or thematic analysis. The findings of an instrumental case study can be used to inform policy or practice or generate new research questions.

Case Study Data Collection Methods

Here are some common data collection methods for case studies:

Interviews involve asking questions to individuals who have knowledge or experience relevant to the case study. Interviews can be structured (where the same questions are asked to all participants) or unstructured (where the interviewer follows up on the responses with further questions). Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing.

Observations

Observations involve watching and recording the behavior and activities of individuals or groups relevant to the case study. Observations can be participant (where the researcher actively participates in the activities) or non-participant (where the researcher observes from a distance). Observations can be recorded using notes, audio or video recordings, or photographs.

Documents can be used as a source of information for case studies. Documents can include reports, memos, emails, letters, and other written materials related to the case study. Documents can be collected from the case study participants or from public sources.

Surveys involve asking a set of questions to a sample of individuals relevant to the case study. Surveys can be administered in person, over the phone, through mail or email, or online. Surveys can be used to gather information on attitudes, opinions, or behaviors related to the case study.

Artifacts are physical objects relevant to the case study. Artifacts can include tools, equipment, products, or other objects that provide insights into the case study phenomenon.

How to conduct Case Study Research

Conducting a case study research involves several steps that need to be followed to ensure the quality and rigor of the study. Here are the steps to conduct case study research:

• Define the research questions: The first step in conducting a case study research is to define the research questions. The research questions should be specific, measurable, and relevant to the case study phenomenon under investigation.
• Select the case: The next step is to select the case or cases to be studied. The case should be relevant to the research questions and should provide rich and diverse data that can be used to answer the research questions.
• Collect data: Data can be collected using various methods, such as interviews, observations, documents, surveys, and artifacts. The data collection method should be selected based on the research questions and the nature of the case study phenomenon.
• Analyze the data: The data collected from the case study should be analyzed using various techniques, such as content analysis, thematic analysis, or grounded theory. The analysis should be guided by the research questions and should aim to provide insights and conclusions relevant to the research questions.
• Draw conclusions: The conclusions drawn from the case study should be based on the data analysis and should be relevant to the research questions. The conclusions should be supported by evidence and should be clearly stated.
• Validate the findings: The findings of the case study should be validated by reviewing the data and the analysis with participants or other experts in the field. This helps to ensure the validity and reliability of the findings.
• Write the report: The final step is to write the report of the case study research. The report should provide a clear description of the case study phenomenon, the research questions, the data collection methods, the data analysis, the findings, and the conclusions. The report should be written in a clear and concise manner and should follow the guidelines for academic writing.

Examples of Case Study

Here are some examples of case study research:

• The Hawthorne Studies : Conducted between 1924 and 1932, the Hawthorne Studies were a series of case studies conducted by Elton Mayo and his colleagues to examine the impact of work environment on employee productivity. The studies were conducted at the Hawthorne Works plant of the Western Electric Company in Chicago and included interviews, observations, and experiments.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment: Conducted in 1971, the Stanford Prison Experiment was a case study conducted by Philip Zimbardo to examine the psychological effects of power and authority. The study involved simulating a prison environment and assigning participants to the role of guards or prisoners. The study was controversial due to the ethical issues it raised.
• The Challenger Disaster: The Challenger Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion in 1986. The study included interviews, observations, and analysis of data to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.
• The Enron Scandal: The Enron Scandal was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the Enron Corporation’s bankruptcy in 2001. The study included interviews, analysis of financial data, and review of documents to identify the accounting practices, corporate culture, and ethical issues that led to the company’s downfall.
• The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster : The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster was a case study conducted to examine the causes of the nuclear accident that occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan in 2011. The study included interviews, analysis of data, and review of documents to identify the technical, organizational, and cultural factors that contributed to the disaster.

Application of Case Study

Case studies have a wide range of applications across various fields and industries. Here are some examples:

Business and Management

Case studies are widely used in business and management to examine real-life situations and develop problem-solving skills. Case studies can help students and professionals to develop a deep understanding of business concepts, theories, and best practices.

Case studies are used in healthcare to examine patient care, treatment options, and outcomes. Case studies can help healthcare professionals to develop critical thinking skills, diagnose complex medical conditions, and develop effective treatment plans.

Case studies are used in education to examine teaching and learning practices. Case studies can help educators to develop effective teaching strategies, evaluate student progress, and identify areas for improvement.

Social Sciences

Case studies are widely used in social sciences to examine human behavior, social phenomena, and cultural practices. Case studies can help researchers to develop theories, test hypotheses, and gain insights into complex social issues.

Law and Ethics

Case studies are used in law and ethics to examine legal and ethical dilemmas. Case studies can help lawyers, policymakers, and ethical professionals to develop critical thinking skills, analyze complex cases, and make informed decisions.

Purpose of Case Study

The purpose of a case study is to provide a detailed analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. A case study is a qualitative research method that involves the in-depth exploration and analysis of a particular case, which can be an individual, group, organization, event, or community.

The primary purpose of a case study is to generate a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the case, including its history, context, and dynamics. Case studies can help researchers to identify and examine the underlying factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and detailed understanding of the case, which can inform future research, practice, or policy.

Case studies can also serve other purposes, including:

• Illustrating a theory or concept: Case studies can be used to illustrate and explain theoretical concepts and frameworks, providing concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
• Developing hypotheses: Case studies can help to generate hypotheses about the causal relationships between different factors and outcomes, which can be tested through further research.
• Providing insight into complex issues: Case studies can provide insights into complex and multifaceted issues, which may be difficult to understand through other research methods.
• Informing practice or policy: Case studies can be used to inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.

Advantages of Case Study Research

There are several advantages of case study research, including:

• In-depth exploration: Case study research allows for a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific phenomenon, issue, or problem in its real-life context. This can provide a comprehensive understanding of the case and its dynamics, which may not be possible through other research methods.
• Rich data: Case study research can generate rich and detailed data, including qualitative data such as interviews, observations, and documents. This can provide a nuanced understanding of the case and its complexity.
• Holistic perspective: Case study research allows for a holistic perspective of the case, taking into account the various factors, processes, and mechanisms that contribute to the case and its outcomes. This can help to develop a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the case.
• Theory development: Case study research can help to develop and refine theories and concepts by providing empirical evidence and concrete examples of how they can be applied in real-life situations.
• Practical application: Case study research can inform practice or policy by identifying best practices, lessons learned, or areas for improvement.
• Contextualization: Case study research takes into account the specific context in which the case is situated, which can help to understand how the case is influenced by the social, cultural, and historical factors of its environment.

Limitations of Case Study Research

There are several limitations of case study research, including:

• Limited generalizability : Case studies are typically focused on a single case or a small number of cases, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The unique characteristics of the case may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, which may limit the external validity of the research.
• Biased sampling: Case studies may rely on purposive or convenience sampling, which can introduce bias into the sample selection process. This may limit the representativeness of the sample and the generalizability of the findings.
• Subjectivity: Case studies rely on the interpretation of the researcher, which can introduce subjectivity into the analysis. The researcher’s own biases, assumptions, and perspectives may influence the findings, which may limit the objectivity of the research.
• Limited control: Case studies are typically conducted in naturalistic settings, which limits the control that the researcher has over the environment and the variables being studied. This may limit the ability to establish causal relationships between variables.
• Time-consuming: Case studies can be time-consuming to conduct, as they typically involve a detailed exploration and analysis of a specific case. This may limit the feasibility of conducting multiple case studies or conducting case studies in a timely manner.
• Resource-intensive: Case studies may require significant resources, including time, funding, and expertise. This may limit the ability of researchers to conduct case studies in resource-constrained settings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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The Tools You Need to Create Professional Case Studies

Julian lumpkin.

• April 27, 2020
• Creating Case Studies

Creating a Case Study takes a lot of work, but the right Case Study tools will make your job easier. Read on to learn more about our top Case Study tool suggestions.

Recommended Case Study Tools

Adobe indesign for layout design.

Great Case Studies need great design . Adobe InDesign is a robust desktop publishing and typesetting program used frequently for creating professional layouts for both print and the web. Using this industry-standard software means it’ll be easier to share the files and collaborate with others.

Zoom for Interview Recording

You must record and transcribe your interview. Recording the interview via Zoom will free you up from taking notes and allow you to focus on the conversation while still capturing every word.

Rev for Transcription

After the call, send your recording to Rev for a written transcription that you can refer back to at any time. This will make it easier to write your Case Study, and you’ll have the details documented for future use.

Upwork/Toptal/Communo for Hiring Writers, Editors, and Designers

The final version of your Case Study will be used as a marketing and selling tool, so you want it to look and read the best it possibly can. Recognize the weaknesses in your Case Study, and don’t hesitate to spend some money for extra help from an experienced writer, editor, or designer on Upwork, Toptal, or Communo.

We here at SuccessKit have a process to create an entire Case Study for you from start to finish. We have all the Case Study tools and the perfect team in place to handle every step of the process. Sign up, onboard with Julian, and put your feet up while we take care of all the rest.

Visit us at SuccessKit.io to learn more.

Julian has focused his career on B2B sales and sales management, specifically bringing new technologies to market. After years as an elite sales rep, he began leading teams, specifically focused on coaching sales reps on how to be direct, credible, and respected throughout the sales process. Julian conceived of and designed SuccessKit when running an 18 person sales-team at Axial, a b2b startup, as a way to help sales reps have better conversations by utilizing customer success examples and other content more effectively.

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Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Assignments

• Annotated Bibliography
• Analyzing a Scholarly Journal Article
• Group Presentations
• Dealing with Nervousness
• Using Visual Aids
• Grading Someone Else's Paper
• Types of Structured Group Activities
• Group Project Survival Skills
• Leading a Class Discussion
• Multiple Book Review Essay
• Reviewing Collected Works
• Writing a Case Analysis Paper
• Writing a Case Study
• About Informed Consent
• Writing Field Notes
• Writing a Policy Memo
• Writing a Reflective Paper
• Writing a Research Proposal
• Generative AI and Writing
• Acknowledgments

A case study research paper examines a person, place, event, condition, phenomenon, or other type of subject of analysis in order to extrapolate  key themes and results that help predict future trends, illuminate previously hidden issues that can be applied to practice, and/or provide a means for understanding an important research problem with greater clarity. A case study research paper usually examines a single subject of analysis, but case study papers can also be designed as a comparative investigation that shows relationships between two or more subjects. The methods used to study a case can rest within a quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method investigative paradigm.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010 ; “What is a Case Study?” In Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London: SAGE, 2010.

How to Approach Writing a Case Study Research Paper

General information about how to choose a topic to investigate can be found under the " Choosing a Research Problem " tab in the Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper writing guide. Review this page because it may help you identify a subject of analysis that can be investigated using a case study design.

However, identifying a case to investigate involves more than choosing the research problem . A case study encompasses a problem contextualized around the application of in-depth analysis, interpretation, and discussion, often resulting in specific recommendations for action or for improving existing conditions. As Seawright and Gerring note, practical considerations such as time and access to information can influence case selection, but these issues should not be the sole factors used in describing the methodological justification for identifying a particular case to study. Given this, selecting a case includes considering the following:

• The case represents an unusual or atypical example of a research problem that requires more in-depth analysis? Cases often represent a topic that rests on the fringes of prior investigations because the case may provide new ways of understanding the research problem. For example, if the research problem is to identify strategies to improve policies that support girl's access to secondary education in predominantly Muslim nations, you could consider using Azerbaijan as a case study rather than selecting a more obvious nation in the Middle East. Doing so may reveal important new insights into recommending how governments in other predominantly Muslim nations can formulate policies that support improved access to education for girls.
• The case provides important insight or illuminate a previously hidden problem? In-depth analysis of a case can be based on the hypothesis that the case study will reveal trends or issues that have not been exposed in prior research or will reveal new and important implications for practice. For example, anecdotal evidence may suggest drug use among homeless veterans is related to their patterns of travel throughout the day. Assuming prior studies have not looked at individual travel choices as a way to study access to illicit drug use, a case study that observes a homeless veteran could reveal how issues of personal mobility choices facilitate regular access to illicit drugs. Note that it is important to conduct a thorough literature review to ensure that your assumption about the need to reveal new insights or previously hidden problems is valid and evidence-based.
• The case challenges and offers a counter-point to prevailing assumptions? Over time, research on any given topic can fall into a trap of developing assumptions based on outdated studies that are still applied to new or changing conditions or the idea that something should simply be accepted as "common sense," even though the issue has not been thoroughly tested in current practice. A case study analysis may offer an opportunity to gather evidence that challenges prevailing assumptions about a research problem and provide a new set of recommendations applied to practice that have not been tested previously. For example, perhaps there has been a long practice among scholars to apply a particular theory in explaining the relationship between two subjects of analysis. Your case could challenge this assumption by applying an innovative theoretical framework [perhaps borrowed from another discipline] to explore whether this approach offers new ways of understanding the research problem. Taking a contrarian stance is one of the most important ways that new knowledge and understanding develops from existing literature.
• The case provides an opportunity to pursue action leading to the resolution of a problem? Another way to think about choosing a case to study is to consider how the results from investigating a particular case may result in findings that reveal ways in which to resolve an existing or emerging problem. For example, studying the case of an unforeseen incident, such as a fatal accident at a railroad crossing, can reveal hidden issues that could be applied to preventative measures that contribute to reducing the chance of accidents in the future. In this example, a case study investigating the accident could lead to a better understanding of where to strategically locate additional signals at other railroad crossings so as to better warn drivers of an approaching train, particularly when visibility is hindered by heavy rain, fog, or at night.
• The case offers a new direction in future research? A case study can be used as a tool for an exploratory investigation that highlights the need for further research about the problem. A case can be used when there are few studies that help predict an outcome or that establish a clear understanding about how best to proceed in addressing a problem. For example, after conducting a thorough literature review [very important!], you discover that little research exists showing the ways in which women contribute to promoting water conservation in rural communities of east central Africa. A case study of how women contribute to saving water in a rural village of Uganda can lay the foundation for understanding the need for more thorough research that documents how women in their roles as cooks and family caregivers think about water as a valuable resource within their community. This example of a case study could also point to the need for scholars to build new theoretical frameworks around the topic [e.g., applying feminist theories of work and family to the issue of water conservation].

Eisenhardt, Kathleen M. “Building Theories from Case Study Research.” Academy of Management Review 14 (October 1989): 532-550; Emmel, Nick. Sampling and Choosing Cases in Qualitative Research: A Realist Approach . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2013; Gerring, John. “What Is a Case Study and What Is It Good for?” American Political Science Review 98 (May 2004): 341-354; Mills, Albert J. , Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Seawright, Jason and John Gerring. "Case Selection Techniques in Case Study Research." Political Research Quarterly 61 (June 2008): 294-308.

Structure and Writing Style

The purpose of a paper in the social sciences designed around a case study is to thoroughly investigate a subject of analysis in order to reveal a new understanding about the research problem and, in so doing, contributing new knowledge to what is already known from previous studies. In applied social sciences disciplines [e.g., education, social work, public administration, etc.], case studies may also be used to reveal best practices, highlight key programs, or investigate interesting aspects of professional work.

In general, the structure of a case study research paper is not all that different from a standard college-level research paper. However, there are subtle differences you should be aware of. Here are the key elements to organizing and writing a case study research paper.

I.  Introduction

As with any research paper, your introduction should serve as a roadmap for your readers to ascertain the scope and purpose of your study . The introduction to a case study research paper, however, should not only describe the research problem and its significance, but you should also succinctly describe why the case is being used and how it relates to addressing the problem. The two elements should be linked. With this in mind, a good introduction answers these four questions:

• What is being studied? Describe the research problem and describe the subject of analysis [the case] you have chosen to address the problem. Explain how they are linked and what elements of the case will help to expand knowledge and understanding about the problem.
• Why is this topic important to investigate? Describe the significance of the research problem and state why a case study design and the subject of analysis that the paper is designed around is appropriate in addressing the problem.
• What did we know about this topic before I did this study? Provide background that helps lead the reader into the more in-depth literature review to follow. If applicable, summarize prior case study research applied to the research problem and why it fails to adequately address the problem. Describe why your case will be useful. If no prior case studies have been used to address the research problem, explain why you have selected this subject of analysis.
• How will this study advance new knowledge or new ways of understanding? Explain why your case study will be suitable in helping to expand knowledge and understanding about the research problem.

Each of these questions should be addressed in no more than a few paragraphs. Exceptions to this can be when you are addressing a complex research problem or subject of analysis that requires more in-depth background information.

II.  Literature Review

The literature review for a case study research paper is generally structured the same as it is for any college-level research paper. The difference, however, is that the literature review is focused on providing background information and  enabling historical interpretation of the subject of analysis in relation to the research problem the case is intended to address . This includes synthesizing studies that help to:

• Place relevant works in the context of their contribution to understanding the case study being investigated . This would involve summarizing studies that have used a similar subject of analysis to investigate the research problem. If there is literature using the same or a very similar case to study, you need to explain why duplicating past research is important [e.g., conditions have changed; prior studies were conducted long ago, etc.].
• Describe the relationship each work has to the others under consideration that informs the reader why this case is applicable . Your literature review should include a description of any works that support using the case to investigate the research problem and the underlying research questions.
• Identify new ways to interpret prior research using the case study . If applicable, review any research that has examined the research problem using a different research design. Explain how your use of a case study design may reveal new knowledge or a new perspective or that can redirect research in an important new direction.
• Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies . This refers to synthesizing any literature that points to unresolved issues of concern about the research problem and describing how the subject of analysis that forms the case study can help resolve these existing contradictions.
• Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research . Your review should examine any literature that lays a foundation for understanding why your case study design and the subject of analysis around which you have designed your study may reveal a new way of approaching the research problem or offer a perspective that points to the need for additional research.
• Expose any gaps that exist in the literature that the case study could help to fill . Summarize any literature that not only shows how your subject of analysis contributes to understanding the research problem, but how your case contributes to a new way of understanding the problem that prior research has failed to do.
• Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very important!] . Collectively, your literature review should always place your case study within the larger domain of prior research about the problem. The overarching purpose of reviewing pertinent literature in a case study paper is to demonstrate that you have thoroughly identified and synthesized prior studies in relation to explaining the relevance of the case in addressing the research problem.

III.  Method

In this section, you explain why you selected a particular case [i.e., subject of analysis] and the strategy you used to identify and ultimately decide that your case was appropriate in addressing the research problem. The way you describe the methods used varies depending on the type of subject of analysis that constitutes your case study.

If your subject of analysis is an incident or event . In the social and behavioral sciences, the event or incident that represents the case to be studied is usually bounded by time and place, with a clear beginning and end and with an identifiable location or position relative to its surroundings. The subject of analysis can be a rare or critical event or it can focus on a typical or regular event. The purpose of studying a rare event is to illuminate new ways of thinking about the broader research problem or to test a hypothesis. Critical incident case studies must describe the method by which you identified the event and explain the process by which you determined the validity of this case to inform broader perspectives about the research problem or to reveal new findings. However, the event does not have to be a rare or uniquely significant to support new thinking about the research problem or to challenge an existing hypothesis. For example, Walo, Bull, and Breen conducted a case study to identify and evaluate the direct and indirect economic benefits and costs of a local sports event in the City of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of their study was to provide new insights from measuring the impact of a typical local sports event that prior studies could not measure well because they focused on large "mega-events." Whether the event is rare or not, the methods section should include an explanation of the following characteristics of the event: a) when did it take place; b) what were the underlying circumstances leading to the event; and, c) what were the consequences of the event in relation to the research problem.

If your subject of analysis is a person. Explain why you selected this particular individual to be studied and describe what experiences they have had that provide an opportunity to advance new understandings about the research problem. Mention any background about this person which might help the reader understand the significance of their experiences that make them worthy of study. This includes describing the relationships this person has had with other people, institutions, and/or events that support using them as the subject for a case study research paper. It is particularly important to differentiate the person as the subject of analysis from others and to succinctly explain how the person relates to examining the research problem [e.g., why is one politician in a particular local election used to show an increase in voter turnout from any other candidate running in the election]. Note that these issues apply to a specific group of people used as a case study unit of analysis [e.g., a classroom of students].

If your subject of analysis is a place. In general, a case study that investigates a place suggests a subject of analysis that is unique or special in some way and that this uniqueness can be used to build new understanding or knowledge about the research problem. A case study of a place must not only describe its various attributes relevant to the research problem [e.g., physical, social, historical, cultural, economic, political], but you must state the method by which you determined that this place will illuminate new understandings about the research problem. It is also important to articulate why a particular place as the case for study is being used if similar places also exist [i.e., if you are studying patterns of homeless encampments of veterans in open spaces, explain why you are studying Echo Park in Los Angeles rather than Griffith Park?]. If applicable, describe what type of human activity involving this place makes it a good choice to study [e.g., prior research suggests Echo Park has more homeless veterans].

If your subject of analysis is a phenomenon. A phenomenon refers to a fact, occurrence, or circumstance that can be studied or observed but with the cause or explanation to be in question. In this sense, a phenomenon that forms your subject of analysis can encompass anything that can be observed or presumed to exist but is not fully understood. In the social and behavioral sciences, the case usually focuses on human interaction within a complex physical, social, economic, cultural, or political system. For example, the phenomenon could be the observation that many vehicles used by ISIS fighters are small trucks with English language advertisements on them. The research problem could be that ISIS fighters are difficult to combat because they are highly mobile. The research questions could be how and by what means are these vehicles used by ISIS being supplied to the militants and how might supply lines to these vehicles be cut off? How might knowing the suppliers of these trucks reveal larger networks of collaborators and financial support? A case study of a phenomenon most often encompasses an in-depth analysis of a cause and effect that is grounded in an interactive relationship between people and their environment in some way.

NOTE:   The choice of the case or set of cases to study cannot appear random. Evidence that supports the method by which you identified and chose your subject of analysis should clearly support investigation of the research problem and linked to key findings from your literature review. Be sure to cite any studies that helped you determine that the case you chose was appropriate for examining the problem.

IV.  Discussion

The main elements of your discussion section are generally the same as any research paper, but centered around interpreting and drawing conclusions about the key findings from your analysis of the case study. Note that a general social sciences research paper may contain a separate section to report findings. However, in a paper designed around a case study, it is common to combine a description of the results with the discussion about their implications. The objectives of your discussion section should include the following:

Reiterate the Research Problem/State the Major Findings Briefly reiterate the research problem you are investigating and explain why the subject of analysis around which you designed the case study were used. You should then describe the findings revealed from your study of the case using direct, declarative, and succinct proclamation of the study results. Highlight any findings that were unexpected or especially profound.

Explain the Meaning of the Findings and Why They are Important Systematically explain the meaning of your case study findings and why you believe they are important. Begin this part of the section by repeating what you consider to be your most important or surprising finding first, then systematically review each finding. Be sure to thoroughly extrapolate what your analysis of the case can tell the reader about situations or conditions beyond the actual case that was studied while, at the same time, being careful not to misconstrue or conflate a finding that undermines the external validity of your conclusions.

Relate the Findings to Similar Studies No study in the social sciences is so novel or possesses such a restricted focus that it has absolutely no relation to previously published research. The discussion section should relate your case study results to those found in other studies, particularly if questions raised from prior studies served as the motivation for choosing your subject of analysis. This is important because comparing and contrasting the findings of other studies helps support the overall importance of your results and it highlights how and in what ways your case study design and the subject of analysis differs from prior research about the topic.

Consider Alternative Explanations of the Findings Remember that the purpose of social science research is to discover and not to prove. When writing the discussion section, you should carefully consider all possible explanations revealed by the case study results, rather than just those that fit your hypothesis or prior assumptions and biases. Be alert to what the in-depth analysis of the case may reveal about the research problem, including offering a contrarian perspective to what scholars have stated in prior research if that is how the findings can be interpreted from your case.

Acknowledge the Study's Limitations You can state the study's limitations in the conclusion section of your paper but describing the limitations of your subject of analysis in the discussion section provides an opportunity to identify the limitations and explain why they are not significant. This part of the discussion section should also note any unanswered questions or issues your case study could not address. More detailed information about how to document any limitations to your research can be found here .

Suggest Areas for Further Research Although your case study may offer important insights about the research problem, there are likely additional questions related to the problem that remain unanswered or findings that unexpectedly revealed themselves as a result of your in-depth analysis of the case. Be sure that the recommendations for further research are linked to the research problem and that you explain why your recommendations are valid in other contexts and based on the original assumptions of your study.

V.  Conclusion

As with any research paper, you should summarize your conclusion in clear, simple language; emphasize how the findings from your case study differs from or supports prior research and why. Do not simply reiterate the discussion section. Provide a synthesis of key findings presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem. If you haven't already done so in the discussion section, be sure to document the limitations of your case study and any need for further research.

The function of your paper's conclusion is to: 1) reiterate the main argument supported by the findings from your case study; 2) state clearly the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem using a case study design in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found from reviewing the literature; and, 3) provide a place to persuasively and succinctly restate the significance of your research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with in-depth information about the topic.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is appropriate:

• If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize these points for your reader.
• If prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the conclusion of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
• Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration of the case study's findings that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that emerges from your case study findings.

Note that, depending on the discipline you are writing in or the preferences of your professor, the concluding paragraph may contain your final reflections on the evidence presented as it applies to practice or on the essay's central research problem. However, the nature of being introspective about the subject of analysis you have investigated will depend on whether you are explicitly asked to express your observations in this way.

Problems to Avoid

Overgeneralization One of the goals of a case study is to lay a foundation for understanding broader trends and issues applied to similar circumstances. However, be careful when drawing conclusions from your case study. They must be evidence-based and grounded in the results of the study; otherwise, it is merely speculation. Looking at a prior example, it would be incorrect to state that a factor in improving girls access to education in Azerbaijan and the policy implications this may have for improving access in other Muslim nations is due to girls access to social media if there is no documentary evidence from your case study to indicate this. There may be anecdotal evidence that retention rates were better for girls who were engaged with social media, but this observation would only point to the need for further research and would not be a definitive finding if this was not a part of your original research agenda.

Failure to Document Limitations No case is going to reveal all that needs to be understood about a research problem. Therefore, 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. For example, the case of studying how women conceptualize the need for water conservation in a village in Uganda could have limited application in other cultural contexts or in areas where fresh water from rivers or lakes is plentiful and, therefore, conservation is understood more in terms of managing access rather than preserving access to a scarce resource.

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. If you do not, your reader may question the validity of your analysis, particularly if you failed to document an obvious outcome from your case study research. For example, in the case of studying the accident at the railroad crossing to evaluate where and what types of warning signals should be located, you failed to take into consideration speed limit signage as well as warning signals. When designing your case study, be sure you have thoroughly addressed all aspects of the problem and do not leave gaps in your analysis that leave the reader questioning the results.

Case Studies. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Gerring, John. Case Study Research: Principles and Practices . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007; Merriam, Sharan B. Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education . Rev. ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1998; Miller, Lisa L. “The Use of Case Studies in Law and Social Science Research.” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 14 (2018): TBD; Mills, Albert J., Gabrielle Durepos, and Eiden Wiebe, editors. Encyclopedia of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010; Putney, LeAnn Grogan. "Case Study." In Encyclopedia of Research Design , Neil J. Salkind, editor. (Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2010), pp. 116-120; Simons, Helen. Case Study Research in Practice . London: SAGE Publications, 2009;  Kratochwill,  Thomas R. and Joel R. Levin, editors. Single-Case Research Design and Analysis: New Development for Psychology and Education .  Hilldsale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1992; Swanborn, Peter G. Case Study Research: What, Why and How? London : SAGE, 2010; Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research: Design and Methods . 6th edition. Los Angeles, CA, SAGE Publications, 2014; Walo, Maree, Adrian Bull, and Helen Breen. “Achieving Economic Benefits at Local Events: A Case Study of a Local Sports Event.” Festival Management and Event Tourism 4 (1996): 95-106.

Writing Tip

At Least Five Misconceptions about Case Study Research

Social science case studies are often perceived as limited in their ability to create new knowledge because they are not randomly selected and findings cannot be generalized to larger populations. Flyvbjerg examines five misunderstandings about case study research and systematically "corrects" each one. To quote, these are:

Misunderstanding 1 :  General, theoretical [context-independent] knowledge is more valuable than concrete, practical [context-dependent] knowledge. Misunderstanding 2 :  One cannot generalize on the basis of an individual case; therefore, the case study cannot contribute to scientific development. Misunderstanding 3 :  The case study is most useful for generating hypotheses; that is, in the first stage of a total research process, whereas other methods are more suitable for hypotheses testing and theory building. Misunderstanding 4 :  The case study contains a bias toward verification, that is, a tendency to confirm the researcher’s preconceived notions. Misunderstanding 5 :  It is often difficult to summarize and develop general propositions and theories on the basis of specific case studies [p. 221].

While writing your paper, think introspectively about how you addressed these misconceptions because to do so can help you strengthen the validity and reliability of your research by clarifying issues of case selection, the testing and challenging of existing assumptions, the interpretation of key findings, and the summation of case outcomes. Think of a case study research paper as a complete, in-depth narrative about the specific properties and key characteristics of your subject of analysis applied to the research problem.

Flyvbjerg, Bent. “Five Misunderstandings About Case-Study Research.” Qualitative Inquiry 12 (April 2006): 219-245.

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What Is a Case Study?

Weighing the pros and cons of this method of research

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Cara Lustik is a fact-checker and copywriter.

Verywell / Colleen Tighe

• Pros and Cons

What Types of Case Studies Are Out There?

Where do you find data for a case study, how do i write a psychology case study.

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 many different fields, including psychology, medicine, education, anthropology, political science, and social work.

The point 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, we got you—here are some rules of APA format to reference.  

At a Glance

A case study, or an in-depth study of a person, group, or event, can be a useful research tool when used wisely. In many cases, case studies are best used in situations where it would be difficult or impossible for you to conduct an experiment. They are helpful for looking at unique situations and allow researchers to gather a lot of˜ information about a specific individual or group of people. However, it's important to be cautious of any bias we draw from them as they are highly subjective.

What Are the Benefits and Limitations of Case Studies?

A case study can have its strengths and weaknesses. Researchers must consider these pros and cons before deciding if this type of study is appropriate for their needs.

One of the greatest advantages of a case study is that it allows researchers to investigate things that are often difficult or impossible to replicate in a lab. Some other benefits of a case study:

• Allows researchers to capture information on the 'how,' 'what,' and 'why,' of something that's implemented
• Gives researchers the chance to collect information on why one strategy might be chosen over another
• Permits researchers to develop hypotheses that can be explored in experimental research

On the other hand, a case study can have some drawbacks:

• It cannot necessarily be generalized to the larger population
• Cannot demonstrate cause and effect
• It may not be scientifically rigorous
• It can lead to bias

Researchers may choose to perform a case study if they want to explore a unique or recently discovered phenomenon. Through their insights, researchers develop additional ideas and study questions that might be explored in future studies.

It's important to remember that the insights 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 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 learning was possible, even after missing critical periods for language development. 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 denied her the opportunity to learn a language at critical points in her development.

This is clearly not something researchers could ethically replicate, but conducting a case study on Genie allowed researchers to study phenomena that are otherwise impossible to reproduce.

There are a few different types of case studies that psychologists and other researchers might use:

• 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 who live 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 case 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 use depends on the unique characteristics of the situation and the case itself.

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.

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 you need to follow. If you are writing your case study for a professional publication, check with the publisher for their specific guidelines for submitting a case study.

Here is a general outline of what should be included in a case study.

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.

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?

Need 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, use 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 .

Crowe S, Cresswell K, Robertson A, Huby G, Avery A, Sheikh A. The case study approach .  BMC Med Res Methodol . 2011;11:100.

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

Gagnon, Yves-Chantal.  The Case Study as Research Method: A Practical Handbook . Canada, Chicago Review Press Incorporated DBA Independent Pub Group, 2010.

Yin, Robert K. Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods . United States, SAGE Publications, 2017.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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Writing a Case Study

What is a case study?

A Case study is: 

• An in-depth research design that primarily uses a qualitative methodology but sometimes​​ includes quantitative methodology.
• Used to examine an identifiable problem confirmed through research.
• Used to investigate an individual, group of people, organization, or event.
• Used to mostly answer "how" and "why" questions.

What are the different types of case studies?

Note: These are the primary case studies. As you continue to research and learn

about case studies you will begin to find a robust list of different types. 

Who are your case study participants?

What is triangulation ? 

Validity and credibility are an essential part of the case study. Therefore, the researcher should include triangulation to ensure trustworthiness while accurately reflecting what the researcher seeks to investigate.

How to write a Case Study?

When developing a case study, there are different ways you could present the information, but remember to include the five parts for your case study.

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Do Your Students Know How to Analyze a Case—Really?

Explore more.

• Case Teaching
• Student Engagement

J ust as actors, athletes, and musicians spend thousands of hours practicing their craft, business students benefit from practicing their critical-thinking and decision-making skills. Students, however, often have limited exposure to real-world problem-solving scenarios; they need more opportunities to practice tackling tough business problems and deciding on—and executing—the best solutions.

To ensure students have ample opportunity to develop these critical-thinking and decision-making skills, we believe business faculty should shift from teaching mostly principles and ideas to mostly applications and practices. And in doing so, they should emphasize the case method, which simulates real-world management challenges and opportunities for students.

To help educators facilitate this shift and help students get the most out of case-based learning, we have developed a framework for analyzing cases. We call it PACADI (Problem, Alternatives, Criteria, Analysis, Decision, Implementation); it can improve learning outcomes by helping students better solve and analyze business problems, make decisions, and develop and implement strategy. Here, we’ll explain why we developed this framework, how it works, and what makes it an effective learning tool.

The Case for Cases: Helping Students Think Critically

Business students must develop critical-thinking and analytical skills, which are essential to their ability to make good decisions in functional areas such as marketing, finance, operations, and information technology, as well as to understand the relationships among these functions. For example, the decisions a marketing manager must make include strategic planning (segments, products, and channels); execution (digital messaging, media, branding, budgets, and pricing); and operations (integrated communications and technologies), as well as how to implement decisions across functional areas.

Faculty can use many types of cases to help students develop these skills. These include the prototypical “paper cases”; live cases , which feature guest lecturers such as entrepreneurs or corporate leaders and on-site visits; and multimedia cases , which immerse students into real situations. Most cases feature an explicit or implicit decision that a protagonist—whether it is an individual, a group, or an organization—must make.

For students new to learning by the case method—and even for those with case experience—some common issues can emerge; these issues can sometimes be a barrier for educators looking to ensure the best possible outcomes in their case classrooms. Unsure of how to dig into case analysis on their own, students may turn to the internet or rely on former students for “answers” to assigned cases. Or, when assigned to provide answers to assignment questions in teams, students might take a divide-and-conquer approach but not take the time to regroup and provide answers that are consistent with one other.

To help address these issues, which we commonly experienced in our classes, we wanted to provide our students with a more structured approach for how they analyze cases—and to really think about making decisions from the protagonists’ point of view. We developed the PACADI framework to address this need.

PACADI: A Six-Step Decision-Making Approach

The PACADI framework is a six-step decision-making approach that can be used in lieu of traditional end-of-case questions. It offers a structured, integrated, and iterative process that requires students to analyze case information, apply business concepts to derive valuable insights, and develop recommendations based on these insights.

Prior to beginning a PACADI assessment, which we’ll outline here, students should first prepare a two-paragraph summary—a situation analysis—that highlights the key case facts. Then, we task students with providing a five-page PACADI case analysis (excluding appendices) based on the following six steps.

Step 1: Problem definition. What is the major challenge, problem, opportunity, or decision that has to be made? If there is more than one problem, choose the most important one. Often when solving the key problem, other issues will surface and be addressed. The problem statement may be framed as a question; for example, How can brand X improve market share among millennials in Canada? Usually the problem statement has to be re-written several times during the analysis of a case as students peel back the layers of symptoms or causation.

Step 2: Alternatives. Identify in detail the strategic alternatives to address the problem; three to five options generally work best. Alternatives should be mutually exclusive, realistic, creative, and feasible given the constraints of the situation. Doing nothing or delaying the decision to a later date are not considered acceptable alternatives.

Step 3: Criteria. What are the key decision criteria that will guide decision-making? In a marketing course, for example, these may include relevant marketing criteria such as segmentation, positioning, advertising and sales, distribution, and pricing. Financial criteria useful in evaluating the alternatives should be included—for example, income statement variables, customer lifetime value, payback, etc. Students must discuss their rationale for selecting the decision criteria and the weights and importance for each factor.

Step 4: Analysis. Provide an in-depth analysis of each alternative based on the criteria chosen in step three. Decision tables using criteria as columns and alternatives as rows can be helpful. The pros and cons of the various choices as well as the short- and long-term implications of each may be evaluated. Best, worst, and most likely scenarios can also be insightful.

Step 5: Decision. Students propose their solution to the problem. This decision is justified based on an in-depth analysis. Explain why the recommendation made is the best fit for the criteria.

Step 6: Implementation plan. Sound business decisions may fail due to poor execution. To enhance the likeliness of a successful project outcome, students describe the key steps (activities) to implement the recommendation, timetable, projected costs, expected competitive reaction, success metrics, and risks in the plan.

“Students note that using the PACADI framework yields ‘aha moments’—they learned something surprising in the case that led them to think differently about the problem and their proposed solution.”

PACADI’s Benefits: Meaningfully and Thoughtfully Applying Business Concepts

The PACADI framework covers all of the major elements of business decision-making, including implementation, which is often overlooked. By stepping through the whole framework, students apply relevant business concepts and solve management problems via a systematic, comprehensive approach; they’re far less likely to surface piecemeal responses.

As students explore each part of the framework, they may realize that they need to make changes to a previous step. For instance, when working on implementation, students may realize that the alternative they selected cannot be executed or will not be profitable, and thus need to rethink their decision. Or, they may discover that the criteria need to be revised since the list of decision factors they identified is incomplete (for example, the factors may explain key marketing concerns but fail to address relevant financial considerations) or is unrealistic (for example, they suggest a 25 percent increase in revenues without proposing an increased promotional budget).

In addition, the PACADI framework can be used alongside quantitative assignments, in-class exercises, and business and management simulations. The structured, multi-step decision framework encourages careful and sequential analysis to solve business problems. Incorporating PACADI as an overarching decision-making method across different projects will ultimately help students achieve desired learning outcomes. As a practical “beyond-the-classroom” tool, the PACADI framework is not a contrived course assignment; it reflects the decision-making approach that managers, executives, and entrepreneurs exercise daily. Case analysis introduces students to the real-world process of making business decisions quickly and correctly, often with limited information. This framework supplies an organized and disciplined process that students can readily defend in writing and in class discussions.

PACADI in Action: An Example

Here’s an example of how students used the PACADI framework for a recent case analysis on CVS, a large North American drugstore chain.

The CVS Prescription for Customer Value*

PACADI Stage

Summary Response

How should CVS Health evolve from the “drugstore of your neighborhood” to the “drugstore of your future”?

Alternatives

A1. Kaizen (continuous improvement)

A2. Product development

A3. Market development

A4. Personalization (micro-targeting)

Criteria (include weights)

C1. Customer value: service, quality, image, and price (40%)

C2. Customer obsession (20%)

C3. Growth through related businesses (20%)

C4. Customer retention and customer lifetime value (20%)

Each alternative was analyzed by each criterion using a Customer Value Assessment Tool

Alternative 4 (A4): Personalization was selected. This is operationalized via: segmentation—move toward segment-of-1 marketing; geodemographics and lifestyle emphasis; predictive data analysis; relationship marketing; people, principles, and supply chain management; and exceptional customer service.

Implementation

Partner with leading medical school

Curbside pick-up

Pet pharmacy

E-newsletter for customers and employees

Employee incentive program

CVS beauty days

Expand to Latin America and Caribbean

Healthier/happier corner

Holiday toy drives/community outreach

*Source: A. Weinstein, Y. Rodriguez, K. Sims, R. Vergara, “The CVS Prescription for Superior Customer Value—A Case Study,” Back to the Future: Revisiting the Foundations of Marketing from Society for Marketing Advances, West Palm Beach, FL (November 2, 2018).

Results of Using the PACADI Framework

When faculty members at our respective institutions at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) and the University of North Carolina Wilmington have used the PACADI framework, our classes have been more structured and engaging. Students vigorously debate each element of their decision and note that this framework yields an “aha moment”—they learned something surprising in the case that led them to think differently about the problem and their proposed solution.

These lively discussions enhance individual and collective learning. As one external metric of this improvement, we have observed a 2.5 percent increase in student case grade performance at NSU since this framework was introduced.

Tips to Get Started

The PACADI approach works well in in-person, online, and hybrid courses. This is particularly important as more universities have moved to remote learning options. Because students have varied educational and cultural backgrounds, work experience, and familiarity with case analysis, we recommend that faculty members have students work on their first case using this new framework in small teams (two or three students). Additional analyses should then be solo efforts.

To use PACADI effectively in your classroom, we suggest the following:

Advise your students that your course will stress critical thinking and decision-making skills, not just course concepts and theory.

Use a varied mix of case studies. As marketing professors, we often address consumer and business markets; goods, services, and digital commerce; domestic and global business; and small and large companies in a single MBA course.

As a starting point, provide a short explanation (about 20 to 30 minutes) of the PACADI framework with a focus on the conceptual elements. You can deliver this face to face or through videoconferencing.

Give students an opportunity to practice the case analysis methodology via an ungraded sample case study. Designate groups of five to seven students to discuss the case and the six steps in breakout sessions (in class or via Zoom).

Ensure case analyses are weighted heavily as a grading component. We suggest 30–50 percent of the overall course grade.

Once cases are graded, debrief with the class on what they did right and areas needing improvement (30- to 40-minute in-person or Zoom session).

Encourage faculty teams that teach common courses to build appropriate instructional materials, grading rubrics, videos, sample cases, and teaching notes.

When selecting case studies, we have found that the best ones for PACADI analyses are about 15 pages long and revolve around a focal management decision. This length provides adequate depth yet is not protracted. Some of our tested and favorite marketing cases include Brand W , Hubspot , Kraft Foods Canada , TRSB(A) , and Whiskey & Cheddar .

Art Weinstein , Ph.D., is a professor of marketing at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He has published more than 80 scholarly articles and papers and eight books on customer-focused marketing strategy. His latest book is Superior Customer Value—Finding and Keeping Customers in the Now Economy . Dr. Weinstein has consulted for many leading technology and service companies.

Herbert V. Brotspies , D.B.A., is an adjunct professor of marketing at Nova Southeastern University. He has over 30 years’ experience as a vice president in marketing, strategic planning, and acquisitions for Fortune 50 consumer products companies working in the United States and internationally. His research interests include return on marketing investment, consumer behavior, business-to-business strategy, and strategic planning.

John T. Gironda , Ph.D., is an assistant professor of marketing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. His research has been published in Industrial Marketing Management, Psychology & Marketing , and Journal of Marketing Management . He has also presented at major marketing conferences including the American Marketing Association, Academy of Marketing Science, and Society for Marketing Advances.

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Case Study-Based Learning

Enhancing learning through immediate application.

By the Mind Tools Content Team

If you've ever tried to learn a new concept, you probably appreciate that "knowing" is different from "doing." When you have an opportunity to apply your knowledge, the lesson typically becomes much more real.

Adults often learn differently from children, and we have different motivations for learning. Typically, we learn new skills because we want to. We recognize the need to learn and grow, and we usually need – or want – to apply our newfound knowledge soon after we've learned it.

A popular theory of adult learning is andragogy (the art and science of leading man, or adults), as opposed to the better-known pedagogy (the art and science of leading children). Malcolm Knowles , a professor of adult education, was considered the father of andragogy, which is based on four key observations of adult learners:

• Adults learn best if they know why they're learning something.
• Adults often learn best through experience.
• Adults tend to view learning as an opportunity to solve problems.
• Adults learn best when the topic is relevant to them and immediately applicable.

This means that you'll get the best results with adults when they're fully involved in the learning experience. Give an adult an opportunity to practice and work with a new skill, and you have a solid foundation for high-quality learning that the person will likely retain over time.

So, how can you best use these adult learning principles in your training and development efforts? Case studies provide an excellent way of practicing and applying new concepts. As such, they're very useful tools in adult learning, and it's important to understand how to get the maximum value from them.

What Is a Case Study?

Case studies are a form of problem-based learning, where you present a situation that needs a resolution. A typical business case study is a detailed account, or story, of what happened in a particular company, industry, or project over a set period of time.

The learner is given details about the situation, often in a historical context. The key players are introduced. Objectives and challenges are outlined. This is followed by specific examples and data, which the learner then uses to analyze the situation, determine what happened, and make recommendations.

The depth of a case depends on the lesson being taught. A case study can be two pages, 20 pages, or more. A good case study makes the reader think critically about the information presented, and then develop a thorough assessment of the situation, leading to a well-thought-out solution or recommendation.

Why Use a Case Study?

Case studies are a great way to improve a learning experience, because they get the learner involved, and encourage immediate use of newly acquired skills.

They differ from lectures or assigned readings because they require participation and deliberate application of a broad range of skills. For example, if you study financial analysis through straightforward learning methods, you may have to calculate and understand a long list of financial ratios (don't worry if you don't know what these are). Likewise, you may be given a set of financial statements to complete a ratio analysis. But until you put the exercise into context, you may not really know why you're doing the analysis.

With a case study, however, you might explore whether a bank should provide financing to a borrower, or whether a company is about to make a good acquisition. Suddenly, the act of calculating ratios becomes secondary – it's more important to understand what the ratios tell you. This is how case studies can make the difference between knowing what to do, and knowing how, when, and why to do it.

Then, what really separates case studies from other practical forms of learning – like scenarios and simulations – is the ability to compare the learner's recommendations with what actually happened. When you know what really happened, it's much easier to evaluate the "correctness" of the answers given.

When to Use a Case Study

As you can see, case studies are powerful and effective training tools. They also work best with practical, applied training, so make sure you use them appropriately.

Remember these tips:

• Case studies tend to focus on why and how to apply a skill or concept, not on remembering facts and details. Use case studies when understanding the concept is more important than memorizing correct responses.
• Case studies are great team-building opportunities. When a team gets together to solve a case, they'll have to work through different opinions, methods, and perspectives.
• Use case studies to build problem-solving skills, particularly those that are valuable when applied, but are likely to be used infrequently. This helps people get practice with these skills that they might not otherwise get.
• Case studies can be used to evaluate past problem solving. People can be asked what they'd do in that situation, and think about what could have been done differently.

Ensuring Maximum Value From Case Studies

The first thing to remember is that you already need to have enough theoretical knowledge to handle the questions and challenges in the case study. Otherwise, it can be like trying to solve a puzzle with some of the pieces missing.

Here are some additional tips for how to approach a case study. Depending on the exact nature of the case, some tips will be more relevant than others.

• Read the case at least three times before you start any analysis. Case studies usually have lots of details, and it's easy to miss something in your first, or even second, reading.
• Once you're thoroughly familiar with the case, note the facts. Identify which are relevant to the tasks you've been assigned. In a good case study, there are often many more facts than you need for your analysis.
• If the case contains large amounts of data, analyze this data for relevant trends. For example, have sales dropped steadily, or was there an unexpected high or low point?
• If the case involves a description of a company's history, find the key events, and consider how they may have impacted the current situation.
• Consider using techniques like SWOT analysis and Porter's Five Forces Analysis to understand the organization's strategic position.
• Stay with the facts when you draw conclusions. These include facts given in the case as well as established facts about the environmental context. Don't rely on personal opinions when you put together your answers.

Writing a Case Study

You may have to write a case study yourself. These are complex documents that take a while to research and compile. The quality of the case study influences the quality of the analysis. Here are some tips if you want to write your own:

• Write your case study as a structured story. The goal is to capture an interesting situation or challenge and then bring it to life with words and information. You want the reader to feel a part of what's happening.
• Present information so that a "right" answer isn't obvious. The goal is to develop the learner's ability to analyze and assess, not necessarily to make the same decision as the people in the actual case.
• Do background research to fully understand what happened and why. You may need to talk to key stakeholders to get their perspectives as well.
• Determine the key challenge. What needs to be resolved? The case study should focus on one main question or issue.
• Define the context. Talk about significant events leading up to the situation. What organizational factors are important for understanding the problem and assessing what should be done? Include cultural factors where possible.
• Identify key decision makers and stakeholders. Describe their roles and perspectives, as well as their motivations and interests.
• Make sure that you provide the right data to allow people to reach appropriate conclusions.
• Make sure that you have permission to use any information you include.

A typical case study structure includes these elements:

• Executive summary. Define the objective, and state the key challenge.
• Opening paragraph. Capture the reader's interest.
• Scope. Describe the background, context, approach, and issues involved.
• Presentation of facts. Develop an objective picture of what's happening.
• Description of key issues. Present viewpoints, decisions, and interests of key parties.

Because case studies have proved to be such effective teaching tools, many are already written. Some excellent sources of free cases are The Times 100 , CasePlace.org , and Schroeder & Schroeder Inc . You can often search for cases by topic or industry. These cases are expertly prepared, based mostly on real situations, and used extensively in business schools to teach management concepts.

Case studies are a great way to improve learning and training. They provide learners with an opportunity to solve a problem by applying what they know.

There are no unpleasant consequences for getting it "wrong," and cases give learners a much better understanding of what they really know and what they need to practice.

Case studies can be used in many ways, as team-building tools, and for skill development. You can write your own case study, but a large number are already prepared. Given the enormous benefits of practical learning applications like this, case studies are definitely something to consider adding to your next training session.

Knowles, M. (1973). 'The Adult Learner: A Neglected Species [online].' Available here .

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AI Case Study Creator That Brings Stories to Life

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We prioritize your data security, adhering to stringent security policies and best practices. Don't just take our word for it; companies like Meta, Pepsi, and Xerox trust us enough to use Storydoc daily.

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Why Storydoc is more than just another AI case study creator?

Storydoc is more than a tool for creating presentations. Instant AI case studies are useful, but they can become repetitive.

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The issue often lies in the traditional PowerPoint design, whether AI-assisted or not. Storydoc takes a different approach.

We create case study experiences that truly engage decision-makers, featuring scrollitelling, multimedia, and in-document navigation.

Check out these examples .

What’s so great about AI-generated case studies?

An AI-generated case study can save you hours, even days, of effort for your startup. However, if you're using an AI PPT case study tool, you're saving time but potentially missing impact.

No one enjoys PowerPoints, even those created with AI. No AI PowerPoint case study tool can deliver a presentation that truly makes a difference. But Storydoc can. Our AI helps you create stories that generate interest and revenue.

Is Storydoc a free case study designer?

The Storydoc AI case study generator enables you to create content faster and more effectively than doing it solo.

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Can I print Storydoc case studies?

Yes, but currently, this service is only available to our Pro and Enterprise customers. However, this feature will soon be accessible to all Storydoc users directly from the editor.

Keep in mind, a printed Storydoc loses its interactive elements, which are key to its high engagement and charm.

What integrations does Storydoc offer?

All the essential ones! Storydocs provide full content integrations: Calendly, Loom, YouTube, Typeform, and more, all of which can be added to your Storydoc presentation. But we offer much more than the basics.

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Case Study Summarizer #1 — Free Summaries!

Have you ever thought of how many case studies must a student in medicine or business read in their lifetime? Tens, hundreds, or even thousands! As practice shows, the case study’s content is jam-packed with information and broad descriptions that are unnecessary when conducting a review or simply reading the literature.

We offer a Case Study Summarizer to scan any paper in seconds! You will get some valuable insights about our tool that can help with the most extended case studies in a short time! Moreover, we discuss the definition of the case study, its structure, and its main elements. Let’s begin!

• 🧰 How to Use the Tool?

📋 What Is the Case Study Summarizer?

🧩 case study elements & structure, 🧑‍🏫 how to summarize a case study.

• ✅ 5 Tool’s Benefits

🖇️ References

🧰 how to use the case summarizer.

Our free case study summarizer is so easy to use! Follow these 4 simple steps:

• Enter the text . Paste the text of the case study in the appropriate field of the tool. Ensure that it does not exceed 15,000 characters.
• Adjust settings . You can choose the number of sentences you want in your summary and decide whether to highlight keywords.
• Press the button . Just click the button, and the results will not keep you waiting!
• Copy the result . Your summary will appear in just a few seconds! All you need to do is just copy it in one click.

Do you still have concerns about using our case study summarizer? Then check out its incredible features:

A case study is typically presented as a report, separated into sections with headings and subheadings. It must contain a description of the issue, an explanation of the relevance of the case, and an analysis with conclusions. It ends with implications and recommendations on how to address the issue.

What Is a Case Study?

A case study is a detailed investigation of one person, group, or event. It aims to learn as much as possible about an individual or a group to generalize the findings on other similar cases. The case study can be employed in various fields, including psychology , medicine , social work, etc.

Here are some case study topics from different professional spheres:

• Medicine : Analysis of the medical and occupational records of a non-smoking individual with lung cancer.
• Business : The decision of Warren Buffett to acquire Precision Castparts Corporation and why that acquisition was a mistake.
• Psychology : The case of Bertha Pappenheim , who suffered from hysteria and contributed to the development of talk therapy to treat mental illness.

Case Study Elements

There are 8 essential elements in any case study. Check the table below to learn more details about each component.

Summarizing is a fundamental skill for everyone since it allows you to distinguish essential information and effectively communicate it to others. In the following paragraphs, we will share a case study summary tutorial.

Executive Summary Case Study

An executive summary is a detailed overview of a report. It saves readers time by summarizing the essential points of the study. It is frequently written to be shared with people who may not have time to read the complete report, for example, CEOs or department heads.

Although the format may vary, the primary elements of an executive summary are as follows:

• An opening statement and some background information .
• The purpose of the report.
• Methodology.
• Summarized and justified recommendations.

How Long Is an Executive Summary?

Your executive summary’s length will vary depending on the text it summarizes. Typically, it takes 10-15% of the full report’s length . Therefore, an executive summary can range from 1 paragraph to 10 pages.

Case Study Summary Guide

Take these 5 steps to write a compelling case study summary:

Step 1 – Read the entire study

Before writing the summary, carefully read the research study from beginning to end.

Step 2 – Highlight the major points

As you read, make notes and underline significant facts, relevant conclusions, and suggested actions.

Step 3 – Divide the document into main sections

Determine what each part of the report is about, and summarize each in a few sentences. You can use the executive summary structure mentioned above to guide your writing.

Step 4 – Be concise

Do not write more than 10% of the length of the original document.

Step 5 – Proofread your summary

Reread your case study summary to ensure it makes sense as an independent piece of writing. Set it aside for a while and look at it with fresh eyes to notice any incoherence and redundant or lacking details.

✒️️ Case Study Summary Example

We have prepared an example of a case study summary for you to see how everything works in practice!

Here is the full report: Akron’s Children’s Hospital: Case Study .

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Akron Children’s Hospital is a leading pediatric hospital in Northeastern Ohio that faces competition and needs to differentiate itself to attract more patients. To gain insight into the decision-making process of patients' parents, the hospital hired a team of researchers led by Marcus Thomas LLC to conduct business and market analysis.

An observational study was conducted to collect consumer data, including perceptions of the hospital and the criteria used to select it. The problem was that a highly competitive medical industry in Northeastern Ohio resulted in reduced patient volume and financial losses at Akron Children’s Hospital.

The proposed solution was to rethink the hospital’s operations and marketing approach to differentiate it from the competitors and attract more patients. Furthermore, the treatment of certain groups of children had to be improved by increasing the number of specializations available at the hospital.

The organization was recommended to develop an efficient marketing strategy, enhance service delivery, and implement highly innovative medical technologies and procedures.

✅ 5 Benefits of the Case Summarizer You Should Consider

Still in doubt whether our case study summary tool is worth using? Check out its benefits:

• It is time-saving . The online tool is perfect for students in medicine or psychology since it allows for consuming a lot of information in a short time.
• It is easy to use . The interface of our case summarizer is so simple to navigate that even a child can handle it.
• It is unlimited . Try our online summarizer as many times as you need. There are no limitations!
• It is free . You can summarize a case study online in a few minutes without spending money. Such a considerable benefit for prudent students!
• It is accurate . The case summary generator uses essential keywords and phrases to isolate only the most relevant information.
• Executive Summary | USC Libraries
• Case Studies | Carnegie Mellon University
• Writing a Case Study | Monash University
• Guidelines for Writing a Summary | Hunter College
• Executive Summaries | Colorado State University

Redefining Content Strategy: The Rise of AI in Case Study Production

In content marketing, case studies are one of the most effective methods of demonstrating a brand's capability and dedication. They illustrate how a brand's products or services come to the rescue in real-world scenarios and highlight your customers' challenges, the strategies used to overcome these challenges, and the results.

Crafting these case studies has traditionally been a pretty detailed task that requires a lot of time and resources. However, with the rise of technology and digital tools, creating impactful case studies has become much easier and more efficient.  AI-powered marketing tools  simplify the process, speed up initial drafting, and provide valuable insights for strategy refinement.

While AI tools seem  unlikely to completely replace human expertise  in marketing and generating content, they certainly have the potential to enhance and optimize the process. One recent analysis has even suggested a remarkable  66% average productivity increase  for businesses using AI tools.

Scripted, an established leader in the content realm, is at the forefront of this shift. Our AI-driven case study tool seamlessly blends technology with traditional storytelling. It allows your business to document and share its success stories efficiently without sacrificing authenticity or emotional connection.

Harnessing the Potential of Scripted's AI-Powered Case Study Tool

Scripted's AI-enhanced case study generator stands out not merely as a tool but as a revolutionary asset. By harnessing advanced algorithms and tapping into a rich database of industry data, Scripted crafts case studies that are both compelling and accurate. Brands no longer need to grapple with the demanding task of creating conventional case studies.

Instead, you can use AI with Scripted to share your successes, highlight your expertise in the industry, and share what sets you apart. With Scripted's AI, you'll have accurate, compelling case studies in a fraction of the usual time.

Understanding Case Study Generators: Why AI?

In today's digital arena, merging artificial intelligence with human subject matter experts (SMEs) seems like a natural evolution. Historically, case studies involved labor-intensive, hands-on research. Now, this domain is on the cusp of transformation led by AI. So, what's propelling this shift, and why does AI emerge as a player in case study creation?

The Essence of Case Studies in the Business World

Case studies give a real-world glimpse of what a company's products or services can do. They're not just simple stories; they paint a clear picture of a brand's ability to tackle challenges, provide meaningful solutions, and showcase its unique strengths.

Far from mere promotional content, a well-structured case study validates a business's skill set, dedication, and customer-focused ethos. It provides potential clients with a vivid depiction of the possibilities when they opt for a specific brand or offering.

A case study is not just a recount of a challenge and resolution. It also connects emotionally with its audience, building trust and establishing legitimacy.

Hurdles in Conventional Case Study Development

Crafting a conventional case study is far from straightforward. It kicks off by pinpointing a significant success narrative, followed by comprehensive interviews, data assimilation, and thorough scrutiny. Once the foundational elements are set, the task is to mold this data into an absorbing tale that remains accurate yet captivating. The soul of a case study resides in its genuineness and precision, leaving minimal wiggle room for inaccuracies.

But the challenges don't stop there. With the demand for new content, companies are pushing to release numerous case studies to highlight the diverse aspects of their services. The lengthy creation process for each case study limits content production, making it challenging for firms to roll out high-caliber case studies on tight schedules. This age-old methodology, while comprehensive, often poses challenges for enterprises seeking a balance of excellence and volume.

AI Innovations: Ushering a New Age in Content Creation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been at the forefront of breakthroughs in various fields, and content development is no exception. With its advanced algorithms, AI can seamlessly take on the extensive data collection, organization, and analysis tasks that typically require significant human involvement. This streamlined process significantly speeds up the creation process while maintaining accuracy and authenticity.

Moreover, AI-powered tools can also generate visually appealing infographics to supplement case studies, target specific audiences and demographics, incorporate standards from various relevant industries, and personalize the content for individual clients. The result is a well-rounded, high-quality case study that can be produced at a much faster pace.

Key Considerations

There are many key considerations and questions to consider when incorporating AI solutions into the case study creation process. From assessing the reliability of AI-generated content to understanding its customization capabilities, here are some essential factors to consider:

How Does It Work?

Think of Scripted's case study generator as a smart helper. Just like our  press release generator , it uses AI to sift through lots of data, find important points, and create top-notch content. You simply plug in the key details about your project and its outcomes, and the tool takes care of making a case study that speaks to your industry and audience.

How Long Does It Take?

A typical case study, when done manually, can take anywhere from a week to a month, considering the data collection, writing, and editing processes. With Scripted’s case study generator, you can have a draft ready in mere minutes.

Is It Customizable?

Scripted stands out for its adaptability in its content generation suite. While many AI tools provide templated solutions, Scripted prides itself on its customization capabilities. The platform is intuitive, allowing users to specify their requirements in detail. This ensures the generated content aligns perfectly with your vision.

Whether it's adjusting the tone, style, or structure, Scripted offers a level of flexibility often lacking in other AI tools. This adaptability guarantees that businesses receive a tailored piece of content that fits their unique brand narrative rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.

When you add access to a team of SMEs — professional writers and editors — Scripted's case study generator becomes the ideal solution for businesses looking to save time without compromising quality.

Can It Handle Technical Subjects?

Case studies often contain technical information that can be challenging to convey clearly and concisely. This is where AI-generated content can have a significant impact. Scripted's case study generator uses advanced algorithms and natural language processing (NLP) to accurately represent even the most complex data points.

The platform also allows manual input, giving users the option to add their expertise and domain-specific knowledge to the generated content. This ensures technical subjects are accurately and effectively communicated without losing important details. As with any content, it's always a good idea to have an SME review and approve the final product.

Leading AI Case Study Tools: A Comparative Analysis

A variety of  AI marketing  tools have recently surfaced in the world of AI-driven content creation, each promising to redefine the art and science of case study production. As businesses seek to harness the potential of these tools, understanding their distinct features, strengths, and limitations becomes increasingly important.

In this comparative analysis, we'll explore some of the leading platforms in the industry.

A distinguishing feature of Cohesive is its hybrid functionality, which seems to borrow elements from both ChatGPT and Slack. This combination enables efficient team communication within the platform, which is critical for cohesive case study development. A centralized collaboration means insights, objectives, and data points can be discussed and refined in real time. This ensures that AI-generated case studies have depth and reflect the team's understanding.

Cohesive has a free pricing tier that generously allows unlimited word generation. However, it's limited to only 15 template runs (the number of unique files you generate on Cohesive) per month. For those who require more, it also offers the Creator plan at $25 per month with 150 monthly template runs and the Agency plan at $45 per month with 300 monthly template runs.

On the flip side, the pricing model of the platform could be a hurdle for some. While StoryDoc offers a 14-day free trial to get a feel for its functionalities, it doesn't offer an ongoing free version. A subscription is necessary after the trial, with plans starting at $30 per month for each user. This might be a concern for budget-conscious businesses. However, for those intent on a dynamic, AI-powered method for crafting case studies, the value StoryDoc offers might outweigh the cost.

Best known for its project management prowess,  ClickUp  has made a notable stride into the AI-aided content domain, particularly with its case study generator. Drawing on its foundational strengths in organization and structure, ClickUp equips users with a methodical framework that helps craft detailed, compelling case studies.

ClickUp allows you to weave content creation into project timelines, which supports uniformity, consistency, and speed. Teams across various departments — marketing, sales, product innovation, and customer relations — can use ClickUp to drive productivity. The all-in-one hub approach eliminates the need for multiple apps, encourages collaboration, and drastically cuts down on content creation time.

While ClickUp presents an extensive suite of features, it feels more like a generalist than a specialist in AI content generation. Some of its functionalities might not match the depth or specificity of other available tools, depending on your needs. Also, its free offering is a tad restrictive, capping storage at 100MB and offering limited free use of the AI generator. On the upside, ClickUp's paid versions are reasonably priced, starting at a modest $5 per user monthly.

Grammarly , a titan in content editing and proofreading, has broadened its horizons with the introduction of an AI-driven case study generator nestled within the GrammarlyGO package. With this new feature, users can easily create organized drafts. All you need to do is provide basic information about your business or product. Then, describe the challenges you hope to resolve for customers, mention who these customers are, and explain how you plan to help them.

Some customers complain about  Grammarly's problems  with grasping the deeper nuances of writing. One reviewer says its "recommendations are sometimes not appropriate." Potential users should also be aware that there are prompt limitations — 500 monthly for free users and 1,000 for those on the premium plan.

Though GrammarlyGO offers a fresh avenue for short case-study drafting, its proficiency with longer content and response time leave room for improvement. Another point of consideration is that several platforms easily detect its content as AI-generated. As it stands, GrammarlyGO is a useful addition for those seeking short content improvements, but it may not be the go-to for every user.

Scripted  offers a distinctive blend in AI case-study generation by merging human expertise with AI efficiency. Users are guided through a simple process to produce an AI-generated case study tailored to their specific product, industry, and type of customer. Creating these case studies is free for all users on the platform and can be created with the following steps:

• Begin with Basics : Share what you're all about - your company, product, or interesting project you've worked on.
• The Hurdle : Every story has a challenge. What problem or issue did you tackle?
• Solution Offered : Outline the product or service you implemented to address that challenge.
• Outcomes Achieved : Mention the benefits or positive results that emerged from your solution.
• Size It Up : How lengthy do you want this case study to be? Decide on the word count.
• Industry Category : Specify the industry related to your case study.
• Target Audience : Define the particular demographic or customer group you're addressing.
• Additional Details : If there are other relevant specifics or context that would enrich the case study, include them.

While users can quickly generate content using Scripted's free AI tools, you also have the opportunity to elevate your content by collaborating with Scripted’s subject matter expert writers and editors. This fusion of AI speed and human creativity provides brands with content that not only tells a story but also engages readers.

Users looking to work with Scripted's SMEs can opt for various plans, starting with a pro plan at $199 per month and extending to specialized  team , enterprise, and agency accounts. Depending on your plan, you'll also gain access to expert marketing specialists to help you with your  SEO content strategy,  along with a dedicated account manager.

On top of all this, both  free and paid plan members  gain access to the following array of tools at no additional cost:

• Infographic text generator
• Scripted's GPT-4-powered chatbot,  Scout
• Social media post generator
• Blog idea generator
• Headline generator
• Landing page generator

With such a robust set of tools, it's clear that Scripted is not just a platform for generating content. Scripted is a comprehensive content marketing toolkit that can help businesses of all sizes and industries streamline their content creation process and reach their target audience effectively.

Taking the Plunge With Scripted

In today's digital age, where content reigns supreme, having a trusted ally in content creation becomes indispensable. Scripted, with its blend of cutting-edge AI technology and the finesse of expert writers, offers businesses a unique pathway to engaging, impactful content. Its AI case study generator is more than just a tool. It's a testament to the future of content creation, where technology and human touch work together seamlessly.

When considering a robust, adaptable, and efficient solution for case study creation, Scripted stands out. Its diverse range of templates, the precision of its algorithms, and the invaluable human expertise available ensure that businesses always put their best foot forward. Looking ahead to recognize the direction in which content creation is heading, the choice becomes clear. Dive deep into the powerful combination of  AI-generated content  and human expertise that only Scripted offers.

Ready to redefine your content journey? Discover the unparalleled offerings of Scripted's AI tools and  elevate your case study game today .

Sign Up For Your 30 Day Free Trial Today!

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Discussion Tools: Case Studies

Instructional tools that promote active, participatory learning are widely recognized as the most effective way to engage trainees, convey knowledge, develop skills, and change attitudes.

What is Research Ethics

Why Teach Research Ethics

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Collaboration

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Descriptions of educational settings , including in the classroom, and in research contexts.

Case Studies

Other Discussion Tools

Information about the history and authors of the Resources for Research Ethics Collection

Case studies are a tool for discussing scientific integrity. Although one of the most frequently used tools for encouraging discussion, cases are only one of many possible tools. Many of the principles discussed below for discussing case studies can be generalized to other approaches to encouraging discussion about research ethics. Cases are designed to confront readers with specific real-life problems that do not lend themselves to easy answers. Case discussion demands critical and analytical skills and, when implemented in small groups, also fosters collaboration (Pimple, 2002). By providing a focus for discussion, cases help trainees to define or refine their own standards, to appreciate alternative approaches to identifying and resolving ethical problems, and to develop skills for analyzing and dealing with hard problems on their own. The effective use of case studies is comprised of many factors, including:

• appropriate selection of case(s) (topic, relevance, length, complexity)
• method of case presentation (verbal, printed, before or during discussion)
• format for case discussion (Email or Internet-based, small group, large group)
• leadership of case discussion (choice of discussion leader, roles and responsibilities for discussion leader)
• outcomes for case discussion (answers to specific questions, answers to general questions, written or verbal summaries)

It should be noted that ethical decision-making is a process rather than a specific correct answer. In this sense, unethical behavior is defined by a failure to engage in the process of ethical decision-making. It is always unacceptable to have made no reasonable attempt to define a consistent and defensible basis for conduct.  

Leading Case Discussions

For the sake of time and clarity of purpose, it is essential that one individual have responsibility for leading the group discussion. As a minimum, this responsibility should include:

• Reading the case aloud.
• Defining, and re-defining as needed, the questions to be answered.
• Encouraging discussion that is "on topic".
• Discouraging discussion that is "off topic".
• Keeping the pace of discussion appropriate to the time available.
• Eliciting contributions from all members of the discussion group.
• Summarizing both majority and minority opinions at the end of the discussion.

How should cases be analyzed?

Many of the skills necessary to analyze case studies can become tools for responding to real world problems. Cases, like the real world, contain uncertainties and ambiguities. Readers are encouraged to identify key issues, make assumptions as needed, and articulate options for resolution. In addition to the specific questions accompanying each case, readers might consider the following questions:

• Who are the affected parties (individuals, institutions, a field, society) in this situation?
• What interest(s) (material, financial, ethical, other) does each party have in the situation? Which interests are in conflict?
• Were the actions taken by each of the affected parties acceptable (ethical, legal, moral, or common sense)? If not, are there circumstances under which those actions would have been acceptable? Who should impose what sanction(s)?
• What other courses of action are open to each of the affected parties? What is the likely outcome of each course of action?
• For each party involved, what course of action would you take, and why?
• What actions could have been taken to avoid the conflict?

If consensus is not possible, then written or oral summaries should reflect majority and minority opinions.  

Is there a right answer?

ACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS: Most problems will have several acceptable solutions or answers, but it will not always be the case that a perfect solution can be found. At times, even the best solution will still have some unsatisfactory consequences. UNACCEPTABLE SOLUTIONS: While more than one acceptable solution may be possible, not all solutions are acceptable. For example, obvious violations of specific rules and regulations or of generally accepted standards of conduct would typically be unacceptable. However, it is also plausible that blind adherence to accepted rules or standards would sometimes be an unacceptable course of action.

• Bebeau MJ with Pimple KD, Muskavitch KMT, Borden SL, Smith DH (1995): Moral Reasoning in Scientific Research: Cases for Teaching and Assessment . Indiana University.
• Elliott D, Stern JE (1997): Research Ethics - A Reader. University Press of New England, Hanover, NH.
• OEC Resources: Cases
• Ellison, Karin and Karin Wellner. (2013) Research, Ethics, and Society Cases: Discussion Guide , Online Ethics Center.
• The Case Method , Center for Innovation in Teaching & Learning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Herreid CF: National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, State University of New York at Buffalo. This comprehensive site offers methodology, a case study collection, case study teachers, workshops, and links to additional resources. https://web.archive.org/web/20071006070923/http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/projects/cases/case.html  
• Korenman SG, Shipp AC (1994): Teaching the Responsible Conduct of Research through a Case Study Approach: A Handbook for Instructors. Association of American Medical Colleges, Washington, DC.
• Macrina FL (2005): Scientific Integrity: An Introductory Text with Cases. 3rd edition, American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, DC.
• National Academy of Sciences (2009): On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research . 3rd Edition. Publication from the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine. National Academy Press, Washington DC.
• Penslar RL, ed. (1995): Research Ethics: Cases and Materials. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, IN.
• Pimple, KD (2002): Using Case Studies in Teaching Research Ethics
• Pimple KD (2002): Using Small Group Assignments in Teaching Research Ethics
• Schrag B, ed. (1996-2007): Graduate Research Ethics: Cases and Commentaries , Volumes 1-7, Association for Practical and Professional Ethics, Bloomington, Indiana.  

The Resources for Research Ethics Education site was originally developed and maintained by Dr. Michael Kalichman, Director of the Research Ethics Program at the University of California San Diego. The site was transferred to the Online Ethics Center in 2021 with the permission of the author.

Related Resources

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This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award No. 2055332. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

Generate Case Studies with ClickUp Brain

We don’t officially support a case study generator in ClickUp right now, but we still offer hundreds of advanced AI use cases with ClickUp Brain. If you think we should add a case study generator, share your feedback here .

Free forever.

No credit card.

What Is A Case Study Generator?

Crafting compelling case studies is now more accessible with AI-powered Case Study Generators. By inputting key details such as industry, challenge, solution, and outcomes, this tool can efficiently produce well-structured case studies. Leveraging natural language processing and data analytics, the AI sifts through vast information sources to generate engaging narratives that resonate with the target audience. This not only saves time on manual writing but also ensures consistency and relevance in storytelling. For businesses aiming to showcase their success stories, attract potential clients, or bolster their brand credibility, utilizing an AI Case Study Generator can be a game-changer in simplifying the content creation process and driving impactful results.

Why ClickUp Brain?

ClickUp Brain is the world's first neural network connecting tasks, docs, people, and all of your company’s knowledge with AI. It’s a knowledge manager, project manager, and writer tailored for the way you work. Use it to Generate case studies

More than 143,000 customers revolutionize their work with ClickUp AI Brain. Boost your team's productivity by 30%, improve alignment across teams, and cut costs by up to 75%.

Teams can save time and stay focused with fewer meetings, quick summaries, and automated tasks. In fact, we find mid-market companies save around $94K per year after cutting unnecessary spend on other AI tools. People across the entire organization feel significantly more connected and aligned on their shared goals.

The days of asking a human are over. ClickUp Brain gives instant, accurate answers based on context from any work within and connected to ClickUp.

Mike Coombe MCM Agency

With the addition of ClickUp AI, I'm more efficient than ever! It saves me 3x the amount of time spent previously on Project Management tasks. Not only has it enhanced my productivity, but it has also ignited my creativity.

3 Use Cases For Case Studies

Marketing team.

The Case Study Generator can be a valuable asset for marketing teams looking to showcase their success stories and client testimonials. By using this tool, marketing teams can easily create compelling case studies that highlight the company's achievements, problem-solving strategies, and the positive outcomes for clients. Generate visually appealing case studies that can be shared across various marketing channels to attract potential customers and build credibility in the industry. Streamline the process of creating impactful case studies and leverage them to drive lead generation and conversions.

Sales teams can benefit from the Case Study Generator by having a repository of persuasive case studies that demonstrate how the company's products or services have addressed specific customer needs and challenges. By using this tool, sales representatives can access a library of success stories that can be personalized and shared with potential clients to build trust and credibility. Tailor case studies to resonate with different industries or target audiences, making it easier to showcase the value proposition of the offerings. Enhance the sales pitch with real-world examples and boost conversion rates with compelling case studies.

Human Resources Department

For the Human Resources department, the Case Study Generator can be a powerful tool for illustrating the company culture, employee development initiatives, and success stories within the organization. Create case studies that highlight employee achievements, career progression, and the impact of training and development programs. Use these case studies for internal communication purposes, employee onboarding, and talent acquisition efforts. Showcase the positive experiences of employees to attract top talent, improve employee engagement, and foster a positive work environment. The Case Study Generator can be a valuable resource for HR teams looking to promote a culture of growth and success within the organization.

Case Study FAQs

What are the key elements to consider when creating a compelling case study for sales.

Key elements to consider when creating a compelling case study for sales include highlighting the customer's challenge or pain point, detailing the solution provided by your product or service, showcasing measurable results or benefits achieved, incorporating direct quotes or testimonials from the customer, and making it visually engaging with graphs, images, and a clear narrative structure.

Where can I find successful examples of sales case studies to learn from?

You can find successful examples of sales case studies to learn from on company websites, industry publications, business school resources, and marketing research websites.

How can a well-crafted case study improve my sales performance?

A well-crafted case study can improve your sales performance by showcasing real-life success stories of satisfied customers who have benefited from your product or service. This provides social proof, builds credibility, addresses common objections, and helps potential customers visualize the benefits and outcomes they can expect, ultimately leading to increased trust, confidence, and conversion rates.

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AI Case Study Generator

It’s free and easy to use. A simple upload of your content and your Case Studies are autogenerated.

Create Case Studies by repurposing audio or video content

The AI works fully automated

No prompt engineering required

Experience the power of AI without needing prompts

Train your AI to exactly sound like you

You can train your AI on a piece of content of yours

Autogenerate Case Studies

Create Case Studies based on the best templates from top-marketers. You will get your insights in the best format possible.

Extracted from your existing content

Work with your team, edit and download Case Studies

Case Studies that sound like you

You can train your AI Case Study Generator to sound like you, so you Case Studies are always in your own tone and style—the opposite of generating generic-sounding content out of thin air.

AI-based content repurposing for your Case Studies

Creating Case Studies is part of every good content marketing strategy. And now it has become even more accessible with AI Case Study Generator.

The best AI Case Study Generator.

Create Case Studies based on your insights, and that sounds like you inside Unifire, thanks to all the AI Case Study Generator’s unique AI-powered features.

Your content is generated based on the best creator templates and hook frameworks.

Collaboration

Unifire is built for collaboration. Live editing, unlimited team members and workspaces included.

Train your AI

AI’s that can sound like you and learn your own writing style. From vocabulary to sentence structure.

What are Case Studies?

Case studies are an incredibly effective tool for demonstrating your expertise and building trust with your audience. They provide real-world examples of how you’ve handled specific challenges, showcasing your strategies and solutions. By diving deep into the details of a particular project, case studies allow you to highlight your successes in a way that will make potential customers become actual customers. So, if you’re looking to boost your credibility and convert more leads, start sharing your case studies today.

How to use the AI Case Study Generator

It couldn’t be easier: Upload a piece of content, audio or video. Let the tool transcribe it and produce your Case Studies.

You can upload audio & video files, directly or via a link. After 2-4 mins you will receive your transcript. Autogenerated.

Auto transcription

We have the best transcription running in the background. 97% accuracy on even the most technical topics speaks for itself.

Edit your transcription

No AI is 100% perfect. So, we let you edit your transcript before hitting the generate content button.

Autogeneration

AI Case Study Generator automatically generates your Case Studies, based on the best templates we could find. So your content is in the best shape when you get it.

Edit & Collaborate

AI Case Study Generator is entirely collaborative and comes with unlimited team seats, workspaces and a full collaborative suite.

Once you’re ready to distribute, simply copy & paste your content into your favourite tools.

Questions about the AI Case Study Generator

It’s free for your first upload. You get 900 credits every month for free to use.

This is dependent on the length of your upload. If you upload 5 hours it will create much more content than if you upload only 5 mins.

Yes, you can train the AI to adopt your own tone & style. This includes sentence structures, vocabulary and more.

Some of the best AI Case Study Generator include Jasper, Reword, Anyword, and others.

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• AI Case Study Generator

Generate professional and engaging case studies effortlessly with our free AI Case Study creator. Simplify the process and showcase your success.

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A case study is like a detailed story that looks closely at a particular situation, person, or event, especially in the business world. It's a way to understand how things work in real life and learn valuable lessons. For instance, if a business wanted to figure out how another one became successful, they might study that business as a case study.

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AI for Businesses: Seven Case Studies and How You Can Use It

Updated: March 11, 2024

Published: August 31, 2023

Artificial intelligence has become an essential growth strategy for entrepreneurs. Almost 9 in 10 organizations believe AI will enable them to gain or sustain a competitive advantage — yet only 35% of companies currently leverage AI.

The majority of businesses leave the benefits of using AI — from optimizing research to streamlining operations — on the table. To stay competitive, entrepreneurs need to figure out how to integrate AI into their business strategy.

Table of contents:

What is AI for businesses?

What are the benefits of ai for businesses, ai for businesses case studies, ai for businesses tools.

AI for businesses involves integrating AI into a business’s strategy, mainly for tasks that require some level of human intelligence. Within a business, as examples, AI can:

• Convert speech to text for emails or memos
• Translate text for foreign markets
• Generate images from text for marketing purposes
• Solve problems, such as aggregating data to make data-driven decisions

For the most part, AI for businesses does not necessarily entail replacing a human worker with AI. Rather, professionals on all levels — from entry-level workers to C-suite executives — can use AI to improve their job performance.

“Across nearly every business function, we’re seeing AI make a major impact on business as usual,” explains Chief Content Officer at Marketing AI Institute Mark Kaput . Benefits of using AI in business include:

• Automating data-driven, repetitive tasks such as data entry
• Increasing revenue by making better predictions
• Enhancing customer experiences by providing more readily available support
• Driving growth by aggregating data and outputting highly targeted ads and marketing campaigns

Aside from more direct benefits, AI has also improved popular business tools. For example, Google Workspace uses AI to enable users to create automatic Google Docs summaries, generate text based on prompts, and more.

Additionally, as AI adoption increases (it doubled from 2017 to 2022), so does the need to leverage it to stay competitive. Almost 8 in 10 organizations believe incumbent competitors already use AI — not surprisingly since 73% of consumers are open to using AI if it makes their lives easier.

AI has been an impactful tool across different industries, from podcasts to fashion to health care.

1. Reduce time and resources needed to create podcast content

In Kaput’s content-creation business, his team leverages AI to decrease the time he spends on their weekly podcast by 75%. This involves using AI to create promotional campaign material (e.g., graphics, emails) alongside script writing.

Podcasts necessitate a human host ( most of the time ), but AI can help optimize the process of getting from idea to episode.

2. Optimize supply chain operations in the fashion industry

Retailers often deal with a significant amount of guesswork. For example, predicting what kind of clothing to stock typically requires historical data and educated guesses.

AI can streamline supply chain operations for retailers. These tools take in necessary data, such as prior inventory levels and sales performance, and predict future sales with greater accuracy.

Fast fashion retailers (e.g., H&M, Zara) have seen growths in revenue by leveraging predictive analytics driven by AI.

3. Speed up and improve accuracy of diagnoses

Physicians often use imaging as a tool to provide accurate patient diagnoses. However, images often show only one part of a larger story — requiring physicians to look into a patient’s medical history.

AI can help optimize this process. For example, at Hardin Memorial Health (HMH), doctors can use AI to bring up a summary of the patient’s medical history and highlight information relevant to the imaging.

For example, one radiologist at the hospital found a bone lesion in an image, which can have many different causes. However, AI sifted through the patient’s medical background and showed the physician the patient’s history of smoking, giving them a better idea for potential treatments.

4. Create professional videos within minutes

If your business plans on creating a video, they need to find a speaker, acquire a high-quality camera, set up a studio, and edit. This can take days to finalize, but AI has made it possible to create a professional video in less than fifteen minutes.

For instance, Synthesia offers tools that enable the creation of videos featuring 140+ realistic-looking avatars, 120+ language options, and high-quality voice-overs.

5. Provide robots with autonomous functions

AI also has many industrial applications. For instance, Built Robotics uses AI to create autonomous heavy machinery that can operate in difficult environments.

One of their robots works in solar piling, or the process of creating solid foundations to place solar panels on. This entails placing foundations on uneven terrain and working with very strict design parameters, which can take time when done manually. However, AI-driven robots can automate and speed up this process significantly.

6. Act as a personal confidant

Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT often output human-sounding text. After all, its learning comes primarily from what people post on the internet. Replika recognized the opportunity to capitalize on this potential human-adjacent relationship and launched their “AI companion who cares.”

Users can create an avatar, customize its likes and interests, and build a relationship with it. The avatar can hop on video calls and chat, interact with real-life environments via augmented reality (AR), and provide guidance to their human companions.

7. Generate mock websites in minutes

Creating a minimum viable product (MVP) often entails launching a simple website to collect user information. But not everyone can code a functional website. AI tools enable users to create mock websites without any coding skills.

For example, you can use Uizard, which outputs app, web, and user interface (UI) designs after receiving instructions in text. Users type in what kind of app or website they want with a few other design parameters. Then, Uizard gives them a design of what their idea would look like.

In this case, AI performs a number of functions, including converting screenshots to functional designs and creating UI designs via simple text. Without AI, these tasks would take hours of technical and graphical work. You can also use AI to supplement your site's content, such as by using it to create blog posts. 

Though you can dive headfirst into AI, Kaput recommends doing thorough research before adopting new AI tools. He advises business owners to first ask themselves the following questions about their tasks:

• Is the task data-driven?
• Does the task follow a standard set of steps?
• Is the task predictive?
• Is the task generative?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you likely have a solid starting point to integrate AI into your business. Once you understand which tasks you can apply AI to, you can look into different tools that can improve and speed up different parts of your operations.

AI has most visibly impacted marketing, with image and text tools going viral on social media. Tools can help create graphics for social media, write articles, design logos, and more. Consider using the following tools to integrate AI into your marketing:

• LogoAi : Designs logos using AI
• ChatGPT : Provides powerful text in response to prompts
• DALL·E 2 : Creates unique images in response to prompts 
• LOVO : Converts text to natural-sounding speech

AI can aid in high-level thinking, such as devising a business plan or strategy. The following tools can help validate ideas, provide useful analysis, and summarize complex information:

• VenturusAI : Analyzes business ideas for strategic planning
• Zapier : Connects apps to automated workflows

AI can be used to replace repetitive, manual tasks. Using the following tools, you can increase your productivity, speed up research, and more:

• Jamie : Automatically takes notes and creates an executive summary with action items
• Tome : Creates AI-powered presentations
• Consensus : Provides answers using insights from evidence-based research papers

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Textbooks as Markers and Makers of International Law: A Brazilian Case Study

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Luíza Leão Soares Pereira, Fabio Costa Morosini, Textbooks as Markers and Makers of International Law: A Brazilian Case Study, European Journal of International Law , 2024;, chae007, https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chae007

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This article challenges conventional views of international law textbooks as mere instructional tools and explores them as powerful sites for shaping knowledge and the discipline. Drawing on empirical methods and critical theory, we analyse the 10 main international law textbooks used in Brazil and conduct interviews with their authors to illuminate the textbooks’ complexities and their potential for shaping the discipline and the profession. The article delves into the tension between the structure of international law as depicted in the textbooks and the agency of their authors, investigating the authors’ identities and backgrounds. Brazil serves as a compelling case study due to its numerous international law textbooks and their widespread use. Our results indicate a predominant universalist approach in Brazilian textbooks and their connection to the French international law tradition. Moreover, the study sheds light on the Brazilian ‘invisible college’ of international lawyers, revealing gender and racial disparities and institutional centralities. It also uncovers crucial omissions in the textbooks, such as the relationship of international law to colonialism, slavery, race, gender and economic inequality. Overall, this study offers a comprehensive understanding of international law as a field in Brazil and provides a valuable methodological framework for future research on textbooks’ role in shaping the discipline.

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• Volume 79, Issue 4
• Post-pandemic tuberculosis incidence: potential success of active case finding?
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9763-5023 Catherine M Stein
• Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , Ohio , USA
• Correspondence to Dr Catherine M Stein, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA; catherine.stein{at}case.edu

https://doi.org/10.1136/thorax-2023-221224

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• Tuberculosis
• Clinical Epidemiology

Until 2020, tuberculosis (TB) was annually the number one infectious killer disease globally. When the COVID-19 pandemic started in 2020, TB took the number two seat in this said ranking, but a very close second. 1 TB epidemiologists around the world became very concerned about what might happen with global TB burden in the wake of the pandemic, fearing that lockdowns of health systems and stay-at-home orders would increase TB transmission, decrease access to treatment and screening, and ultimately lead to a surge in incidence and mortality.

Recent work by Kendall et al 2 published in Thorax set out to answer two questions: what was the impact of the pandemic in Uganda, and how did active TB case finding efforts help? In this well-performed study, active case finding (ACF) campaigns were conducted prior to the pandemic in 2019 and post-pandemic in 2021. The proportion of TB cases identified through this campaign dropped from 0.94% in 2019 to 0.54% in 2021. The authors concluded that community-wide active TB case finding could have a meaningful impact on TB burden at the population level, even in the wake of reduced access to diagnostic and treatment facilities and potentially increased contact to infectious individuals within families or other close-contact circles. These findings, while exciting, warrant additional consideration for both ACF efforts and TB burden post-pandemic.

ACF is valuable for reducing TB transmission and potentially mortality. The wide variety of strategies and benefits are summarised in a recent systematic review 3 and the importance of ACF to supplement passive case finding is stressed by another recent review. 4 Burke et al 3 found that the overall evidence for the effectiveness for ACF was mixed, though it could reduce community prevalence if delivered with sufficient intensity. For some but not all of the studies summarised in that review, TB case notifications decreased after intensive case finding campaigns, consistent with the findings of Kendall et al. 2

With the usefulness of ACF, there are also important considerations about feasibility, logistics, implementation and cost-effectiveness. A recent cost-effectiveness analysis concluded that the success of ACF efforts relies on screening tools that are inexpensive, low-complexity, sensitive and highly specific. 5 In addition, the effects of ACF interventions also depend on TB prevalence, built environment, access to care and social norms. 3 Not all studies of ACF reveal raging successes; those recent studies point out the importance of high coverage of these efforts, adequate sampling of marginalised and other diverse groups, diagnostic yield and programmatic choices. 6 7 Some of the potential reasons for the success of the efforts of the Kendall et al ’s study are factors like a strong community mobilisation component and regular presence of research staff at local health facilities; these factors that increased awareness might be valuable components for programmes in other settings, though as noted by Garg et al , for ACF to be impactful, the design of these efforts must be based on contextual understanding. 6 Further, Coleman et al 4 advocate for the integration of screening for both TB disease and latent Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection (LTBI), though well-known discordance between the tuberculin skin test and interferon-gamma release assay makes this challenging.

Potentially more controversial is the observation of reduced post-pandemic TB prevalence in this study, perhaps implying that social distancing and other restrictions decrease TB incidence in all settings. A quick sampling of the recent literature suggests this is not a universal conclusion. Studies in Canada, 8 Hamilton county in Ohio, USA, 9 and Brazil 10 showed decreased rates of LTBI treatment and screening. These studies generally concluded that declines in LTBI treatment were not due to decreased TB transmission. For example, in the study in Ohio, referrals increased when statewide restrictions were lifted. 9 If LTBI rates are constant, there is a possibility of TB transmission if LTBI reactivates. One study in Uganda showed delayed care-seeking for symptomatic TB 11 during periods of lockdown, and another observed that LTBI prevalence was the same during periods of restrictions as prior to the pandemic. 12 Another reason that TB notifications may have declined was that GeneXpert equipment was repurposed for COVID-19 diagnosis in some settings. 13 All of these studies suggest that TB transmission continued during the pandemic. Therefore, there was likely little impact on the overall TB epidemic due to COVID-19 control procedures, and the possibility of an increase in incidence remains. Furthermore, it is likely that Kendall et al ’s 2 successes in TB prevalence reduction were due to the quality of their targeted ACF campaign, which should be commended. But it is possible that these benefits were only seen in the areas of that campaign, not broadly.

Together, this illustrates the need to continue evaluating ACF interventions, both as an approach to decrease TB prevalence generally, and also as a potential approach during health events that challenge the existing health system. Reductions in TB prevalence are likely multicausal 2 and these other potential causes should be explored. Further, as stated by Burke et al , 3 future ACF interventions require formal statistical evaluation. Additional studies and systematic reviews are needed to comprehensively examine the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on TB incidence and delayed care-seeking in a variety of settings, in order to develop better strategies for the future. These primary analyses are likely in progress. Lessons from qualitative studies of healthcare workers revealed the importance of alternative patient support measures and continued education, 13 which is consistent with the potential positive impact of ACF seen in this work. 2 To state the obvious: if ACF, home visits and/or education are effective approaches against TB transmission, where will the human resources come from? Whether by using ACF or increased educational approaches, continued awareness about TB is needed to ensure that any losses in prevention efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic can be addressed. TB epidemiologists and public health practitioners interested in combatting TB in endemic settings should carefully read the work by Kendall et al 2 to see what lessons can be gleaned.

Ethics statements

Patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

Ethics approval

• World Health Organization
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Twitter @SteinGenEpiLab

Contributors CMS was the sole author of this work and as such is solely responsible for all content therein.

Funding This study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (75N93019C00071, RO1-AI147319, U19AI162583).

Competing interests None declared.

Provenance and peer review Commissioned; internally peer reviewed.

Linked Articles

• Tuberculosis Decline in prevalence of tuberculosis following an intensive case finding campaign and the COVID-19 pandemic in an urban Ugandan community Emily A Kendall Peter J Kitonsa Annet Nalutaaya Katherine O Robsky Kamoga Caleb Erisa James Mukiibi Adithya Cattamanchi Midori Kato-Maeda Achilles Katamba David Dowdy Thorax 2023; 79 325-331 Published Online First: 02 Dec 2023. doi: 10.1136/thorax-2023-220047

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• New entity of adult ultra-short coeliac disease: the first international cohort and case–control study
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• http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5528-917X Suneil A Raju 1 , 2 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0707-4059 Emily A Greenaway 1 , 2 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8493-7698 Annalisa Schiepatti 3 , 4 ,
• Giovanni Arpa 5 , 6 ,
• Nicoletta Vecchione 7 ,
• Chao LA Jian 8 ,
• Charlotte Grobler 9 ,
• Margherita Maregatti 10 ,
• Olivia Green 1 , 2 ,
• Freya J Bowker-Howell 1 , 2 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2713-8355 Mohamed G Shiha 1 , 2 ,
• Hugo A Penny 1 , 2 ,
• Simon S Cross 2 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7426-1145 Carolina Ciacci 7 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2114-2353 Kamran Rostami 11 ,
• Shokoufeh Ahmadipour 12 ,
• Afshin Moradi 13 ,
• Mohammad Rostami-Nejad 14 ,
• Federico Biagi 3 , 4 ,
• Umberto Volta 15 ,
• Michelangelo Fiorentino 15 ,
• Benjamin Lebwohl 16 ,
• Peter HR Green 16 ,
• Suzanne Lewis 16 ,
• Javier Molina-Infante 17 , 18 ,
• Pilar Mata-Romero 18 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4416-6216 Valentina Vaira 19 , 20 ,
• http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0873-0759 Luca Elli 10 ,
• Irfan Soykan 21 ,
• Arzu Ensari 22 ,
• David S Sanders 1 , 2
• 1 Academic Unit of Gastroenterology , Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust , Sheffield , UK
• 2 Division of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Population Health , The University of Sheffield Medical School , Sheffield , UK
• 3 Gastroenterology Unit of Pavia Institute , Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS , Pavia , Italy
• 4 Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Therapy , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
• 5 Department of Molecular Medicine, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo , University of Pavia , Pavia , Italy
• 6 Anatomical Pathology Unit of Pavia Institute , Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS , Pavia , Italy
• 7 Department of Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry , University of Salerno , Fisciano , Italy
• 8 Gastroenterology and Hepatology , MidCentral District Health Board , Palmerston North , New Zealand
• 9 Medlab Central Limited , Palmerston North , New Zealand
• 10 Center for Prevention and Diagnosis of Celiac Disease , Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy
• 11 Department of Gastroenterology , MidCentral District Health Board , Palmerston North , New Zealand
• 12 Hepatitis ResearcH Center , Lorestan University of Medical Sciences , Khoram-Abad , Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
• 13 School of Medicine, Department of Pathology , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
• 14 Celiac Disease and Gluten Related Disorders Research Center , Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran (the Islamic Republic of)
• 15 Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences , University of Bologna , Bologna , Italy
• 16 Celiac Disease Center , Columbia University Medical Center , New York , New York , USA
• 17 Department of Gastroenterology , Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red , Madrid , Spain
• 18 Department of Gastroenterology , Hospital Universitario de Caceres , Caceres , Spain
• 19 Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , University of Milan , Milano , Italy
• 20 Division of Pathology , Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda-Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milano , Italy
• 21 Department of Gastroenterology , Ankara University Faculty of Medicine , Ankara , Turkey
• 22 Department of Pathology , Ankara University Faculty of Medicine , Ankara , Turkey
• Correspondence to Dr Suneil A Raju, Academic Unit of Gastroenterology, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK; suneilraju{at}gmail.com

Background Ultra-short coeliac disease (USCD) is defined as villous atrophy only present in the duodenal bulb (D1) with concurrent positive coeliac serology. We present the first, multicentre, international study of patients with USCD.

Methods Patients with USCD were identified from 10 tertiary hospitals (6 from Europe, 2 from Asia, 1 from North America and 1 from Australasia) and compared with age-matched and sex-matched patients with conventional coeliac disease.

Findings Patients with USCD (n=137, median age 27 years, IQR 21–43 years; 73% female) were younger than those with conventional coeliac disease (27 vs 38 years, respectively, p<0.001). Immunoglobulin A-tissue transglutaminase (IgA-tTG) titres at index gastroscopy were lower in patients with USCD versus conventional coeliac disease (1.8×upper limit of normal (ULN) (IQR 1.1–5.9) vs 12.6×ULN (IQR 3.3–18.3), p<0.001).

Patients with USCD had the same number of symptoms overall (median 3 (IQR 2–4) vs 3 (IQR 1–4), p=0.875). Patients with USCD experienced less iron deficiency (41.8% vs 22.4%, p=0.006).

Both USCD and conventional coeliac disease had the same intraepithelial lymphocytes immunophenotype staining pattern; positive for CD3 and CD8, but not CD4.

At follow-up having commenced a gluten-free diet (GFD) (median of 1181 days IQR: 440–2160 days) both USCD and the age-matched and sex-matched controls experienced a similar reduction in IgA-tTG titres (0.5 ULN (IQR 0.2–1.4) vs 0.7 ULN (IQR 0.2–2.6), p=0.312). 95.7% of patients with USCD reported a clinical improvement in their symptoms.

Interpretation Patients with USCD are younger, have a similar symptomatic burden and benefit from a GFD. This study endorses the recommendation of D1 sampling as part of the endoscopic coeliac disease diagnostic workup.

• coeliac disease
• gluten free diet
• gluten sensitive enteropathy
• celiac disease

Data availability statement

Data are available on reasonable request.

https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2023-330913

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WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC

The first study of ultra-short coeliac disease in adults in 2016 identified patients with villous atrophy confined to the duodenal bulb with positive coeliac serology.

Systematic review and meta-analyses suggest that taking a duodenal bulb biopsy can increase the diagnostic yield of adult coeliac disease by 8%.

There are limited further studies and no data on how these patients respond to treatment.

WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS

Our study provides the first international data of patients with ultra-short coeliac disease.

At presentation, adult patients with ultra-short coeliac disease are significantly younger, have a similar symptomatic burden but lower serological titres.

Adult patients with ultra-short coeliac disease improve both clinically and serologically when on a gluten-free diet.

HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY

Our data support adherence to undertaking a bulb biopsy.

Once identified these patients can be treated effectively with a gluten-free diet.

Introduction

Coeliac disease is a common autoimmune disorder that affects individuals worldwide, with a global prevalence between 0.7% and 1.4%. 1 Despite being an increasingly significant global health problem, a significant proportion of individuals with coeliac disease remain undiagnosed (5%–76%). 2 3 There is a global delay in diagnosing coeliac disease which is reported to be between 9.7 and 13.3 years. 4–6 Furthermore, 5%–12.4% of patients have had a previous gastroscopy (where no biopsies were taken) prior to their diagnosis representing a missed opportunity to diagnose coeliac disease. 7 8 A gluten-free diet (GFD) remains the only treatment, and adherence improves quality of life for the individual and potentially reduces the burden to the healthcare system. 9 10

The conventional form of coeliac disease is characterised by villous atrophy (VA) and crypt hyperplasia in the second part of the duodenal mucosa (D2) with concurrent positive coeliac serology ( figure 1 ). 11 Historical early reports of the value of acquiring biopsies from the duodenal bulb (D1) were disregarded in favour of biopsies from the distal duodenum as it was suggested that histological interpretation was potentially impaired by the presence of Brunner’s glands, gastric heterotropia and duodenitis. 12 Ultra-short coeliac disease (USCD) is defined as patients with VA only present in the duodenal bulb (D1) and concurrent positive coeliac serology ( figure 1 ). This term was coined in 2016 and systematic review and meta-analyses suggest that taking a duodenal bulb biopsy can increase the diagnostic yield of adult coeliac disease by 8%. For paediatric populations, this was shown to be 4% (95% CI 1% to 9%; p<0.001). 12

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Subtypes of coeliac disease divided by extent of villous atrophy.

Subsequently, the American College of Gastroenterology and British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) now recommend bulb biopsy as standard practice when an upper endoscopy is undertaken to assess for ‘suspected coeliac disease/malabsorption’. However, adherence to biopsy protocols is low (37.0%–39.5%). 11 13–15 One reason for this may be a perceived increase in cost or alternatively a perception that a patient with histological changes confined to the bulb may not benefit from a GFD. 7 The value of taking D1 biopsies remains controversial and there is only a single centre study of 26 adult patients from the UK describing the clinical presentation of VA confined to D1. 11 14–17

Understanding the phenotype and therapeutic outcomes of patients with USCD is crucial for optimising diagnostic approaches and treatment strategies, as well as improving overall patient care and long-term health outcomes. There is a paucity of data regarding the phenotype of patients with USCD by comparison to conventional coeliac disease. Furthermore, there are limited data on the benefit of a GFD in patients with USCD. To address this, we present the first, multicentre, international study of patients with USCD.

The study was proposed after the 19th International Society for the Study of Celiac Disease Conference, Sorrento, October 2022, as an international, multicentre, observational cohort study enrolling all patients with USCD between 2009 and 2022. Patient data were collected from hospital databases that prospectively record information about patients with coeliac disease. One centre collected information retrospectively from hospital records based on positive histological findings. Ten tertiary coeliac disease centres participated in the study: Sheffield, UK; Caceres, Spain; New York City, USA; Palmerston North, New Zealand; Ankara, Turkey; Bologna, Pavia, Milan and Salerno, Italy; Tehran, Iran.

Group 1: For this cohort study, adult (≥16 years) patients were identified from 10 tertiary hospitals between January 2009 and December 2022. Patients were defined as having USCD if they had a combination of positive serological markers (immunoglobulin A-tissue transglutaminase (IgA-tTG) or immunoglobulin A-endomysial antibody (IgA-EMA)) and histologically confirmed VA confined to D1 while on a gluten containing diet. D2 biopsies were architecturally non-diagnostic of coeliac disease (Marsh grades 0–2) and diagnoses were made locally by gastroenterologists with expertise in coeliac disease.

Group 2: For the age-matched and sex-matched case-control study, controls were identified from databases of adult patients with coeliac disease diagnosed in each centre. Each age-matched and sex-matched control was from the same centre as the patient with USCD. Age-matched and sex-matched adult coeliac disease controls were then randomly selected using IBM SPSS V.27.0 (IBM) case control matching function.

Both USCD and age-matched and sex-matched controls had D1 and D2 biopsies.

Data were collected following assessment by a clinician with a special interest in coeliac disease at each centre. Data were reviewed in case notes, endoscopy records and the referral. Data were collected on presenting symptoms, serology at time of presentation (including haemoglobin, vitamin B 12 , folate, iron, vitamin D, IgA-tTG and IgA-EMA), human leucocyte antigen (HLA) typing and histology of duodenal biopsies. Patients with USCD and the case–control patients were then followed up to determine the effects of a GFD on their serological markers and symptoms. All patients were assessed for commonly occurring symptoms in coeliac disease both at presentation and follow-up.

In order to assess for any potential differences between USCD and conventional coeliac disease when specifically considering age and sex at presentation, a further analysis was undertaken comparing all patients with USCD (n=137) to those with conventional coeliac disease from the Sheffield, UK coeliac database (n=434).

IgA-tTG antibody levels were measured by different ELISA kits (Aeskulisa Diagnostics (Wendelsheim, Germany), ELiA Celikey (Thermo Fisher, Freiburg, Germany), ARUP Laboratories (Utah, USA), QuantaLite (Inova Diagnostics, San Diego, California), Eu-tTG (Eurospital, Italy) and Euroimmune (Luebeck, Germany)). Therefore, levels were standardised using the upper limit of normal (ULN) based on the manufacturer’s supplied reference ranges. IgA-EMA was detected by immunofluorescence on primate oesophagus sections (Binding Site, Birmingham, UK). The normal ranges of blood tests differed by centre, and therefore, to allow for direct comparison, the lower limit of normal (LLN) was used for ferritin, vitamin B 12 , folic acid and vitamin D based on the manufacturer’s supplied reference ranges of each test. All blood tests were complete prior to endoscopy as part of the referral process.

HLA typing was performed for HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 at six centres and full genomic HLA typing at three. One centre did not perform HLA typing ( table 1 ).

• View inline

Number of cases of ultra-short coeliac disease from each centre

Biopsies and histology

Multiple biopsies were taken in D1 and quadrantic biopsies in D2 and the most severe histological findings used for diagnosis and analysis. The biopsy specimens were first preserved in formalin and then embedded in paraffin wax. Afterwards, they were thinly sliced into sections measuring 3 µm in thickness. These sections were subsequently stained using H&E. Duodenal biopsies were assessed by experienced histopathologists with an interest in gastroenterology. The biopsies were all orientated by experienced biomedical scientists in the histopathology laboratory and three levels were cut from each specimen. This ensured that in at least some of the levels there were full length villi present and the interpreting histopathologists looked for the longest villi that were present in all three levels. Grading was completed using the modified Marsh criteria: Marsh 1 lesions demonstrated increased intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL), Marsh 2 lesions demonstrated crypt hyperplasia and Marsh 3 lesions demonstrated VA. 18

CD3 antibody was measured using streptavidin biotin peroxidase method by automated Ventana Benchmark XT system (Roche, Ventana Medical Systems, Tucson), Clone:LN10: Leica Concentrate and immunohistochemistry anti-human Cd3 Dako or GenScript. CD8 antibody was measured with clone: C8/44B; Dako RTU Link and CD4 with clone:4B12; Dako RTU Link. An average of two biopsies was tested for both D1 and D2.

Follow-up data were collected in each centre based on clinical improvement (Likert scale) divided into four categories: ‘symptoms worse’, ‘symptoms the same’, ‘symptoms improved’ and ‘symptoms completely resolved’ after clinical assessment as part of routine care. Serological follow-up was completed using the blood tests as described above. The length of follow-up varied based on the time the patient was known to the centre.

Statistical analysis

Data handling was completed using Microsoft Excel (2016); statistical analysis was conducted in IBM SPSS V.27.0 (IBM).

The prevalence of each presenting symptom was compared between cohorts using χ 2 test of two proportions where there was adequate sample size and if not, Fisher’s exact test was used. 19 Shapiro-Wilk test was used to assess for Gaussian distribution of continuous data such as age and IgA-tTG titre. Where normally distributed and no outliers, a t-test was used, otherwise the Mann-Whitney U test used. A p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Role of the funding source

No funding was acquired to complete this study.

When comparing age and sex between individuals diagnosed with conventional coeliac disease (n=434), and USCD, it was observed that those with USCD presented at a younger age (27 years (IQR 21–43 years) vs 38 years (IQR 26–53 years), p<0.001) but no difference in sex ratio (66.6% vs 73.7% females, respectively, p=0.12).

For other comparisons, group 1 patients with USCD (n=137) were compared with group two patients with conventional coeliac disease (n=137) ( table 1 ). Group 1 patients were referred from primary care, were self-referring, referred from other departments within the same hospital (with symptoms or positive coeliac disease serology) or referred from other hospitals (68%, 19%, 10%, 3%, respectively).

Patients with USCD (group 1) when compared with age-matched and sex-matched conventional coeliac disease (group 2) had the same number of symptoms overall (median 3 (IQR 2–4) vs 3 (IQR 1–4), p=0.875).

The most common presenting symptoms for patients with USCD were abdominal pain, diarrhoea and bloating ( table 2 ). When compared with age-matched and sex-matched patients with conventional coeliac disease, patients with USCD had more flatulence (13.1% vs 5.1%, p=0.021). Patients with conventional coeliac disease also demonstrated more iron deficiency (41.8% vs 22.4%, p=0.006). Patients with USCD had higher index ferritin levels than age-matched and sex-matched patients with conventional coeliac disease (2.5×LLN (IQR 1.0 x-5.8xLLN) vs 1.2xLLN (IQR 0.6×−2.7xLLN), p<0.001) though there was no difference in iron deficiency anaemia (p=0.181).

Presentation of patients with ultra-short coeliac disease (USCD) and age-matched and sex-matched patients with conventional coeliac disease

In total, 65.3% of patients had HLA typing complete. More patients with USCD were HLA-DQ2 homozygous than patients with conventional coeliac disease (40.4% vs 25.8%, p=0.038) ( table 2 ). Patients with USCD also had lower IgA-tTG titres compared with patients with conventional coeliac disease (1.8×ULN (IQR 1.1–5.9) vs 12.6×ULN (IQR 3.3–18.3), p<0.001). Similarly, a lower proportion of patients with USCD tested positive for IgA-EMA (76.5% vs 89.2%, p=0.043) ( figure 2 ).

Comparison of serological markers in coeliac disease at baseline and follow-up. Serological comparisons made between patients with ultra-short coeliac disease and age-matched and sex-matched controls at baseline and follow-up for: (A) immunoglobulin A—tissue transglutaminase titre, (B) ferritin, (C) folate, (D) vitamin B 12 , (E) vitamin D, (F) immunoglobulin A—endomysial antibody. LLN, lower limit of normal; ULN, upper limit of normal.

Biopsy findings

Patients with USCD had a similar number of biopsies taken compared with patients with conventional coeliac disease from D2 (4 (IQR 4–4) vs 4 (IQR 4–4), p=0.870) and D1 (2 (IQR 1–2) vs 2 (IQR 1–2), p=0.164). In total, 16.8% of patients with USCD had a previous gastroscopy of which only 45.5% had a previous D1 biopsy taken. In patients diagnosed with USCD, biopsies from D2 were histologically normal in 41.6% of cases, Marsh grade 1 in 41.6% of cases and Marsh grade 2 in 16.8% of cases. In the age-matched and sex-matched controls, 94.6% had VA in D1.

The immunophenotype of the intraepithelial lymphocytes was the same in both D1 and D2 with all the intraepithelial lymphocytes staining with CD3 and CD8, but not with CD4 ( figure 3 ).

Biopsies of D2 and D1 from a patient with ultra-short coeliac disease. In the H&E-stained sections of D2 (A) there is a normal villous height, no significant crypt hyperplasia but there is an increased number of intraepithelial lymphocytes. In the H&E-stained sections of D1 (E) there is complete villous atrophy, gross crypt hyperplasia and an increased number of intraepithelial lymphocytes. The immunophenotype of the intraepithelial lymphocytes is the same in both sites with all the intraepithelial lymphocytes staining with CD3 (B, F) and CD8 (D, H) but none of them stain with CD4 (C, G).

Serological and clinical assessment occurred after a median of 1181 days (IQR 440–2160 days). Following recommendation of a GFD patients with both USCD and the age-matched and sex-matched controls experienced a similar reduction in IgA-tTG titres (0.5 ULN (IQR 0.2–1.4) vs 0.7 ULN (IQR 0.2–2.6), p=0.312) and similar levels of IgA-EMA positivity (26.9% vs 23.1%, p=0.598) ( figure 2 ). Levels of vitamin B 12 , iron, folate and vitamin D all improved after undertaking a GFD ( figure 2 ). Symptomatic improvement occurred in both patients with USCD and in the age-matched and sex-matched controls (95.7% vs 89.1%, p=0.115). In total, 16.1% of patients with USCD had complete resolution of their symptoms, 79.6% reported a partial improvement, 3.2% reported no change in their symptoms and 1.1% reported symptoms to be worse after following a GFD.

This is the first multicentre international study of USCD. We have demonstrated that patients with USCD are younger than those with conventional coeliac disease and have lower IgA-tTG titres. Despite only having VA in the duodenal bulb patients with USCD are both symptomatic and derive benefit from a GFD. This study endorses the recommendation of taking samples from D1 as a mandatory component of coeliac disease diagnostic workup.

A single-centre study (n=26) from our centre previously identified patients with USCD as younger and having lower IgA-tTG titres. Furthermore, this work demonstrated that an additional D1 biopsy can increase the diagnostic yield by 9.7%. 16 Despite endorsement from the American College of Gastroenterology and BSG, the adherence to biopsy protocols in general remains low (37.0%–39.5%). 11 13–15 As a result, there remains a global delay in diagnosing coeliac disease between 9.7 and 13.3 years. 4–6 Of the patients with USCD, 41.6% and 16.8% had Marsh 1 and Marsh 2 lesions in D2, respectively, therefore, if only D2 biopsies were taken, these patients may have been incorrectly diagnosed as having potential coeliac disease. 11 The implications for both the patient and the clinical recommendation to follow a GFD are different in ‘real-world’ practice when faced with a patient with potential coeliac disease by comparison to VA (Marsh 3) confirmed coeliac disease. The BSG guidelines have made no recommendation for the role of a GFD in patients with ‘potential coeliac disease’.

Conversely in a prospective randomised controlled study of 23 patients with potential coeliac disease (Marsh grades 1–2, raised IEL only or raised IEL and crypt hyperplasia but no VA) individuals who were randomised to commence a GFD showed both symptomatic benefit and a reduction in their tTG titres. 20 In this historical study from 2003 to 2008, none of the patients had a duodenal bulb biopsy. It could be suggested that these patients may have had USCD.

It is perceived that a bulb biopsy strategy may increase healthcare utilisation costs. This may be due to the use of a second histopathology pot (for the bulb biopsy), processing costs and increased pathology reporting time. This may explain some of the reluctance to take biopsies, however, adequate duodenal biopsy strategies potentially avoid diagnostic delays for patients with undiagnosed adult coeliac disease and are a cost-effective approach in improving the quality-adjusted life-years of patients with coeliac disease. 21 22

It may be possible to place D1 and D2 biopsy samples in the same histopathology pot. A historical paediatric study (n=198) found that ‘intraepithelial lymphocytosis was easily recognised in bulb biopsies, and that although the normal villous-to-crypt ratio is lower in the bulb than in the more distal duodenum, significant VA was usually apparent’. When samples were reviewed by experienced histopathologists, the changes of coeliac disease were still identifiable and the risk of interobserver variability was low. 23

We found that patients with conventional coeliac disease were more likely to have iron deficiency than those with USCD, which may correlate with more extensive mucosal inflammation and impaired absorptive capacity of the duodenum in the former. Interestingly, there was no difference in iron deficiency anaemia.

When considering the paediatric population, in a study of 834 paediatric patients diagnosed with coeliac disease, 11% were diagnosed with USCD, these USCD paediatric patients were also found to have lower tissue transglutaminase antibody titres and less iron deficiency than patients with conventional coeliac disease. 24 This suggests that the paediatric and adult USCD cases are similar. This is corroborated by capsule endoscopy studies that demonstrate an association between iron deficiency anaemia, increased age and extent of disease in conventional coeliac disease. 25

Our study demonstrates that HLA DQ2 homozygosity is more common in conventional CD by comparison to USCD (40.4% vs 25.8% p=0.038). This could suggest that the HLA genotype may have a quantitative relationship between the DQ heterodimer and phenotype. Supporting this, a study of seven patients with USCD that found the HLA-DQ2 haplotype to be less common in patients with USCD and no difference in HLA-DQ8 haplotype. 26 However, all these findings are based on small sample sizes and further investigation is required to determine the significance of a possible different HLA haplotype in USCD.

A limitation of this study is that histology samples could be affected by interindividual variability between histopathologists, however, as all histopathologists have a specialist interest in coeliac disease the risk of this is reduced. It is uncertain how this would translate to ‘real-world’ clinical practice beyond centres with an interest in coeliac disease.

Another limitation is the lack of a central reference lab so there was no standardisation between IgA-tTG assays; to address this, the results were evaluated in relation to the ULN as stated by the manufacturer for each assay. Centres involved have a special interest in coeliac disease, and therefore, there may be a referral bias.

In conclusion, this is the first multicentre international study to evaluate the new entity of USCD. Patients with USCD are younger than those with conventional coeliac disease and have lower serological markers of coeliac disease. Despite only having VA in the duodenal bulb, patients with USCD are both symptomatic and derive benefit from a GFD. This study endorses the recommendation of taking samples from D1 as a mandatory component of coeliac disease diagnostic workup.

Ethics statements

Patient consent for publication.

Not applicable.

Ethics approval

All clinical data were anonymised prior to analysis. Patients underwent clinical tests and assessments as part of their routine care. The Sheffield UK Coeliac Research Database was approved by the Yorkshire and the Humber Sheffield Research Ethics Committee, under registration number 14/YH/1216 renewed 19/YH/0095. The database is used to identify efficiently and comprehensively patients eligible for a specific healthcare intervention in order to help recruitment into trials, and for using routine clinical data to study the course of disease and effectiveness of healthcare used in daily coeliac clinical practice. Where necessary, all data collection was approved locally by research and development/audit departments within the country of collection. The study protocol was approved by the ethical committee of the Research Institute for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science Tehran (protocol IR.SBMU.RIGLD.REC.1395.87), the local research committee at Palmerston North Hospital, the Columbia University Irving Medical Center Institutional Review Board (protocol IRB-AAAB0960), the local Institution Review Board of Caceres or the Ethics Committee of IRCCS Pavia, ICS Maugeri, Pavia, Italy (protocol number CE2381).

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr Nuria Fernandez-Gonzalez for preparing the histological samples.

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Twitter @DrSunnyR, @Mo_Shiha

Contributors SAR, EAG and DSS conceptualised and designed the study with comments from AS, GA, NV, CLAJ, CG, MM, OG, FJB-H, MGH, HAP, SSC, CC, KR, SA, AM, MR-N, FB, UV, MF, BL, PHRG, SL, JM-I, PMR, VV, LE, IS and AE. Data were collected by all authors and collated by SAR. Data analysis was completed by SAR and interpreted by all authors. Writing of the manuscript was completed by SAR and edited initially by DSS and then all authors. DSS is the guarantor. The final version was approved by all authors.

Funding DSS has previously received an educational grant from Dr Schaer (a gluten‐free food manufacturer). Dr Schaer has no involvement in this study. HAP funded by a Clinical Lecturers grant (CL-2021-04-002) from the NIHR.

Competing interests None declared.

Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.

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Title: tailoring physical properties of crystals through synthetic temperature control: a case study for new polymorphic nbfete2 phases.

Abstract: Growth parameters play a significant role in the crystal quality and physical properties of layered materials. Here we present a case study on a van der Waals magnetic NbFeTe2 material. Two different types of polymorphic NbFeTe2 phases, synthesized at different temperatures, display significantly different behaviors in crystal symmetry, electronic structure, electrical transport, and magnetism. While the phase synthesized at low temperature showing behavior consistent with previous reports, the new phase synthesized at high temperature, has completely different physical properties, such as metallic resistivity, long-range ferromagnetic order, anomalous Hall effect, negative magnetoresistance, and distinct electronic structures. Neutron diffraction reveals out-of-plane ferromagnetism below 70K, consistent with the electrical transport and magnetic susceptibility studies. Our work suggests that simply tuning synthetic parameters in a controlled manner could be an effective route to alter the physical properties of existing materials potentially unlocking new states of matter, or even discovering new materials.

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04 March 2024

Embracing Android 14: Meta's Early Adoption Empowered Enhanced User Experience

With the first Developer Preview of Android 15 now released, another new Android release that brings new features and under-the-hood improvements for billions of users worldwide will be coming shortly. As Android developers, you are key players in this evolution; by staying on top of the targetSDK upgrade cycle , you are making sure that your users have the best possible experience.

The way Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Messenger, approached Android 14 provides a blueprint for both developer success and user satisfaction. Meta improved their velocity towards targetSDK adoption by 4x , and so to understand more about how they built this, we spoke to the team at Meta, with an eye towards insights that all developers could build into their testing programs.

Meta’s journey on A14: A blueprint for faster adoption

When Android 11 launched, some of Meta’s apps experienced challenges with existing features, such as Chat Heads, and with new requirements, like scoped storage integration. Fixing these issues was complicated by slow developer tooling adoption and a decentralized app strategy. This experience motivated Meta to create an internal Android OS Readiness Program which focuses on prioritizing early and thorough testing throughout the Android release window and accelerating their apps’ targetSDK adoption.

The program officially launched last year. By compiling apps against each Android 14 beta and conducting thorough automated and smoke tests to proactively identify potential issues, Meta was able to seamlessly adopt new Android 14 features, like Foreground Service types and send timely feedback and bug reports to the Android team , contributing to improvements in the OS.

Meta also accelerated their targetSDK adoption for Android 14—updating Messenger, Facebook, and Instagram within one to two months of the AOSP release, compared to seven to nine months for Android 12 ( an increase of velocity of more than 4x! ). Meta’s newly created readiness program unlocked this achievement by working across each app to adopt latest Android changes while still maintaining compatibility. For example, by automating and simplifying their SDK release process, Meta was able to cut rollout time from three weeks to under three hours, enhancing cooperation between individual app teams by providing immediate access to the latest SDKs and allowing for rapid testing of new OS features. The centralized approach also meant Threads adopted Android 14 support quickly despite the fast-growing new app being supported by a minimal team.

Reaping the rewards: The impact on users

Meta's early targetSDK adoption strategy delivers significant benefits for users as well. Here's how:

• Improved reliability and compatibility: Early adoption of Android previews and betas prevented surprises near the OS launch, guaranteeing a smooth day-one experience for users upgrading to the latest Android version. For example, with partial media permissions, Meta's extensive experimentation with permission flows ensured “users felt informed about the change and in control over their privacy settings,” while maximizing the app's media-sharing functionality.
• Robust experimentation with new release features: Early Android release adoption gave Meta ample time to collaborate across privacy, design, and content strategy teams, enabling them to thoughtfully integrate the new Android features that come with every release. This enhanced the collaboration on other features, allowing Meta to roll out Ultra HDR image experience on Instagram within 3 months of platform release in an “Android first” manner is a great example of this, delighting users with brighter and richer colors with a higher dynamic range in their Instagram posts and stories.

Embrace the latest Android versions

Meta's journey highlights the compelling reasons for Android developers to adopt a similar forward-thinking mindset in working with the Android betas:

• Test your apps early: Anticipate Android OS changes, ensuring your apps are prepared for the latest target SDK as soon as they become available to create a seamless transition for users who update to the newest Android version.
• Utilize latest tools to optimize user experience: Test your apps thoroughly against each beta to identify and address any potential issues. Check the Android Studio Upgrade Assistant to highlight major breaking changes in each targetSDKVersion, and integrate the compatibility framework tool into your testing process to help uncover potential app issues in the new OS version.
• Collaborate with Google: Provide your valuable feedback and bug reports using the Google issue tracker to contribute directly to the improvement of the Android ecosystem.

We encourage you to take full advantage of the Android Developer Previews & Betas program, starting with the newly-released Android 15 Developer Preview 1 .

The team behind the success

A big thank you to the entire Meta team for their collaboration in Android 14 and in writing this blog! We’d especially like to recognize the following folks from Meta for their outstanding contributions in establishing a culture of early adoption:

• Tushar Varshney - Partner Engineering, Partner Engineer
• Allen Bae - Partner Engineering, EM
• Abel Del Pino - Facebook, SWE
• Matias Hanco - Facebook, SWE
• Summer Kitahara - Instagram, SWE
• Tom Rozanski - Messenger, SWE
• Ashish Gupta - WhatsApp, SWE
• Daniel Hill - Mobile Infra, SWE
• Jason Tang - Facebook, SWE
• Jane Li - Meta Quest, SWE

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