Case Study Writing Tips: getting started

A case study can be very different from any essay you’ve written, mostly because it isn’t an essay. Instead of argumentatively or critically presenting a topic with many different sources to back you up, a case study is more of a narrative to make a point. You will be focusing on the details of the story. How it relates to the situation you’re trying to call attention to is also another big part of case study writing. Keep reading for tips on getting your case study started.

Steps to Writing a Case Study

Here are a few ways you can start your project:

  1. If you haven’t been assigned a topic, go find one. Look online for ideas, or at libraries or in your textbook.
  2. Start by making a list of all the requirements from your teacher; what you’re being graded on for this assignment.
  3. You can dive right into research and case studies written by professionals.
  4. Ask your friends what their approaches are.
  5. Find inspiration by reading the newspaper or talking to a family member who works in a field you don’t know much about.

With those five ideas, you can find a starting place anywhere. Just make sure however you go about this, that you always format and write according to what your teacher wants. Even a brilliant case study without the required paragraph spaces or phrasing of questions will get a bad mark, because you didn’t follow the instructions.

Writing a case study isn’t that hard, even though some students really struggle with it. Once you get started, your momentum can carry you through the rest of the assignment. All you need to do is just start. Focus on this and nothing else while you have set aside time for it, and don’t allow any distractions into your workspace.

A good way to stay focused and put a little pressure on yourself to work productively is to set a timer. Decide how long you want to work for and then set a timer for that amount and put it where you can see it while you write. This will propel you to getting as much done as you can in that time, because you have to sit there anyways; you may as well get your case study written, right? As long as you have a good strong start, writing this will be easy.