A case study can be defined as a detailed study of a specific subject, person, place, event, or group. They are most commonly employed in social, educational, business, and clinical research. It can be the most effective method to research when the user hopes to gain substantial contextual knowledge about a specific real-world subject. Case studies are also performed by college students and make an excellent addition to their thesis or dissertation.
However, performing and writing a good quality case study can be a tedious and troublesome event. There are many things that can go wrong. A young inexperienced author can find it very difficult to perform a good case study on their first try. There are a lot of common mistakes that can creep into your final product. Some of these are pretty obvious, while others, not so much. So, we have prepared a list of the five most common mistakes occurring while doing a case study. Also, our list is prepared by experts who have been working in the same field for years and have seen, read, and written hundreds if not thousands of case studies.
- The Customer is the Highlight
We have seen many case studies that are one-sided and fail to account for overall neutrality. A case study is not your success story; it is the customer’s success story. The customer should be encouraged to share their part of the story. Remember that the customer is the heart of any case study. Without their input, the case study looks one-sided and loses credibility. Also, not getting a customer’s quote or direct involvement in the case study signals that they are unwilling to associate themselves with your study, supplying another blow to your credibility. Always ask for feedback and use that information in your case study and to improve your product.
- Prepare a Strategy
Not including the customer also points at another major problem; the lack of a proper strategy. Before performing a case study, you should recognise the role of the case study, the reason for the case study, and the message you intend to drive with the case study. Preparing a strategy will also help you find the case study format you should be using. Include bullet points and sidebars in your case study to reduce the time required for analysis and improve the chances of people taking an interest in your work. The sharp points will help those who wish to extract the most information from your case study in the least amount of time. A following in-depth explanation will be appreciated by those who wish to read more.
- Too Many Stories
Another common mistake committed during a case study is including too many stories. There can be too many successful incidents that you wish to include in your case study. However, please refrain from doing so, for it will lead to a disjointed case study with a storyline that is hard to follow. In addition, a mix of different stories will lead to an unnecessarily long piece of work that would be difficult and boring to read—in our world of instant gratification, creating a 5,000-word paper that everyone would want to read is very difficult. Instead, if you think these different stories are helpful, then create different case studies instead of mixing them all together. Highlight the main takeaways in the study as well.
- Add a Descriptive Title
The attention span of the average reader has reduced drastically with a large amount of content available online. Attracting the right audience has become an ordeal. One of the most efficient methods to secure readers is to add a great title. The title is the first thing that every reader notices, and if the title is relevant and descriptive, it implores the reader to continue reading. Include the name of the subject that you are going to analyse in the case study. If the name is a household brand such as Nike, Coca-Cola, or Apple, the chances of people reading the material are increased many times.
- Include a Call to action (CTA)
A CTA might seem like an obvious inclusion, but you will be surprised by the sheer number of people who omit it. You require a good CTA to drive action and market effectively. Preferably, a good CTA is not just a basic ‘contact us’; rather, it aligns with the case study.
A case study is not the most difficult literary work to attempt. Remember these basic points and avoid the common mistakes, and you shall be able to write great case studies in no time. Even after reading these mistakes, you are still unsure about your skills, then let our experts help you.