Case Writing

Abstract

This note describes the process of case writing and offers suggestions and tips.

Excerpt

UVA-PHA-0033

CASE WRITING

One of the most important aspects of case method teaching is the development and use of good materials. Some good cases have been around for many, many years. Although they appear dated and obsolete to the casual observer, they contain issues and problems that have endured and continue to be powerful teaching tools. Students, however, disdain to read cases written as much as 10 years prior. Cases with “old” copyright dates can dampen their interest in the case and even undermine the case's credibility with them. Students may not get the benefit of discussing an enduring issue if they have “turned off” because of the copyright date. Consequently, the question arises, “Where does one find good, current cases?” and, if that search for the right case fails, “How does one write good cases?”

The Current Case Pool

Perhaps the largest collection of well-written cases resides in Harvard Case Services (HCS) at the Harvard Business School in Boston, Massachusetts. For many years the Harvard Business School administered an international, intercollegiate case clearing house (ICCH) where they received, cataloged, and distributed cases not only from their own faculty but from others around the world. This practice was discontinued in the early 1980s. HCS now only distributes cases written by their own faculty. While these are primarily intended for Harvard's own classes, the distribution of cases remains a strong business venture for the school. Harvard produces a hard-copy bibliography of all their cases with useful indices to help you find the kind of material you may need. Recently, they have been experimenting with and distributing electronic versions of this bibliography; soon one may search for topics from a computer file rather than flipping through a bound bibliography.

Other sources of current cases include Darden Business Publishing (DBP) at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, and Case Reproduction Services at Western Ontario University in Ontario, Canada. DBP publishes an annual bibliography similar to Harvard's but smaller in scope. The DBP bibliography also includes teaching notes for many of the cases. Other schools, such as Stanford University, Northwestern University, Dartmouth College, and Columbia University also support and encourage case development and writing, although on a much smaller scale.

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Keywords: case writing, case method, pedagogy