Case Study Writing Help
Work through a case study the way it is marked — situation, problem, analysis against a framework, then a recommendation you can defend with evidence from the case itself.
What Is a Case Study?
Case studies require analyzing real-world scenarios, applying theoretical frameworks, and providing actionable recommendations. They combine research, analysis, and practical thinking.
How AI Helps Write Case Studies
Our AI helps you structure and write case studies — from executive summaries to SWOT analyses to recommendations. It applies relevant frameworks and generates properly cited content.
How it works
- Provide the case study scenario or company name
- Select relevant frameworks (SWOT, PESTLE, Porter's Five Forces, etc.)
- The AI generates a structured analysis
- Add your own insights and recommendations
- Format and export the completed case study
A case study is not an essay
The commonest mistake is writing a case study as a discursive essay. Markers expect a decision-oriented structure, and the recommendation is what carries the marks.
| Section | Share | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Executive summary | 5–10% | The problem and your recommendation, in brief. Written last. |
| Situation | 10% | The relevant facts only — not a retelling of the case |
| Problem statement | 5–10% | One sentence naming the central decision. Everything else serves it. |
| Analysis | 35–40% | Framework applied to evidence from the case. The bulk of the marks. |
| Alternatives | 15% | Two or three realistic options, each with trade-offs |
| Recommendation | 15% | One option, chosen with stated criteria and reasons |
| Implementation | 5–10% | What happens first, by whom, and how you would know it worked |
The error that caps grades
Summarising the case back to a marker who wrote it. They know what happened. Facts belong in your analysis as evidence, not in a narrative section at the front — and a case study that never commits to one recommendation scores in the middle bands however well written it is.
Which framework to apply
Analysis means applying a named framework to the evidence, not offering opinions. Pick the one that fits the decision rather than the one you know best.
SWOT
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
Quick situational view. Weak on its own — use it to feed a deeper analysis, not as the whole thing.
Porter's Five Forces
Rivalry, new entrants, substitutes, buyer and supplier power
For industry attractiveness and competitive position questions.
PESTLE
Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, Environmental
For external-environment and market-entry decisions.
Root cause / 5 Whys
Keep asking why until you reach something actionable
For operational failures, where the stated problem is usually a symptom.
Gibbs reflective cycle
Description, feelings, evaluation, analysis, conclusion, action plan
Nursing, education and social work reflective cases.
IRAC
Issue, Rule, Application, Conclusion
Law. The Application section is where the marks are.
Making a recommendation that holds up
- State your decision criteria before the options. Cost, time to implement, risk, fit with capability — naming them first stops the recommendation reading as a preference.
- Give two or three realistic alternatives. One obviously bad option padding the list is transparent and costs marks.
- Score each against the criteria. Explicitly, so the reasoning is visible rather than assumed.
- Commit to one. "It depends" is not a recommendation.
- Name what would make you wrong. Stating the risk you are accepting reads as confidence, not weakness.
- Say what happens Monday. First step, owner, and the measure that tells you it worked.
Before you submit
- Problem stated in one sentence, early
- No section that merely retells the case
- A named framework applied, not just mentioned
- Every analytical claim cites evidence from the case
- Two or three genuine alternatives, each with trade-offs
- Decision criteria stated before the recommendation
- One recommendation, committed to
- Implementation step with an owner and a measure
- Executive summary written last and states the recommendation
Want the method, not just the tool?
How to Outline an Essay (So Drafting Gets Easy) — Topic outlines defer every decision to drafting. How a sentence outline settles the argument first, how many paragraphs your word count needs, and reverse outlining a messy draft.
Try it on your own document
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