The document provides guidance on writing a case study analysis. It begins by defining a case study as an analysis of a real-life situation or event using concepts learned in a course. It explains that case studies are used to develop an understanding of a real case and make a decision about it. The document then provides examples of case study topics and sources of information. It offers tips for critically reading a case study and constructing an analysis grid to pull out key details. Finally, it provides guidance on structuring a case study report or essay and writing an introduction. The overall document serves as a useful guide for students on how to approach a case study assignment.

1. Writing A
Case Study
Analysis

2. What is a
case study?
It may be more helpful to break this down.
A case is a real life situation or event.
A case study is an analysis of that situation or
event, using ideas, theories and approaches you
have learnt about on your course.
Why do
you write
them?
The purpose of a Case Study
is to develop and
demonstrate an
understanding of a
real-life case, and make a
decision about it. This
decision is made using the
content you have been
learning about on your
course.

3. Business Nursing Travel and
Tourism
Education Engineering
A company
A key figure
within a
company
A person
patient
A critical
incident
An event
Period of time
A company
A group of
pupils
An individual
student
A place
A person
Journal articles
Books
Government
Reports
Codes of
practice
Standards
Journal articles
Books
Government
Reports
Codes of
practice
Standards
Journal articles
Books
Government
Reports
Codes of
practice
Standards
Journal articles
Books
Government
Reports
Codes of
practice
Standards
Journal articles
Books
Government
Reports
Codes of
practice
Standards
Subject
Focus of
the case
Outcome
Report Essay Presentation
Analysis
using
course
materials

4. Read the case study and assignment instructions carefully.
What are you being asked to do?
Pick out the problems?
Provide solutions?
Both?
What format does your answer need to be presented in-
an essay, report or presentation?
• Highlight key/descriptive
information
• Look up key words you do not
understand
• Think about the theories and
concepts you have covered in the
module/on your course which link
to the case
• Note down the theories etc. you
need to research to begin to write
your answer
• Look at your reading list
• Create a broad plan/mind map/grid
based on your initial thoughts
First Steps

5. Critical Reading
What are the key facts/issues?
Who? What? Where? When? How? Why?
How do these facts and issues fit together to
result in the current situation?
What are the underlying problems?
How can the situation be resolved?
What are the possible solution options?
What are the strengths and limitations of
these options?
Which solutions fit best?
How can the solution be implemented?
What is the recommended plan of action?
How can this action plan be monitored for
success?
Questions to ask as you
review the case
As you read the case keep moving
between this and your course
information and research.

6. Who/What Where/When What has
happened? What
needs to be
analysed?
Reasons/Cause Theories/Models
Legislation
Possible
Solutions/
Predictions
Business
Easy Jet
UK company -2019 Competitive
Advantage
Compare to other
low cost airlines.
Swot
Porter’s Five
Forces
PEST
Good competitive
advantage
Some threat from
Ryan Air in terms
of cost
Social Work
Patient A
UK Liverpool Royal
patient. 87 yrs.
old.
Review options for
patient A in terms
of housing
options.
Admitted with
broken hip.
Previously living
on her own. Can
no longer cope.
Housing Act
(2004)
Care Act (2014)
Sheltered Housing
Carers
Family Support
Pharmacy
Patient B
Attending
pharmacy-
describing
behaviour
Exhibiting signs of
bipolar disorder?
What medication
needs to be
prescribed.
Periods of intense
activity followed
by depression.
Mind (2015) Recommended
drugs and
therapies
Constructing a grid can help you pull out key points from the case, and start to build up a picture of how to analyse it.

7. Who/What Where/When What has
happened? What
needs to be
analysed?
Reasons/Cause Theories/Models
Legislation
Possible
Solutions/
Predictions
Constructing a grid can help you pull out key points from the case and start to build up a picture of how to analyse it.
Your assignment.
Look at the case study you have.
Using the grid can you start to break down the
case?
The initial analysis will then direct you to further
research and help you think about the structure.

8. Who/What Where/When What has
happened? What
needs to be
analysed?
Reasons/Cause Theories/Models
Legislation
Possible
Solutions/
Predictions
Constructing a grid can help you pull out key points from the case, and start to build up a picture of how to analyse it.

9. Structure
Essay
• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs
• Key topics – One key topic
covered in each paragraph.
• Conclusion
• References
Report – Use Your Assignment Guidance
• Abstract/Summary
• Introduction
• Findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion/Recommendations
• References

10. Look at this
introduction to
a case study
answer.
Highlight the
background to
the topic.
Highlight the
specific case
being reviewed.
How many body
paragraphs or
sections will the
student write?

11. Background information.
Explaining the reason for
investigating the topic.
Moving from general to
specific. Providing
definition of key terms.
Link between the general
issue and the specific
case.
Outline of the case.
Signalling the structure
and areas of analysis.
The impact of sleep on a pilot’s performance has attracted the interest
of both aviation authorities and researchers for some time. One specific
factor, sleep inertia which is the physiological state that immediately
follows awakening has been found to impair mental and manual
operations. Sleep inertia has been linked to a number of aviation
incidents involving pilot error. This case study will analyse the role sleep
inertia may have played in the crash of Air India Express Flight IX-812 at
Mangalore in India on May 22nd 2010. The report of the subsequent
Court of Inquiry along with literature relating to sleep inertia will form
the basis of the analysis. First, research findings about sleep inertia
generally, and sleep inertia in aviation specifically, will be examined. An
account of this particular incident and the major findings of the Court of
Inquiry will then be provided. Next a discussion of the impact of sleep
inertia played in this incident and the lessons that can be learnt from
this will be presented. Finally, recommendations for how such incidents
can be avoided in the future are made.
Introduction

12. Introduction – Move from general to specific.
6. The use of prepositions in English has always been problematic for
language learners. 5. These small connecting words do not necessarily
exist in other languages, or may not have exactly the same meanings.
8. This makes teaching of this area very difficult, and research
(Lindstromberg 1998, Brala 2002) indicates that no single method has
yet proved successful. 2. The essay which follows gives a brief history
of prepositional theory and discusses two major teaching strategies
from a cognitive linguistic perspective.
Critically evaluate approaches to
the teaching of prepositions to
language learners.
Focus on the question.
Moving to more
specific analysis of
the issues.
Addressing the
question directly and
highlighting line of
argument.
Signalling the
structure of
the rest of
the essay.

13. Use WEED to help you plan and write critically
analytical paragraphs.
What is your paragraph about? This will be your topic
sentence.
Explanation: what do you mean? Offer some evidence and
explanation.
Examples: make sure that you illustrate your point with
examples from literature, policy or practice. Start
synthesising the literature.
Do: What do I do with this information? How is it relevant?
Keep thinking ‘How?’, ‘Why’ and ‘So what?’

14. Language
Cause and Effect
may cause
can lead to
can result in
caused by resulting from stemming from
One reason why Xs have declined is that …
A consequence of vitamin A deficiency is blindness.
The causal role of X in Y has been demonstrated by …
The most likely causes of X are poor diet and lack of
exercise.
The causes of X have been the subject of intense
debate within …
X can have profound health consequences for older
people
Reporting Verbs
Boynton (1982, p. 79) warns the reader that ordinary
chocolate is ‘too frail to withstand heat, moisture and
proximity to baked beans’.
Hanks (2004, p. 257) defines an idiom as an expression
whose ‘meaning . . . is distinct from the sum of its parts’.
Smith (2005) disagrees with Fry (2003) when she
maintains that many students have trouble with reporting
verbs.
Some people subscribe to the idea that chocolate is
unhealthy, but Boynton’s (1982) book refutes this claim.
This paper investigates the effects of alcohol on memory
and stresses that further research be done as a matter of
urgency.

15. One factor which may contribute to this chronic fatigue among pilots
is the extended flight duty period associated with long-haul,
international flights. In particular, pilots of these flights are likely to
have duty periods in excess of 8 h and thus are at the greatest risk for
performance impairment due to fatigue (Rosekind et al. 1995). For
example, a 9-h flight may involve a duty period of 12 h or more.
Justifying concerns with regard to the potential dangers associated
with these long-haul flights and extended duty periods, Goode (2003)
examined the records of accidents in commercial aviation between
1978 and 1999 and found a significant relationship between flight
duration and frequency of accidents. Additionally, pilots have reported
increasing fatigue across the duration of the flight (Gundel et al. 1995;
Petrilli et al. 2006), suggesting that the combination of time-on-task
fatigue (Samel et al. 1997) and the strong drive to sleep after someone
has been awake for a long period of time (that is, homeostatic sleep
pressure) may lead to a serious deterioration in the pilots’ alertness
and performance. However, several other factors have
• Review this body paragraph from a
case study essay.
• Highlight the topic sentence
• Supporting evidence and examples
• Reporting verbs

16. Topic Sentence
Linking Words
References –
linking the
case analysis
with theories
and research
Applying the
literature to
the case- not
simply
describing.
Reporting
Verb

17. This case study examined the role sleep inertia may have
played in the crash of Air India Express Flight IX-812 at
Mangalore in India on May 22nd 2010. Studies of human
factors in aviation have shown that a variety of factors
influence the severity and duration of sleep inertia. These
factors include depth of sleep, timing of sleep and chemical
influences. If a crew member is awakened from a deep sleep,
then it is likely their reaction time performance will be
adversely affected. This appeared to be the case for Air India
Express Flight IX-812 where the Captain was in a long sleep
during the flight. As a result, upon awakening, the Captain’s
judgment appeared to have been impaired, resulting in a series
of poor decisions. This case highlights the need for an effective
Fatigue Risk Management System (FRMS) and a Crew Resource
Management (CRM) system, along with focused training to
ensure crew are fully aware of the impact of sleep inertia on
performance, particularly decision making.
Look at this sample
conclusion.
Can you identify-
Where the student
has restated the
focus of the
assignment.
Has summarised the
main points or
findings.
Has demonstrated a
link to the
recommendations.

18. This case study examined the role sleep inertia may have played in the
crash of Air India Express Flight IX-812 at Mangalore in India on May 22nd
2010. Studies of human factors in aviation have shown that a variety of
factors influence the severity and duration of sleep inertia. These factors
include depth of sleep, timing of sleep and chemical influences. If a crew
member is awakened from a deep sleep, then it is likely their reaction
time performance will be adversely affected. This appeared to be the
case for Air India Express Flight IX-812 where the Captain was in a long
sleep during the flight. As a result, upon awakening, the Captain’s
judgment appeared to have been impaired, resulting in a series of poor
decisions. This case highlights the need for an effective Fatigue Risk
Management System (FRMS) and a Crew Resource Management (CRM)
system, along with focused training to ensure crew are fully aware of the
impact of sleep inertia on performance, particularly decision making.
Restate the
focus
Sum up the
main points
or findings
Link to
recommendations
Specific focus
– conclusions
based on the
analysis
Conclusion

19. Conclusion – Moving from specific to general
7. In conclusion, it is apparent that the most effective element in teaching
of English articles is the reinforcement of the notion of countability.
4. The evidence presented here suggests that learners do not use
articles randomly, but that they choose articles according to whether or
not the noun is countable.
3. The concept of definiteness in relation to articles remains, however,
more problematic, and needs further investigation.
1. Despite these problems, it is possible for teachers to make a positive
contribution to learners’ knowledge in this important area.
Signalling the end of the
essay. Addressing the
question and the line of
argument.
Critically evaluate approaches to
the teaching of prepositions to
language learners.
Summary of the
points raised in the
essay.
Suggestion for
further research,
based on analysis of
the research.
Ultimate statement –
must link to the
evidence and
conclusions presented
in the main body.

20. Recommendations
The Recommendations are actions to be implemented as a result of the
conclusions.
Conclusion = Patient has an ulcer
Recommendation = Patient to take medicine + stop smoking
• A report prepared for information purposes only will have no
Recommendations section
• A report prepared for persuasion purposes will have a Recommendations
section - no point in persuading someone of the need for action if no
recommendations are given
• In an essay answer the recommendations may be included in the conclusion
• Recommendations should not include further results, analysis, discussion or
conclusions
• The Recommendations section should be simple action list.
Eg: Do action X, build factory Y, delete product Z.

21. Recommendations
Based on the main findings of this case study, it is
recommended that:
CRM training and refreshers for all flight crew should be
conducted as required by DGCA vide Operations Circular
No 2 of 2001
CRM training must include both classroom and simulator
training
- Relate back to the issues discussed in the Conclusion.
-
Are stated briefly but clearly
-
Are expressed as action statements or directives to do
something
-
Use persuasive or firm language such as ‘must’, ‘ought to’
etc.