A case study is an argument about what one instance teaches you about many — and the structure has to support that argument from the first page. This case study template gives you a complete APA 7 scaffold with an Introduction, Background, Case Description, Analysis, Discussion and Recommendations, Conclusion, and References. It covers both the academic case study used in psychology, sociology, and public health and the business case study used in MBA and management courses. The default is APA; a Harvard variation is noted for business contexts. Scope your case, fill the placeholders from triangulated evidence, apply an analytical framework, and you have a case study that holds together as an argument.
PaperDraft is a writing assistant, not a paper generator — the template is free. The draft is your starting point, not your submission. You are responsible for editing, verifying sources, and following your school's academic integrity policy.
What this template includes
- Cover/title block with APA 7 defaults and Harvard variation noted for business courses
- Abstract scaffold (150–250 words) with placeholders for the case, question, and key finding
- Introduction, Background, and Case Description blocks that separate context from the spine of the paper
- Analysis section structured around a named framework (SWOT, Porter, biopsychosocial, or ecological)
- Discussion and Recommendations block that ties each claim to case evidence
- Conclusion and APA 7 References, with a note on Harvard formatting differences for business cases
- Word-count ranges totaling roughly 2,500 words for an undergraduate case study
Case study template — copy the structure
Copy the block below into your document and fill every bracketed placeholder. Delete the italic guidance lines before submission.
Title: [Specific, bounded title — e.g., "Microsoft's Culture Shift Under Satya Nadella (2014–2019): A Resource-Based View"]
Author: [Your name] Course: [Course code and section] Instructor: [Instructor name] Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
Abstract (150–250 words)
[One to two sentences naming the case and its boundaries — unit of analysis, time period, context.] [One sentence stating the analytical question.] [Two sentences describing the evidence base and the framework applied.] [Two sentences reporting the key finding or contribution.] [One sentence on implications or recommendations.] One paragraph, no citations.
1. Introduction (200–300 words)
[Paragraph 1: Open with the case in one sentence. Name why it matters — for theory, policy, or practice.]
[Paragraph 2: State the analytical question the case answers. End with a one-sentence roadmap of the paper's structure.]
2. Background / Context (400–500 words)
[Paragraph 1: Relevant historical, organizational, or theoretical background. Cite sources for every non-obvious claim — two to four citations typical.]
[Paragraph 2: The broader scholarly or industry conversation the case engages. Position the case within it.]
[Paragraph 3: Why this specific case is information-rich for the question. What makes it a case worth studying.]
3. Case Description (400–500 words)
[Paragraph 1: Chronology of the key events, decisions, or conditions that constitute the case. Past tense, specific dates and actors.]
[Paragraph 2: The specific evidence base — documents, interviews, archival material, news coverage, scholarly accounts. Name sources inline.]
[Paragraph 3: Any relevant context the reader needs before analysis — market conditions, policy environment, clinical presentation. Keep this dense; the analysis is where the paper earns its grade.]
4. Analysis (700–900 words)
[Opening paragraph: Name the analytical framework you are applying. "This analysis applies [framework] to interpret the case." Frameworks commonly used include SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, resource-based view, stakeholder analysis (business); biopsychosocial, cognitive-behavioral (psychology); ecological model, implementation science frameworks (public health).]
4.1 [First framework category — e.g., "Strengths" for SWOT, or "Biological factors" for biopsychosocial]
[Apply the framework category to specific case evidence. Cite sources. Tie the analysis back to the analytical question.]
4.2 [Second framework category]
[Apply the category to the evidence. Two to three specific claims per section, each with cited support.]
4.3 [Third framework category]
[Continue the pattern. If your framework has four categories, add a 4.4 subsection.]
4.4 [Fourth framework category, if applicable]
[Final category. Close the Analysis by noting which framework categories carried the most weight for this case.]
5. Discussion and Recommendations (300–450 words)
[Paragraph 1: What the case shows beyond itself. Transferable lessons, theoretical implications, practical patterns.]
[Paragraph 2: Recommendations (business cases) or implications for practice/theory (academic cases). Each recommendation should trace to specific evidence in the case description or analysis.]
[Paragraph 3: Limits of the case — how far it generalizes, what it does not claim to show. Temper causal language: "the evidence is consistent with X contributing to Y" rather than "X caused Y."]
6. Conclusion (150–250 words)
[Paragraph 1: Restate the case, the question, and the central finding in concise terms.]
[Paragraph 2: Name one open question or direction the case suggests for further study.]
7. References (APA 7)
[Alphabetical by first-author surname, hanging indent, double-spaced.]
[Example journal article] Author, A. A., and Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
[Example organizational report] Organization Name. (Year). Title of report (Report No.). Publisher. URL
[Example news article] Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Publication Name. URL
Harvard variation (business courses): Keep the structure above, but format references in Harvard style. The main differences from APA 7 are the use of "and" between author names (APA uses an ampersand), the placement of the year in parentheses without a comma, and the occasional use of "pp." before page ranges. Confirm your school's Harvard variant — Cite Them Right, Leeds, and Manchester all differ in minor ways.
How to use this template
1. Scope the case with four boundaries
Before you open the template, write the four boundaries: unit of analysis, time period, geography or context, and the one question the case answers. "Netflix" is a topic. "Netflix's 2007–2011 pivot from DVD to streaming, in the US market, as a case of corporate strategic reorientation" is a case.
2. Confirm the citation style
Use APA 7 as the template default for psychology, sociology, public health, and education. Switch to Harvard for MBA and business courses — the section structure stays, only reference formatting changes. Humanities cases use MLA; medical cases use Vancouver. For APA specifics see the APA citation guide.
3. Fill Background and Case Description from evidence
Populate the background and case-description placeholders from at least three independent source types — primary documents, independent secondary coverage, and scholarly literature. Triangulation is what makes a case study credible. A single source, especially the subject's own communications, is an anecdote.
4. Apply an analytical lens in the Analysis section
Name the framework your course uses in the opening of the Analysis section, and structure the subsections around its categories. If you invoke SWOT, the four subsections should correspond to the four SWOT categories. Framework name-drops without structural follow-through are visible.
5. Ground recommendations in the evidence
In the Discussion and Recommendations section, every recommendation should trace to specific evidence from the case description or analysis. If the case did not examine customer retention, a recommendation to change retention strategy is ungrounded.
6. Temper causal language on revision
Case studies over-claim causality more often than any other genre. On revision, check every "caused," "shows," "proves," and "demonstrates." A single case rarely establishes causation; it establishes association with a plausible mechanism. Tempered verbs hold up better under scrutiny.
7. Verify every citation
Open each source and check author, year, page, and DOI against the original. Case studies often cite 10 to 20 sources, and errors compound. For the broader writing process see how to write a case study.
Section-by-section guide
Title
Specific and bounded. Name the case, the time period, and the analytical frame. "Microsoft's Culture Shift Under Satya Nadella (2014–2019): A Resource-Based View" is a title. "A Case Study of Microsoft" is not.
Abstract
One paragraph summarizing case boundaries, analytical question, evidence, framework, finding, and implications. Under 250 words. No citations. Read last, written last.
Introduction
Two short paragraphs. The first names the case and its stakes. The second states the analytical question and previews the structure. No literature review here — save that for Background.
Background and Context
Three paragraphs covering historical and theoretical context, the scholarly or industry conversation, and why this case is worth studying. Keep it dense — a long Background signals a paper with weak Analysis.
Case Description
The spine of the paper. Chronology, actors, evidence base, and specific conditions. More detail here than in Background. Cite sources inline. Past tense.
Analysis
The paper's main work. Open by naming the framework, then apply its categories to specific evidence in numbered subsections. Tie every analytical claim to cited support and back to the analytical question.
Discussion and Recommendations
Three paragraphs: transferable lessons, recommendations grounded in case evidence, and limits/generalizability. Business cases emphasize actionable recommendations; academic cases emphasize theoretical implications.
Conclusion
One short paragraph restating the case and its central finding, plus one open question the case raises. Not a summary — a pivot.
References
APA 7 by default, Harvard for business. Alphabetical, hanging indent, verified against originals.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing without analyzing. A case study that ends with the facts is a report. The Analysis is the paper; the Case Description is the setup.
- Invoking a framework without using it. If you name SWOT in a single sentence and then write four paragraphs that do not reflect its four categories, drop the framework or restructure. Readers notice.
- Over-claiming causality. "The case proves X caused Y" — usually the case does not prove that. "The case is consistent with X contributing to Y, with the mechanism evident in Z" is the stronger defensible claim.
- Single-source evidence. Relying only on the subject's own communications, or only on one outlet, concentrates risk on that source. This also intersects with academic integrity — a one-sided account presented as balanced analysis is a subtler form of dishonesty; see our academic responsibility guide.
- Recommendations untethered from the case. If the case did not examine the area you are recommending on, the recommendation is ungrounded. Keep recommendations inside the case's evidentiary reach.
Frequently asked questions
Is using this case study template plagiarism?
No. Structural scaffolds — headings, section order, placeholders — are not copyrightable and are not plagiarism. Case study conventions like Abstract, Background, Case Description, Analysis, and Recommendations are shared across the discipline. What must be yours is the case, the evidence, the analysis, and the writing. Fill the template with your own work and you are on solid ground.
Should I use APA or Harvard for my case study?
APA 7 is standard for psychology, sociology, public health, and education. Harvard is standard for MBA and business courses. Medical cases use Vancouver; humanities cases use MLA. Match your course convention — the section structure stays the same across styles; only reference formatting changes.
How long should a case study be?
Undergraduate coursework cases run 1,500 to 3,000 words. MBA cases reach 4,000. This template targets roughly 2,500 words. Research case studies in journals run 6,000 to 10,000. The brief sets the target.
How many sources does a case study need?
For an undergraduate case, 6 to 12 sources across at least three source types (primary, independent secondary, scholarly) is typical. Research case studies cite 20 or more. Triangulation — two or more sources supporting each major claim — matters more than raw count.
Can a single case study prove a general theory?
No. A single case can illustrate, test, or challenge a theory, and it can generate hypotheses, but it cannot prove a generalization. Honest case-study writing acknowledges this directly in the Discussion section.
Can I use AI to help draft a case study?
With disclosure, often yes for scaffolding. AI tools cannot know the specifics of your case — you gather the evidence — and every citation must be verified against the original. Disclose use per your course policy. See our AI disclosure guide for current expectations.