How to write a case study.

A case study is defined as a detailed account of a single individual. This method of study is most often used in psychotherapy and is being used increasingly in Nursing and Medicine. The obvious reason for this is that no two patients are ever alike in every manner. Human studies are therefore not like physical science studies. In situations where case study method is used the complete record of a single person is compiled. This record includes personal history, background, presentation, test results and interview findings. Also include all subjective and objective observations.

Clinical psychology and psychiatry were the two disciplines which were non experimental initially. Case studies have been used to form the basis for generalized theoretical principles. Increasingly, case studies are being used in the fields of nursing and medicine. This is coming about because there is more emphasis on individual variations and social impacts. Previously the focus was mainly “scientific”.

In any case study one must identify all the parties involved. The front page should include the following information. Your name, your contact information, (including your email & telephone numbers) The unit for which this case study is being written, the name of the lecturer, the University (Name and address) and due date. If you are submitting your assignment late, you need to state if you have obtained an extension, if no extension has been obtained you need to submit a separate letter stating the reasons for your lateness.

Page one should identify the patient. It should also state the following: Was informed consent obtained? If there was a document signed, then attach it as an appendix, you may call this appendix A. You also need to state that the work you are submitting is your original work and that it has not been submitted for assessment for any other unit to any other lecturer. This needs to be signed and dated. You may attach this as appendix B.

You can use any font you want but choose the ones which are easy to read. Keep in mind that examiners / markers are human beings too. At an unconscious level, if the work is easy to read, you are likely to end up with a better grade. Another important point is font size. Small font sizes are difficult to read. Sure they save paper and ink. Remember, your aim is to obtain maximum marks. I prefer font size 12, so do most of my other colleagues. Use bold, italics, underlining to highlight main and important points.

Margins: For Nursing case studies the following margins are to be used. 2.5 cms at the top, bottom, and right hand side of the page. Leave a margin of 4 cm on the left-hand side. This allows the lecturer / marker to write comments when marking.

Spacing. Double line spacing is the standard and is the standard for nursing case studies in CDU. When using double spacing, please do not insert extra line spaces between paragraphs. This makes the work look “unevenly spaced out”.

Always indent the first line of each paragraph between 5 to 7 spaces. This is the APA standard. The only exception to the rule is the abstract. Abstracts are never indented.

Justification. It is usual not to justify the right hand margin of nursing case studies, allow the lines to end unevenly even though they look visually unappealing. Remember that the left hand side of the text is always justified.

Poor grammar gives the marker a bad impression of your work. Make sure that your sentences are well constructed and easy to read. If necessary, re-read your work, get a friend of fellow student to look it over for you. Grammar check functions of a computer are not as accurate as one would think they are. Many grammatical mistakes are not picked up by the computer programs.

Footnotes should be avoided, unless absolutely necessary. The reason for this is that the reader needs to change his focus from the text, to the footnote and back again. This interferes with the logical sequencing of “smooth flow” of the topic being focused on.

Rules for inclusion numbers in text – follow APA guidelines. As a general rule spell out number from one to nine, use numerical form for numbers ten and greater. However, any number at the beginning of a sentence should be expressed in words.

Headings and subheadings. Use headings and subheadings to divide your work into sections and subsections. These should provide a logical structure which directs the examiner to the subsections without undue distress. Up to five different levels of subheadings may be used. However, for undergraduate level work, three sub headings should be satisfactory.

For short article (less than 2000 words) use one level, centred, upper- and lower case. For journal articles, use two levels, flush to the left margin, italicized, upper- and lower case.

For longer articles (more than five thousand words) use three levels, indented, italicized, lowercase, ending with a full stop. Most nursing case studies are not five thousand words long and therefore excessive use of headings can be confusing to the reader.

If you are interested in writing an extensive review of literature, please refer to “Writing essays & research reports by Lorelle J Burton, published by Wiley, 2002.

Word limit. Most case studies have a prescribed word limit. So it is best to adhere to the word limit. Not adhering to those guidelines could cost you some marks. You are normally permitted 10 % leeway, either way. It is helpful to state the number of words at the end of your assignment. If the marker suspects that you are significantly over or under he / she may have to count the words.

Literature review: Please identify and quote all references. Marks are awarded for acknowledgements. Use reference to support your work. Organize your references in a bibliography. Follow APA guidelines for writing a bibliography. Know the differences between a bibliography and references.

Discussion should provide a clear statement which either supports or does not support the hypothesis. You may also want to comment on the implications of what you have found. It is perfectly alright to comment and acknowledge the shortcomings, if any.

Following these guidelines will facilitate easy marking and hopefully you will obtain a better grade.