Instructions

The case writing process is designed to minimize effort while ensuring quality of the completed case study. There are detailed guidelines and examples on this site to guide you. We will also provide you with feedback along the way. You can contact us any time if you have questions.

There are three main steps. Submit each step by email to david.effa@uwaterloo.ca or cheryl.newton@uwaterloo.ca.

Step 1 – Case Summary (~ 1 hr)

The case summary is a one-page abstract of your work term report, describing the context and problem in general terms, and the key analyses and results.

• Write a case summary from any of your completed work term reports using the Case Summary Template provided
• Submit your case summary along with your work term report

Submitted case summaries will be reviewed by WCDE and you will typically receive a response within five business days for summaries submitted prior to the end of lectures in any given term. Note that we do not consider confidential work term reports. Once your case summary has been selected, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2 – Case Plan (~ 2 hrs)

The case plan is a detailed outline of your proposed case, based on the content of your work term report. The content is broken into the case itself (module 1), which clearly outlines the problem, and solution modules which outline what you did to solve the problem and verify the solution.

• Write  the case plan using the Case Plan Template provided
• Contact your employer (supervisor) for which you wrote the work term report for their permission to use the material for educational purposes
• Submit your case plan and employer permission (a copy of your E-mail correspondence with your employer)

We will review your case plan and provide you feedback on the work. Please use this revised version as a guide to write the full case study.

Step 3 – Case Study (~ 15 hrs)

• Write the Case Study based on your revised case plan and following the instructions in the case study template
• Work with us to edit and refine your case study
• Submit the draft case study and a scanned version of your signed Copyright License form
• We will work with your employer to get final approval to release your case study for use in class

Once your final case study has been submitted to WCDE, you will be provided with payment information and can collect your certificate.

Students can submit a case summary at any time. However, it is best to submit your case summary prior to the end of lectures in any one term, as those submitted after that date may not be reviewed until the next term.

As part of the case plan, you will be asked to submit a timeline for completion that works with your schedule. Each step must be completed in order and you must respond to WCDE feedback prior to moving on to the next step. The entire process should be completed within one year of the submission of your summary to ensure that cases are current.

It is anticipated that the case summary will take less than 1 hour to complete, the case plan (think of it as an extended outline) less than 3 hours, and the case itself (including several solution modules) less than 15 hours. Please allow two weeks for feedback from WCDE or your employer.

For additional information please contact: David Effa or Cheryl Newton.

• Make sure all submissions are editable by WCDE. Microsoft Word Files are preferred.
• Multimedia cases are welcome and encouraged. If the case is accompanied by a video, applicants should make the video electronically available.
• You may submit multiple different case summaries at the same time
• If your case summary was not selected, please feel free to submit a different case summary