Case study tips

Had a moment this morning of "I just need more of a explanation of what that is so I can understand it better" and decided to do my own research.

What exactly makes a case study, a case study?

You could be a financial consultant, a blogger, a nurse, doctor, student, scientist, or even a Girl Scout. It doesn't matter what age you are, as long as you can spell and comprehend what it is you want to talk to your selected audience about. You should also be able to answer whatever "basic" questions might come your way. You know what to do if you can't, right??

Here's what I've come up with from my own findings.
Note: At the bottom of this post, you'll find the sources that allowed me come up with my own answers.

Company name
If you're doing this for a client, or work or even just for fun (stranger things have happened), representing (or giving credit where credit is due) is always a good thing! Not to mention it's just respectful.

Who are you "talking" to?
Who is your audience and what do you want them to learn from your findings and what do you want to leave your audience thinking about?

Building your message
What tools are you using to gather your information? Who is part of the process? What time elements are involved? Who is responsible for what tasks? The list goes on and on.

Delivery method
Get to the point and have fun with it in the process. You could be on a cruise ship, you could climb a mountain, you could be at the zoo, you could be in a classroom, you could be in your own home. Make sure you have brochures, a web site, a video link or something tangible people can resort to. Maybe your case study is a two-piece research project! There's always a creative, fun way to spread the word. In fact, CEO and founder Beth LaBreche of LaBreche tweeted about this one and it's the original inspiration behind me writing this blog.

Statistics and recordings
What numbers were you after and did you find what you needed in order to make a supported and educated finding? If not, go back and do more research!

Testimonials
Is there someone you can quote? Is there audio or a visual? Get picky and make it selective process.

Who benefits from your findings?
Just because you have your selected audience doesn't necessarily mean they're all going to dive in and be able to take something away from your findings. But this is an important question to ask.

Follow up, follow up, follow up
It is so important to ask for feedback because there's always room for improvement no matter how good you are or how many times you've done something. Oh, and it's always a good thing to add more names to your rolodex!!

These are just a few things to consider. I'll maybe add more in time.

Have a few things you'd like to add to list? Please comment below! Want to steal an idea of mine? All I ask is that you give me credit!

Here's a couple of other sources I found that helped me out! Ironically (or not), they all have the same title.

Evolving Practice: What makes a good case study?
Computer Weekly.com: Ata: What makes a good case study?
Tattle Tech: What makes a good case study?