There is a lot of variation in the definition of a case study. Case studies usually present the pertinent facts about a real or fictional business or management "problem". Teaching cases are intended to provide the reader with sufficient data to evaluate multiple courses of action. They may pose questions to stimulate critical thinking and help readers to apply theory to the analysis of the events portrayed.
Commercial publishers, like the well-known Harvard Business School, produce cases for classroom use. These often provide faculty with teaching notes and other resources to support instruction. Generally, the only way to get copies of a commercial case is to purchase them (one copy for every student in the class) from the publisher. It is not possible for the Library to get copies of commercial cases on interlibrary loan (ILL).
Case studies found in business texts and traditional books, journals and magazines, (like Harvard Business Review) and even freely available on the Web, often are shorter and may not provide the same structured teaching/learning tools as commercial cases. However, they may be valuable for engaging student discussion and problem solving.
Click on the tabs to the left to explore library article databases and books and websites for finding and using business case studies.
