Work through a case study and keep every fact tied to the text
A case study hands you a situation, a pile of facts and often a decision to make, with the important numbers buried in exhibits at the back. Put the case PDF in a Search+ workspace, ask what happened, who decided what and what the exhibits show, and open the cited passage so your analysis rests on the case itself, not on memory.
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Last updated October 2026
How to analyze a case study with Search+
- Upload the case and its teaching materials
Add the case and any readings assigned with it, such as a technical note or an article on the industry. Exhibits are usually inside the case file; if they come separately, for example as an Excel workbook, add them as well.
- Set the role you are playing
Write your position in Workspace Context, for example "I am the general manager deciding whether to expand into Brazil; separate facts from the protagonist's opinions". Search+ applies it to each question.
- Ask about the situation, then the decision
Start with the facts: timeline, people, numbers. Then ask about options and their risks. Open each citation so you can quote the case accurately in discussion or in your write-up.
Questions people ask about a case study
What decision does the protagonist face at the end of the case, and by when?
Who are the main people in the case, and what does each of them want?
What do the financial exhibits show about margins over the last three years?
What constraints does the company face, such as cash, staff, regulation or time?
Which statements in the case are the protagonist's opinions rather than reported facts?
Across the cases in this workspace, which ones turn on a pricing decision?
What working through a case study needs
Many business and policy cases end with a situation, not a stated question. Ask what decision the case sets up so you are answering the right problem.
Sales figures, org charts and survey results usually sit in exhibits after the narrative. Ask about a specific exhibit by number, then check the cited text against the table.
Cases quote managers, customers and consultants who disagree. Ask who said a claim, so you can weigh it rather than treat it as fact.
A teaching case is written to prompt discussion and may leave the outcome open; a research case study reports what happened and draws conclusions. Ask which kind you are reading if it is not clear.
Each answer includes inline citations that open the supporting excerpt, with a page or section reference when the case provides one.
Workspaces and their conversations persist, so you can return to a case before class and pick up the thread.
Parts of a case study and the question each answers
| Part of the case | What it usually covers | A question to ask Search+ |
|---|---|---|
| Opening paragraphs | The protagonist, the date and the dilemma | What decision does the case open with? |
| Company or setting background | History, market, competitors | What changed in the market before the case begins? |
| The situation | Events leading to the decision | What sequence of events led to the crisis? |
| Options | Alternatives raised by people in the case | Which options are discussed, and who favors each? |
| Exhibits | Financials, charts, surveys, timelines | What does the exhibit on customer churn show? |
| Epilogue, if any | What actually happened | Does the case say what the company decided? |
What is a case study?
A case study is a detailed account of a real situation, such as a company, a project, a patient group or a policy, written either to teach decision-making or to report research about that one case in depth.
Case study questions
Can Search+ write my case analysis?
Can it read the exhibits at the back?
Can it separate facts from opinions in the case?
Can I prepare several cases for one course?
Does it work with a photocopied case?
Should I trust every answer?
Come to the discussion with the facts in hand
Start a workspace, upload the case, and ask what the exhibits and the people in it really say.
Start a workspace