Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does it take to write a case?
- How do I get a case number?
- Where can I get a tape recorder for an interview?
- How can I arrange transcription services?
- At what point should I submit a draft to the company or to the supervising faculty member?
- What is reviewed when a case is edited?
- How do I make minor changes to a case that has already been archived in the library?
- How do I make major changes to a case that has already been archived in the library?
- How do I make revisions to a case that has already been submitted to the GSB library and/or Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP)?
- What do I need to consider when I title my case?
- What needs to be the same on A and B cases?
- How can a temporary case writer gain library privileges?
- What is the process that CES follows in archiving cases?
- Who can help me with translations?
- How can I set up a conference call with multiple parties?
- How can I get a case from Harvard?
How long does it take to write a case?
The elapsed time depends on how many cases a writer is working on in any particular quarter and the responsiveness of the company. In general, cases that range in length from 10 to 20 pages of text and 5 to 10 pages of exhibits take between 125 and 175 hours to research and write. See the Road Map for Case Writing in the Getting Started section for a detailed breakdown of the tasks involved in producing a case and approximate timeline for each task.
How do I get a case number?
Request one from Harjeet Heer (724-3312). You will need to give her a subject category. Cases are organized by subject areas and assigned a case number in one of the following categories:
| Accounting (A) Biomedical Ethics (BME) Business Economics (BE) Business Policy (BP) Corporate Governance (CG) E-Commerce (EC) Entertainment Management (EM) Entrepreneurship (E) |
Finance (F) Global Supply Chain (GS) Human Resources (HR) International Business (IB) Leadership (L) Marketing (M) Operations, Information & Technology (OIT) |
Organizational Behavior (OB) Organizational Design (OD) Political Economics (P) Real Estate (RE) Social Innovation (SI) Sport Management (SPM) Strategic Management (SM) |
Where can I get a tape recorder for an interview?
You may check out a mini cassette recorder for 2-3 days by coming to the Case Writing Department Office in Room S305A. Telephone 650 723-5776 or email Margot Sutherland to arrange to borrow a tape recorder. Tapes and batteries are provided.
If you prefer to use your own recorder we will also provide you with tapes and batteries.
If you need transcription for the interview, please submit your interview tapes to Jiranee, She will send the tapes to the transcription services. Please provide information regarding case title, interviewee's name, your e-mail address and telephone number. The transcription will be returned to you by e-mail. Normal turnaround time will be about 5-7 days. We are using two transcription services: Tigerfish and Escriptionist. Details about their services can be found at Tigerfish.com and Escriptionist.com.
At what point should I submit a draft to the company or to the supervising faculty member?
Case writing is a substantial commitment of your time. To avoid unnecessary work it is a good idea to submit a preliminary outline of your case plan to the company contact for approval before you begin writing and get at least an oral agreement to proceed. Likewise, discuss your preliminary outline with the faculty member and a staff research associate.
What is reviewed when a case is edited?
The case is read to make sure the information is well organized and thoughtfully presented. The editor reviews structure, grammar, and style and rephrases where necessary for the sake of clarity and conciseness. For details, see the case editing checklist. Prior to writing your case, please review the Style Guide to familiarize yourself with CWO case standards and requirements. While you do not need to memorize the Style Guide, it is helpful to refer to it as you write your case.
How do I make minor changes to a case that has already been archived in the library?
If you need to make some minor changes to a case, e-mail Case Distribution to let them know that you want to pick up the file to make changes to it.
Make the changes to both Case Distribution's copy and the Case Writing Office's copy, noting the changes on the checklist form: note the date you made the changes, the new version date on the case, and briefly what the changes were. Also change the case information form and the version date on the case itself. Put a note in both the Case Writing Office copy and the Case Distribution copy of the file communicating that you have changed the files and what Case Distribution should do with the earlier version of the case in their database (for minor changes to a case, the answer is usually take the earlier version out of the database, keep the paper copy of the case in the physical case file with the words "Old Version - Not for Distribution" written on it. We keep this case for a record of the earlier version and because it is the version that the company signed off on).
How do I make major changes to a case that has already been archived in the library?
If the changes you are making to the case do not make the earlier version of the case obsolete and you think that academics will still request the original version of the case to use in their classes, the older version should be maintained intact in the case distribution's database. In this situation, create the updated version of the case, change the version date to the next letter in the alphabet (ex.: DATE: 01/02/99 would become DATE:01/02/99 (Rev'd. 12/11/01) and submit a completely new file to Case Distribution along with the Documentation of Case Revisions. When you submit the new case file to Case Distribution prepare a note to be inserted into the Case Distribution file that alerts them of the newer version of the case and describes the reason for updating the case and briefly what the updates were. Case Distribution should put the new case into their database, but note that the older case exists, in case there are requests for the older version.
How do I make revisions to a case that has already been submitted to the GSB library and/or Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP)?
If you have revisions to make to a case, request the most recent version of the case from Margot Sutherland in the Case Writing Office. Make your changes on this file, change the date of the case (found in the top right hand corner of the first page of the case) and submit the revised case to the Case Writing Office along with the Documentation of Case Revisions form. We will then put the new case in the Stanford case archive and send both the updated case and the Documentation of Case Revisions form to HBSP so that they can do the same.
What do I need to consider when I title my case?
Make sure your title isn't a duplicate of another case's.
Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) will not accept cases with titles that duplicate titles that are already taken. To check whether or not your proposed title duplicates one that is already in use, search for the title at: http://harvardbusinessonline.hbsp.harvard.edu/b02/en/cases/cases_home.jhtml
What needs to be the same on A and B cases?
Make sure that the titles of A and B cases are exactly the same up to the colon. For example:
Intel Corp (A): The DRAM Decision
Intel Corp (B): Implementing the DRAM Decision
HBSP will will not accept B and C cases when the title is not uniform with the first case.
How can a contract writer gain library privileges?
If you are a contract writer and you require library privileges to complete your case, email Margot Sutherland and specify the time period for which you require library access. Jiranee will alert the library (email to June Sages with a cc: to Joyce Rages) as to your request. When you visit the library after your email request, you will be asked fill out a form at the information desk and then you will be granted access for the designated time period.
What is the process that CES follows in archiving cases?
CES has three methods of submitting completed cases to the library for archiving and distribution. The processes for new cases, outstanding cases and revised cases is described below. When the CES submits a case to be archived, they indicate whether it is a new, outstanding, or revised case.
New Cases
CES submits complete file as described on this site under Case Completion Requirements to the CWO. The CWO checks the file for completion and forwards it on to the library.
Outstanding Cases
These are cases that have been in the writing phase for a long time and have likely been back and forth between the previous CES writers and the CWO. In this situation the CES retrieves the file held in the CWO, checks internally to make sure the file corresponds with the CES's most up-to-date version of the case and checks that the file is complete as described under Case Completion Requirements. Once these checks have been made, CES submits the completed case file to the CWO which then sends the case to the library.
Revised Cases
CES updates the version of the case on the GSB's J-drive. The old file is copied and moved to the Back-Up File. The revised case is labeled with REV’D and the date in parentheses - original date(REV'D revision date). The REV’D date is inserted on the first page of the case, and on all associated materials (teaching note, study questions, etc.). CES then emails the revised files to the library directly as well as providing the CWO with a complete updated file (soft copies). Complete the Case Revision Form if case has already been filed with HBS.
Who can help me with translations?
These people in the business school are language resources and may be able to help you with translations.
How can I set up a conference call with multiple parties?
Click here for information.
How can I get a case from Harvard?
Contact Liz Bauer who can obtain the case for you.