Case Studies and and System Use Cases
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Case Studies
A case study focus on a problem or situation and has at least two types:
- Case study for training. The training version presents a problem or situation and challenges readers, typically trainees, to find a solution or improvement. Strategies or principles to address the problem or situation are presented in a training session or in information contained in the case study or elsewhere. This type of case study asks the question "Here is a problem; what are you going to do about it?"
- Case study for presentation. This version presents the problem or situation but then also presents the strategy or principle for the solution or improvement, and then the solution or improvement itself. This type of case study answers the question "how did I (or we) solve this problem?" and can also be considered a white paper. It is commonly used as a promotional tool for a product or service
Case study for training
{outline here?}As mentioned above, training case studies often include a question—essentially, what would do in this situation?
Here's an introduction to this type of case study:
Technologies such as facial recognition algorithms are deployed within existing structures and institutions. Ruha Benjamin observes that when one conceptualizes racial bias as a technical glitch, “the idea becomes ‘let’s fix it with better data’—rather than stepping back and thinking: is it really possible to create fair and just algorithms in an unfair and unjust society?” If you were a local official, what specific steps would you suggest before deciding whether to implement facial recognition technology for official uses within your community? https://mit-serc.pubpub.org/pub/bias-in-machine/release/1 Bias in the Machine: Facial Recognition Technology and Racial Disparities MIT Case Studies in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing
To Ship or Not to Ship
—Clare Bartlett
Rachel works as a Quality Assurance Engineer at a large electronics company. She is responsible for the final testing of her company’s servers and is part of a team which decides when new products will be shipped to distributors for sale.
Rachel’s company has a contract with another company which makes the chips which are incorporated into the servers Rachel’s company makes. The business model for this product is to release a new generation server approximately every six months, meaning Rachel has a limited timeframe to conduct her Quality Control tests.
Because there is such a short amount of time between the release of each next new product, the Quality and Assurance department cannot perform every possible test on the servers to ensure they are defect free. Rachel will not ship a product if there is any possibility that the server could malfunction and cause physical harm to the customer. However, she will ship a product that has a higher likelihood of failure resulting in data loss for the customer, because she knows that if she doesn't, her company's competitor will.
Is this an ethical way to conduct business? How should she determine when to ship a product with known defects?
Clare Bartlett was a 2014-2015 Hackworth Fellow in Engineering Ethics at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University.
August 2015
The to-ship-or not-ship raises the possibility of multiple solutions based on multiple principles:
- Ship: the principle—really, the "consideration"—might state things like customers will not notice, the problem is minor, other manufacturers do it.
- Do not ship: the principal states that we do not ship products with know defects.
Thus, you can have multiple, conflicting solutions based on multiple, conflicting principles.
Case study for presentation
investpedia.com makes this point about white paoers—and therefore about presentational case studies:
| White papers differ from other marketing materials, such as brochures. Brochures and traditional marketing materials might be flashy and obvious, but a white paper is intended to provide factual evidence that solves a problem or challenge.... A white paper should provide well-researched information that is not found with a simple Internet search and has a compelling narrative to keep the reader’s attention. — investpedia.com |
Here's an introduction to this type of case study:
As for the body of white papers and thus presentational case studies, Sara L. Parker in https://contentmarketinginstitute.com has this to say:
- Covers market drivers contributing to the reader’s problem
- Scopes a problem occurring when the solution is not used
- Provides a historical overview reviewing traditional solutions
- Identifies a recommended solution but never mentions a company or product name
- Includes the benefits relevant to the reader’s problem
- Creates a checklist of what to look for in the new solution
- Introduces a call to action to move the reader to the next step
Terminology also used in this context, a journey map describes the customer's journey that defines all the points where customers and prospects interact with your brand, what they want to accomplish at each one, and the path they take from point to point as they move toward a purchase
— Jodi Harris https://contentmarketinginstitute.com/analytics-data/a-4-step-customer-journey-map-process-for-better-content-results-template
Use Cases
justmind.com makes a distrinction between use cases and user stories:
- A user story is a short, simple description of what a product should do, who it’s for, and why it’s needed. It’s usually just one or two sentences long and uses an easy-to-understand format so everyone can quickly grasp and act on it.
- On the other hand, a use case is used in software development to describe functional requirements of a system as well as interactions between users nd the system itself. Moreover, it guides the development by managing scope, establishing requirements, outlining the ways users winteract with the system, depicting system architecture, and communicating technical requirements to business stakeholders. —Use case diagramming best practices and examples justinmind.com
[1] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_study
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Key Parts of a ReportIntroduction: States the main problem and the goal of the study.Background: Gives context, facts, and relevant history about the subject.Analysis: Evaluates what is working, what is failing, and why.Solutions: Suggests realistic fixes supported by data or theories.
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Computer science case studies look at real-world technical problems, system designs, and ethical choices. They help engineers, students, and businesses learn how software and hardware work in practice.
Popular Types of Computer Case Studies
System Design & Scalability: Examine how massive platforms like Netflix, YouTube, or Twitter manage millions of users, huge databases, and heavy traffic through resources like ByteByteGo. [1] (!!!,
Enterprise & Cloud Solutions: Explore how major organizations solve specific workflow or AI challenges, such as IBM Case Studies detailing AI deployments with Humana or healthcare networks. [1] (!!!,
Hardware & Performance: Review how custom hardware builds solve real-world constraints for media and production studios via Puget Systems. [1] (!!!,Ethics & Social Responsibility: Analyze the moral and legal dilemmas of software engineering, such as AI deployment, data breaches, and intellectual property via the MIT Case Studies in SERC. [1] (!!!,, [2] (!!!,
Related Information
What is a use case? How to write one, examples, + template
Use case. wiki
Comprehensive Guide to Use Case Modeling
Use Cases: What They Are and a List of Examples
40 Free Use Case Templates and Examples (Word, PDF)
Use case diagramming best practices and examples
A 4-Step Customer Journey Map Process for Better Content Results [Template]. contentmarketinginstitute.com
Case study. wiki
The theory contribution of case study research designs. This item by Hans-Gerd Ridder the abundant research that has addressed thecae study.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MKbXM7HkOc&t=292s. Overviews these types of case studies: single-case design, multiple-case design, embedded-case design.
Writing a Case Study Analysis; not baout case study; includes a PDF example abbotated
An Analysis of Human Resources Practices at Starbucks Coffee Company. Provided by the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center, Aimee Garten, author
Case Studies in Social and Ethical Responsibilities of Computing
Case studies on ethics for computer and software engineers. 2026 Santa Clara University
Information and programs provided by admin@mcmassociates.io.