NEWCASTLE BUSINESS SCHOOL & LEARNING DEVELOPMENT GSBS6001 CASE STUDY PLANNING

Preliminary Plan: sections and word budget

Work out how many bits there are, and then allocate a proportion of the total words. Word limit: 2000 words

SECTION
Executive summary

WHAT GOES IN IT?

Summarises key points of the argument and the recommendations made Explains the context of the report, why it is being written, and outlines its structure; (do not simply repeat the task instructions; write it in a way that provides some real information) Sections (with headings & sub-headings) are based on topics/issues you consider relevant to the decisions of X perspective Key points of the whole discussion

WHY?
Summarises the whole report in 1 page summary so that busy executives can decide whether they really need to read the details Orientates the reader to what the report is about, how it is organised, and the circumstances in which it was produced.

WORDS (approx.)
Up to 1 page (250300 words. Not counted in word limit.)

NOTES
Cannot be written until the body & recommendations are completed (WRITE IT LAST); Written after the body & recommendations are completed. This is a summary of the context. You should assume you are writing for the intelligent reader, who shares a general background with you, but may not be familiar with the specifics of this situation Each report creates its own structure; the sequence of headings & subheadings should tell a logical story by themselves (see examples) Do not include any new ideas here its a summary of key points to link the discussion with the next section, the recommendations. It should be very clear from the preceding discussion as to why these particular recommendations are being made. Perhaps 1 or 2 actions/processes are immediate priorities, with others following later.
1

Introduction

5-10% 100-200 wds

Body sections

You are providing the reader with a logical organisation of your ideas about the case

70-80% (how many topics/issues can you discuss in 14001600 words?) 5-10% 100-200 wds

Conclusion

Summarises the important points for the reader

Recommendations

Strategies for some/all of the relevant characters, and/or the organisation, to improve decision making;

You are providing the reader with a solution for better decision making

10% 200 wds

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