Library FAQ

A case study tells what happened to - and in - a business (or non-profit, or industry) over time. Case studies allow you to learn about real-world organizational problems and how they can be addressed. They challenge and develop your problem-solving abilities.

Cengage Learning provides advice on how to: 

• Analyze a case study
• Write a case study analysis

In general, case studies can be found in both scholarly and non-scholarly business journals, and also on the web sites of business consulting groups. This how-to will guide you in finding case studies using several of the Empire State College Online Library's databases.

Note that Harvard Business Review case studies are not available through the Empire State College Online Library. 

Finding Case Studies Using Business Source Complete

Access Business Source Complete:

1. Go to the library web site at http://www.esc.edu/library.
2. Click Article Databases.
3. Either use the search box at the top to search for your database by its name, or scroll down to Business Source Complete, click it, and log in with your college login and password.
   • Here is How To Use EBSCOhost Databases

To find case studies in Business Source Complete, click the Advanced Search link under the search box on the main page. Once you're in Advanced Search

1. Scroll down the page to Document Type, and select Case Study from the menu.
2. Scroll back up the page and enter your search terms.
   • Here is information about how to combine keywords to search in databases.

Finding Case Studies Using Entrepreneurial Studies Source

Follow the instructions for Business Source Complete.

Finding Case Studies Using ProQuest Research Library 

1. Go to the library web site at http://www.esc.edu/library.
2. Click Article Databases.
3. Scroll down to ProQuest Research Library, click it, and log in with your college login and password.
   • Here is How To Use ProQuest Databases

To find case studies in ProQuest Research Library, click the Advanced Search link under the search box on the main page. Once you're in Advanced Search

1. Scroll down the page to Document Type, and select Case Study from the menu.
2. Scroll back up the page and enter your search terms.
   • Here is information about how to combine keywords to search in databases.

Finding Case Studies Using ProQuest Business

Follow the instructions for ProQuest Research Library

Finding Case Studies In Other Databases

Many other databases contain case studies. You can find them by going to the Business Subject Guide.

1. Go to the library web site at http://www.esc.edu/library.
2. Click Resources By Subject.
3. Click Business.
4. Stay on the first tab of the Business subject guide, which is Journals & Articles.
5. Look in the top left box for a list of databases to search for case studies (as well as business journal articles). 

To find those case studies, simply log in and search for your topic and "case study". For example:

• (non-profit OR nonprofit) AND "case study"
• ("social media" OR "web 2.0") AND "beverage industry" AND "case study"
• ("for-profit higher education" OR Kaplan OR "University of Phoenix") AND "case study"
• Here is more information about how to combine keywords to search in databases.