Writing It Right For You | Writing And Editing Services

There are many genres (types) of writing for the academic sphere and for the business market. A case study, which examines a real-world scenario, can be written for either.  Usually a case study starts with a problem to be solved and continues with descriptions and evaluations to investigate the problem from various viewpoints.

A case study can be written about people or about situations. Different ways a case study is presented include through research, interviews, questionnaires, observation, diaries, or historic and current documentation.

There are generally three types of case studies, depending on the purpose:

1) Exploratory case studies use research to look for patterns in data. With an exploratory case study, you are looking for an answer to a “what” question.

2) Descriptive case studies focus on a more specific aspect of the “what” question. The purpose of a descriptive case study is to use data or information to prove a theory.

3) Explanatory case studies analyze or explain why something happens or has happened. The explanation answers “how” or “why” questions.

Case studies do not always have to be academically research-based, however. A case study can be completed about a person or situation in your company that explores, describes, or explains the attainment of an important milestone or goal.

A case study-type document can be just a few pages long or consist of several chapters. Contact the writers and editors at Writing It Right For You if you need assistance with the preparation of an academic or business case study. We know that “It Matters How You Say It”!

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Writing your document is just the first step. Whether you are writing a letter, a report, web content, marketing materials or a dissertation, your writing must be edited. It must also be proofread. What is the difference? Many people think that editing and proofreading are the same thing, but actually they are two different processes. Think back to your school days: your teacher usually told you that the paper you were writing was only the “first draft”. (And you thought you were finished with that assignment!) Once your first draft is completed, the two-part editing process begins.

The whole process is all often called “editing”, but editing is actually the first component, and should begin as soon as the first draft is completed. There are several levels of editing:

* How well is the actual content written? Does it make sense? If instructions or guidelines were given, were they followed? Does the overall document have a smooth and consistent flow?

* How is the document structured? Is everything clear? Are the topics and sub-topics logical? Does the writing move smoothly from one idea to the next?

* Is your writing clear to the reader? Is everything explained clearly? Is everything cited or hyperlinked correctly? Is the tone and “voice” consistent? Is your writing too brief or too long or too repetitive or too bland?

These are just some of what is involved in the “editing” part of the process. Often it will take several revisions to reach the final draft.

Then the document is ready for proofreading, which is the last step of the editing process. Proofreading should be done after all of the revisions are completed. Proofreading involves checking for misspellings, incorrect or missing punctuation, grammar, and formatting.

Although all word processors have spelling and grammar checkers, they are not foolproof. A word can be spelled correctly, but used incorrectly. For example, many people confuse “your” and “you’re”. Both words are spelled correctly, but are used differently. A word processing spell checker would not recognize the difference. There are similar problems with relying only on the grammar checker in a word processor. English is a very complicated language, and the grammar checkers in word processing programs are too limited in their scope.

Finally,y the formatting and citations or references must be consistent. When your writing has been edited, proofread, and formatted carefully and in detail, it is finally ready for final distribution or publication. Your writing needs both editing and proofreading.

If you need professional editing and proofreading for your academic or business documents, contact us for a customized project plan.

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