Tech Writing 203: Case Studies and Product Reviews

Below are the requirements and guidelines for Case Studies and Product Review type articles.

Requirements

• Word Count: 500-1000 words
• Image Usage: Recommended

Image Usage

• Your images must be under one of the following licenses: CC0, CC1, Public Domain, Apache2, or MIT.
• Brand Images and Screenshots of said application can be used if the developer has made such usage public domain.

Formatting Guide

The content format of the article will be determined by the type of article you are writing and the number of products that you are reviewing.

Case Studies

A Case Study is a type of article that looks at a particular set of conditions or criteria that can be informative about a particular subject. It can be about an event, a place, a company, a website, a piece of design artwork, a video game, etc.

A case study finds and looks at certain aspects of a piece of information and extracts observations and criticisms that can be made from it.

Singe Case Study

A Single Case Study is recommended to contain the following sections.

1. Introduction: The article's introductory paragraph should clearly mention the case in question. It is also a good idea to say how and when you came across the case in question here. Any case history, relevant name changes or alternate versions should also be described here.
2. Case Showcase and Explanation: The case you are reviewing can now be described in detail, with multiple screenshots or brand images. Write about how this particular case is interesting. Your thesis statement should also be in this section. Include where you can download or find the case in question at the end of this section.
3. Review: Now is the time to write up the case review. All relevant points that you want to highlight should be split up into lists or separate headings based on how much text is present. Also, make sure to split the criticism from the observations section to simplify the reader's navigation.
4. Conclusion: Finally, conclude your case study by summarising your core observations and criticisms. If relevant, you can also list your limitations or any further information you want to provide here.

Multiple-Case Study

A Multiple-case Study looks at a set of cases rather than a single one.

1. The Introduction, Case Showcase, and Conclusion sections are similar to the Single Case Study. Note that each case must have its separate Showcase section.
2. Similarities and Differences: A multiple-case study should contain a separate section that lists the similarities and differences you want to highlight between the cases. Also, make sure you point out these qualities in your conclusion as well.

Product Reviews

A Product Review is a type of article that looks at a certain piece of software or product and highlights its strengths and weaknesses. It should contain all relevant information about that particular product and tell the reader everything they need to know about the user experience of using said product.

Product Reviews should be formatted as follows:

1. Introduction: The introduction of a product review should clearly mention the product in question and provide the where and how it is used. If you also use it yourself, this is where you would mention it. Make sure you add a link to the product you are reviewing in this section.
2. Product Showcase: Now, describe the product in detail. This section should contain any relevant history, use cases, and comparisons to other similar products that can be used in a similar way. Use brand images and screenshots wherever necessary.
3. Usage: If you are also writing a guide on how you can use a piece of software, you should have a section that details the use conditions of the product. Provide ample examples and screenshots to show what it can do and what tools it contains.
4. Pros and Cons: If you are not writing a guide, add a Pros and Cons section to explore what makes the product stand out from its competitors. Your opinions on the user experience, design, etc., are relevant points to bring up in this section.
5. Conclusion: Finally, conclude your review by summarising your thoughts on the product and reiterating its strengths and weaknesses.

Headings and Callout Boxes

1. All separate products and sections should be under proper Headings and Subheadings that match their context. If your article contains two or more cases or products, each section should be under its own H1 tag.
2. If you are showing Similarities and Differences, Pros and Cons, or describing use cases or tools, it's a good idea to separate those into different H1 tags as well.
3. Callout boxes should follow the guidelines set by the Tech Writing 103: Technical Difficulties article. In summary, use callout boxes sparingly to provide relevant information during a step without breaking the flow of the article. Any important content not directly related to your points about a case or product is great callout box material.

Final Steps

After you are done writing your article, don't forget to check it using the guidelines provided by Tech Writing 201: Content Standardization and Fluency. In essence:

1. Check your content in the Hemingway App and make sure it scores as low as possible on the readability test.
2. Check your content in Grammarly to find grammatical errors and fix the ones you think are relevant.
3. Check your content for Plagiarism in Grammarly and make sure it does not score more than a 5% plagiarism score.

Finally, submit your article to your editor for publication once everything is done. Great Success!

Case Study and Product Review Article Template

Below is a template to help you with writing case studies and product reviews. You can copy and paste it to your editor of choice and fill it in to help with formatting.

Case Study:

Product Review: