Use case studies for real examples that help users understand either:
- a process thats covered on GOV.UK (for example it shows someones experience of taking part in a particular government programme)
- an important aspect of government policy thats covered on GOV.UK (for example it shows someones personal experience of a policy problem the government is trying to solve)
Do not create a case study if:
- its just about promoting your organisation - this just creates noise and makes it harder for users to find the practical information they need
- it does not relate directly to guidance or policy content on GOV.UK, or add something really important to it
- its not going to be permanently useful (situations with only a temporary interest are better dealt with in a news story or press release)
- its similar to an existing case study - this just creates noise and confuses users
Remember, most users just want practical information. Case studies can be counter-productive as theyre just something else for the user to read, and can complicate search results. Its often best to concentrate on getting the wording of the guidance right instead.
Creating a new case study
Find out how to create and update a case study in Whitehall publisher.
Example
View a good example of a case study.
All content should follow the Government Digital Service (GDS) style guide and Writing for GOV.UK guidelines. Read these to find out how to write your title, summary and body copy.
There are some additional things you need to consider when writing a case study.
A case study can be either a first-person account or a third-person account with quotes from the person its about.
Case studies can be in video form.
Title
Summarise the point of the case study.
Do not use the words case study in the title: they appear on the page automatically.
Good example: UK money helps to build new homes in Darfur
Bad example: After the war
Summary
This should outline what happened, why and the result.
Good example:
The war in Darfur left many people without homes. The government gave the Sudanese government x money and 500 builders to help build homes for 1,000 families.
Body copy
Do include:
- information about how the case study supports a particular policy (include links to relevant pages)
- stats and facts: how many people this will help, how much money is going where etc
- the human element: who is benefiting and how
Do not include:
- too much detail about the past
- too many quotes (unless its a straight interview)
Example:The 7-year war in Darfur (2003 to 2010) left x people homeless. Despite the ceasefire in 2010, the region is still unstable and work to rebuild homes is slow.
The government sent [building company, builders etc] to Darfur in June 2011. In 6 months they built 50 homes, which will house 200 people including 130 children.
George, husband and father of 4 children, said:
It has made such a difference to our lives. My wife was ill and our children were getting sick. We were crammed into a tiny house with 5 other families. The living conditions were awful. Now we have a clean house to ourselves. The children share a room but they love the space and get up to mischief.
Lead image
Using a lead image is optional for a case study. The lead image is shown at the top left-hand side of the published case study. To use a lead image, either upload an image and select it as the lead image or use the default image for your organisation.
You can change the default image on your organisation page. If your document also has an image in the body text, you must upload the lead image first.
