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Case Studies Instructions
A Case Study paper must focus on a real problem faced by an organization. The methodology described in the paper must follow from the problem, and not vice–versa. The purposes of a JQT Case Study paper are to:
- illustrate the effective use of statistical methods in business/industry to solve real problems,
- provide rich examples with real contexts for use by others either in teaching or research,
- help other practitioners learn how to solve similar problems.
A paper that focuses on methodology, even if it includes an application with real data as an illustration, is not appropriate as a Case Study. Submit a paper of this nature as a regular JQT submission. A good example of a JQT Case Study is “Experimental Design Considerations for Accelerated Life Tests with Nonlinear Constraints and Censoring” by Eric M. Monroe and Rong Pan, Vol. 40, No. 4, October 2008, pp. 355 – 367.
See the Instructions to Authors for how to submit your paper. Indicate in the cover letter that your paper is a Case Study and that you are willing to provide an electronic copy of sufficient data (possibly disguised to protect confidentiality) for a reader to duplicate the key statistical results. Case Study papers will be refereed in the same way as regular JQT papers. Industry practitioners who have a good story to tell are strongly encouraged to submit a Case Study. The Case Study editor may assign a mentor to help you produce a publishable paper.
A Case Study manuscript must include the following sections:
Summary/Abstract: Succinctly state the problem (what practical issues drove the need for a solution), the approach (how did you solve the problem, including what statistical methods you used), and the results.
Process and Problem Description: Since a Case Study paper must revolve around a real problem, the main body of the paper should begin with a clear description of the manufacturing or service process/product where the problem occurred. Describe the process/product and problem succinctly but in a way that someone unfamiliar with your subject matter can understand. Use a gray scale photo and/or a diagram if at all possible.
Intermediate Sections: In the intermediate sections, making effective use of graphics, tables, and figures, provide a detailed description of
- the data and how they were collected (include all relevant studies),
- the statistical methods used with justification for why you chose the methods you did,
- the software used to implement the statistical methods, including any modifications required to customize the analysis to the problem,
- the process/product knowledge gained from the analyses.
Conclusions/Recommendations: Summarize the solution/decision. To what extent has the motivating problem been alleviated or eliminated? Justify the metrics used to measure quality/cost improvement and, if applicable, include people issues that you had to overcome in bringing the solution to fruition. What next steps, if any, are indicated? What have you learned? What might you do differently next time, if anything? Are there any caveats for other practitioners that have a similar problem?
References: Cite any directly applicable references. If a practitioner wanted to read more about the particular methods you used, what are the seminal references?
Appendix: If required, more technical or lengthy explanations should be placed in an appendix, which will be made available on the JQT website along with the data.
Submission: Submit a cover letter attesting that the manuscript has not been published and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. If similar articles are under consideration for publication or have been published, they must be disclosed in the manuscript (preferred) or in the cover letter. Submissions must be made electronically (via e–mail) by sending a PDF, Postscript or MS Word file. Be sure to embed all fonts used in the document. All submissions should go to:
Valerie Ellifson
Manuscript Coordinator, ASQ
e–mail: manuscripts@asq.org
