Case studies (also called "case histories") are descriptions of real situations that provide a context for engineers and others to explore problems. Case studies typically involve complex issues where there is often no single correct answer--you may be asked to select the "best" answer given the situation.

Why Use Case Studies? Case studies allow you to:

• Explore the nature of a problem and circumstances that affect a solution

• Learn about others' viewpoints and how they may be taken into account

• Define your priorities and make your own decisions to solve the problem

• Predict outcomes and consequences

Tip: A good case study, like a good story, should engage your interest--find a case study you're interested in!

• Applied Ethics In Professional Practice (Formerly Known as Case of the Month Club). National Institute for Engineering Ethics. A detailed engineering case study is posted monthly, along with discussion topics. The previous month's case study is also available.
• Bioethics @ Iowa State University -- A wide range of bioethics case studies, some involving technology and/or the environment.
• Bioethics Resources on the Web -- Case Studies. This National Institute of Health site lists a wide variety of resources, including case study sites.
• Breaking Through: The Creative Engineer. Engineers Week 2008. This site includes brief examples of creative engineering applied to real world problems.
• Case Studies: Ethics. Penn State University. This site has links to resources on teaching case studies, but further down the list are links to a wide variety of case studies collections, including case studies from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

• Colorado Green Consortium Green Building Projects. Caution: Lacks narrative case studies. The site does include descriptive outlines of features for green construction cases in Colorado.

• Engineering Ethics. Texas A&M University. Includes case studies in engineering ethics.

• Environmental Problem Solving Case Studies, Colorado Internet Center for Environmental Problem Solving. Focuses on environmental conflicts in Colorado, with a list of case studies of varying quality.

• Ethics Cases. Eastern Tennessee State University. They've compiled a list of cases from different universities' websites.

• Failure Knowledge Database. Japan Science and Technology Agency. Focus on technological failures.

• Lean Manufacturing and Environment, EPA's Case Studies & Best Practices. Case studies on reducing the environmental impacts in manufacturing.

• National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, Case Collection. State University of New York at Buffalo. Includes the UB Case Study Collection that covers a variety of topics in science, technology and ethics.

• National Institute for Engineering Ethics, Case Studies, National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) Board of Ethical Review. Actual case studies reviewed by the NSPE, with discussion of outcomes.
• Online Ethics Center, National Academy of Engineering. Short-to-moderately long case studies are listed by topic--Education; Safety & the Environment;  Professional Practice; Employment & Legal Issues; Responsible Research; Computers & New Technology.
• SEP Case Studies, State Energy Program, U.S. Dept. of Energy. Case studies (by state) on energy conservation and renewal.

• Beyond Discovery: The Path from Research to Human Benefit. National Academy of Sciences. Includes a series of articles in the sciences that trace important technological advances.

• Ethics in the Science Classroom: An Instructional Guide for Secondary School Science Teachers with Model Lessons for Classroom Use. Chapter 4 contains case studies on ethics and science.
• National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science. State University of New York at Buffalo. Includes resources for teaching case studies, suggestions for resources to create case studies, and a UB Case Study Collection that covers a variety of topics in science, technology and ethics.
• Selected RRP Case Studies and Materials. Research Responsibility Program, University of Michigan. Includes resources on conducting research ethically and responsibly.
• Teaching at the College: Case Studies. University of Michigan. Detailed information and links on analyzing and teaching case studies, including "how not to do it."

Biomedical Ethics for Engineers. Vallero, Daniel A. 2007. NY: Elsevier.

• Includes many brief (1-3 pages) cases incorporated into the text.

Case-Based Reasoning in Design. Maher, Mary Lou; Balachandran, M.; Zhang, Dong Mei. 1995. Mahwah NJ: L. Erlbaum Associates.

Case-Histories in Engineering Geology. Anderson, J.G.C. 1976. London: Elek Science.

Case Histories in Offshore Engineering. Maier, G., ed. 1985. CISM Courses and Lectures No. 283. NY: Springer Verlag.

• Cases, 30-60 pages in length,  focus on technical solutions to offshore engineering problems. 

Case Histories of Geophysics Applied to Civil Engineering and Public Policy: Proceedings of Sessions Sponsored by the Geo-Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers in Conjunction with the ASCE National Convention in Washington D.C., November 10-14, 1996. New York: ASCE.

• Technology-based case studies that include some public policy issues.

Case Studies in Engineering Design. Matthews, Clifford. 1998. New York: John Wiley.

The Corps and the Shore. Pilkey, Orrin H.; Dixon, Katharine L. 1996. Washington DC: Island Press.

• Includes case studies from the Army Corps of Engineers involving coastal engineering and public relations.

Design Paradigms: Case Histories of Error and Judgment in Engineering. Petrosky, Henry. 1994. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Ecological Engineering: An Introduction to Ecotechnology. 1989. New York: Wiley.

Engineering and Environmental Ethics: A Case Study Approach. Wilcox, John R.; Theodore, Louis, eds. 1998. New York: Wiley.

Engineering Ethics. Davis, Michael. 2005. Burlington VT: Ashgate Publishing.

• Reprints from other sources. Part II "Important Cases" covers a number of well-known case studies, some in 5-10 pages. The rest of the sections also refer to a wide variety of cases--find an issue  you're interested and see if that article includes a case study.

Engineering Ethics: Balancing Cost, Schedule, and Risk--Lessons Learned from the Space Shuttle. Pinkus, Rosa Lynn B., et al, eds. 1997. New York: Cambridge University Press.

• Technological and professional issues surrounding the space shuttle disaster.

Engineering Ethics: Concepts and Cases. Harris, Charles E. 2000. Belmont CA: Wadsworth Publ.

Engineering Failure Analysis. Failure Analysis Case Studies: A Sourcebook of Case Studies Selected from the Pages of Engineering Failure Analysis. First volume: 1994-1996. Jones, David R.H. 1998. New York: Elsevier. Second volume: 1997-1999, Jones, David R. H. 2001. New York: Pergamon.

• Technological case studies on failure of materials.

Engineering Geology Case Histories. Boulder CO: Geological Society of America.

• Includes technical case histories in engineering geology.

Failed Technology: True Stories of Technological Disasters. Freiman, Fran Locher; Schlager, Neil. 1995. New York: ITP.

Forensic Engineering: Environmental Case Histories for Civil Engineers and Geologists. Schuirman, Gerard. 1992. San Diego CA: Academic Press.

Handbook of Case Histories in Failure Analysis. Esaklul, Khlefa Alarbe, ed. 1992. Materials Park OH: ASM International.

Invention by Design: How Engineers Get from Thought to Thing. Petroski, Henry. 1996. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

Keeping Pace with Science and Engineering: Case Studies in Environmental Regulation. Uman, Myron F., ed. 1993. Washington DC: National Academy Press.

Practicing Engineering Ethics. Harris, Charles E., Jr.; Pritchard, Michael S.; Rabins, Michael J. 1997. New York: IEEE.

Rocky Mountain Futures: An Ecological Perspective. Baron, Jill S. 2002. Island Press.

• Includes a section of chapter-length case studies.

Safety Ethics: Cases from Aviation, Healthcare and Occupational and Environmental Health. Patankar, Manoj S.; Brown, Jeffrey P.; Treadwell, Melinda D. 2005. Hampshire England: Ashgate Publ.

Unnatural Disasters: Case Studies of Human-Induced Environmental Catastrophes. Gunn, Angus M. 2003. Westport CT: Greenwood Pres. 

• Includes case studies from the 1900s to 2001, ranging from famous disasters to less well known problems. Most are 2-5 pages in length.

When Technology Fails: Significant Technological Disasters, Accidents, and Failures in the Twentieth Century. Schlager, Neil. 1994. Detroit: Gale Research.

• Chapter-length descriptions of technological failures, some of them with issues on society and ethics.