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+ Eleanor Stanley www.eleanorstanley.co.uk Writing case studies and interviewing service users

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+ Overview Whats special about case studies? How case studies can be used Behind the scenes The interview The writing process Reworking existing transcripts Summing up: what makes a strong case study?

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+ Learning outcomes By the end of this session you will have: an awareness of the benefits of case studies and how to use them a clear understanding of what you need in place to ensure good case studies 3 tips for conducting effective interviews, writing up case studies and reworking existing transcripts

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+ Share your name, job title, organisation and what you had for breakfast Activity 1: Icebreaker

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+ Whats special about case studies? A scenario or story to demonstrate rather than describe a message Individuals, groups or processes Human interest or real-life context bypassing the intellect to create emotional responses Moves from problem to solution, sharing learning Using peoples voices increases authenticity Charity case studies vs journalism

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+ How we use case studies Features and news stories Fundraising and marketing materials Reports including annual reports, briefings, learning papers, funding applications Books Websites Media information and press releases

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+ Example 1: 5 things you should know about dementia, Alzheimers Society

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+ Behind the scenes Finding potential case studies Managing contacts Consent and confidentiality Selecting the right person Maintaining ongoing contact good manners!

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+ www.charitycomms.org.uk

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+ The interview The options: face to face, telephone, email Preparing: contact, venue, equipment, follow-up Questions: content, structure and advance warning Key focus: before, after and what your charity did The magic ingredient: active listening Timings Communication challenges and carers

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+ Example 2: Having a Premature Baby, Tommys

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+ Select the best 15 questions to use in a case study interview Activity 2: 20 questions

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+ Interview tips Start with the easy questions Use journalistic skills to elicit detail and examples Focus on eliciting strong quotes on both negative and positive topics Sense where to probe and where to pull back Dont be afraid of silence Keep the output in mind

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+ Work in pairs to play the role of interviewer and interviewee Activity 3: Interview role play

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+ Interviewing for Journalists Sally Adams, Wynford Hicks 2001 Developing key skills active listening interviewing

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+ The writing process Transcribe the interview Write the piece, focusing on format, objectives and audience Move from problem to solution Combine quotes with complementary information Sign off

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+ Writing tips Getting started: highlight the most evocative passages Dont shy away from painful feelings but keep the overall tone positive Edit quotes with care but do edit Return to the interviewee where needed

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Example 3: Stepping out, Arthritis News

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+ Highlight four key passages in the transcript provided Activity 4: Hunting out strong quotes

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+ Reworking existing transcripts Common scenarios: fewer quotes or less human interest. What can you do? Restructure with signposting and standfirsts Rework quotes Go back for more quotes and pictures Use stats, bullets, box out info, visuals If its repurposed, sign off again?

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+ Example 4: Empowering communities to prepare for cyclones, IFRC

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+ Summing up What makes a good case study? Telling an engaging, authentic story Describing challenges en route to a positive outcome Conveying key desired messages Respecting the speakers and meeting standards Getting there is a science and an art If done well, case studies work!

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+ Learning outcomes By the end of this session you will have: an awareness of the benefits of case studies and how to use them a clear understanding of what you need to do them well 3 tips for conducting effective interviews, writing up case studies and reworking existing transcripts

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+ Eleanor Stanley www.eleanorstanley.co.uk uk.linkedin.com/in/eleanorstanley