Case Analysis Flashcards

A student reads a case study about a town that banned plastic bags. The article states that litter decreased by 40% and business sales dropped 5%. What is the BEST way to evaluate this evidence?

Answer: Consider whether the statistics come from reliable, unbiased sources

Evaluating evidence requires checking whether sources are reliable and unbiased before drawing conclusions.

When analyzing a case study passage, a reader notices that the author uses the phrase 'studies show' without citing specific research. This is an example of what type of problem?

Answer: Vague attribution

Vague attribution occurs when a claim references unnamed or unspecified sources, making the evidence difficult to verify.

A case analysis passage describes two competing solutions to food insecurity. Solution A costs more but reaches more people; Solution B is cheaper but helps fewer families. What is the reader's FIRST step in comparing these options?

Answer: Identify the criteria being used to measure success

Identifying the evaluation criteria is the essential first step before comparing competing solutions in a case analysis.

In a reading passage, the author presents a case where a school adopted a four-day week and test scores improved. A critical reader would ask which of the following questions?

Answer: Did the school change teachers at the same time?

Asking whether other variables changed simultaneously is essential to determining whether the four-day week actually caused the improvement.

A passage presents a case study using a graph showing rising graduation rates alongside increased school funding. The author concludes that more funding causes higher graduation rates. What logical error is present?

Answer: Correlation confused with causation

Correlation confused with causation is the error of assuming that two trends occurring together means one causes the other.

When summarizing a case analysis passage, a student includes details about the author's childhood. The teacher marks this as irrelevant. Why?

Answer: A summary should capture the central argument and key evidence, not biographical tangents

Effective summaries focus on the central argument and supporting evidence, excluding details that do not advance the main point.

A case study passage argues that urban gardens reduce crime. The supporting evidence includes one neighborhood's data over six months. A careful reader would identify this evidence as:

Answer: Limited in scope and possibly not generalizable

Evidence from a single neighborhood over a short period is limited in scope and may not apply broadly to all urban settings.