Information for Contributors of Cases
OUR PURPOSE
Our purpose is to publish cases on entrepreneurship that significantly advance understanding of specific entrepreneurial situations and provide a means by which to teach the practice of entrepreneurship in the classroom.
REVIEW CRITERIA
All cases submitted must be accompanied by a Teaching Note and a Note to Instructors used to prepare the case. Only the main case document and the Note to Instructors will be published in the journal.
Cases will be evaluated on (1) their appropriateness for ET&P, (2) the importance, timeliness, and provocativeness of the decision focus, (3) the completeness and quality of data, (4) writing style, and (5) organization. The quality of the Teaching Note and Note to Instructors will also be used as criteria to evaluate the publication potential of submissions.
COPYRIGHT
The copyright of published cases belongs to the journal. Only unpublished, noncopyrighted cases should be submitted.
WHAT TO SUBMIT
Case writers should submit a case with separate title page, a Note to Instructors, and a Teaching Note (the latter two submitted as separate documents from the case).
FORMAT OF TITLE PAGE
The title page should be uploaded independently of the main document. Include the title of the case and the name, affiliation, address, telephone number, e-mail address and fax number of each author. This page should also contain any acknowledgments of assistance and notice of prior or pending presentations, or publication of early drafts in textbooks.
FORMAT OF CASE MANUSCRIPT(main document)
First page
The first page of the case should contain a short descriptive title, an abstract of not more than 100 words (single spaced).
Body
The case must be typed using a 10-11 pt. font (Times New Roman preferred) and double spaced (except for abstract). An appropriate heading (centered) and sub-heading(s) (left justified) should be used to segment the manuscript to enhance readability.
Footnotes
Footnotes, not endnotes, should be used sparingly and only for clarification or reference that is not appropriate for the body of the case. If used they should be numbered consecutively, inserted at the appropriate place in the text, but listed under the heading "Footnotes", at the end of the manuscript.
Exhibits
Tables, charts, and graphs should be labeled as Exhibits. They should be numbered consecutively and placed at the end of the manuscript. Within the manuscript itself, indicate the placement of each exhibit, e.g. "insert exhibit 1 here".
References
Citations in the text should be used sparingly for work that is quoted, or where otherwise appropriate. The citations should include the author's(s') last name(s), year of publication, and when quoting, the page numbers. Referencing for material provided in Exhibits is also necessary. All publications cited in the case or used to develop the case should be listed alphabetically by first author's last name in the References section (double-spaced) at the end of the case. Both citations and references should conform to the latest edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. Recent issues of this journal may also be consulted as examples of the appropriate style to follow.
FORMAT OF the NOTE TO INSTRUCTORS
The aim of the Note to Instructors is to assist instructors without compromising the case's analysis by students. Some examples: the first Note to Instructors appeared with "Roustam Tariko (A) and (B)" by Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy, in Spring 2003 (Vol. 27, No. 3). Others have appeared in Vol. 28, No. 2 by Bell and Winn and Vol. 28, No. 3 by Kuratko and Mathews.
The Note to Instructors should be approximately 3-5 pages in length and may include the following headings:
Introduction
A paragraph to introduce the case, its setting, and any issues it may raise. Do not summarize the case's story in the introduction, rather inform readers of its potential role in an entrepreneurship course.
Key Issues and Discussion Points
Identification of the case's focus, issues at its heart, and major questions that frame possible discussions. Use this section to identify possible questions or issues leaving the analysis to the instructor and students.
Potential Audience and Uses
In this section, suggest courses, programs, and course level for which the case would be most effective. This section should also include pedagogical objectives to which the case could be applied.
Suggested Teaching Approach
Identify ways in which the case might be presented and taught. This section could include opening questions or gambits, directions in which the case may unfold, or any other observations applicable and useful.
Outside or Supplementary Readings
Case writers may suggest reading assignments to supplement standard textbook instruction for treatment of key issues or other aspects of the case. Annotation is welcome.
Other Concerns or Notes
Case writers may wish to include other topics appropriate to understanding and using the case. This section is optional and flexible.
Role of the Author(s)
Authors should explain how they discovered or otherwise came in contact with the subject, persons, or company, recount any important or unusual aspects of researching the case or their involvement with the persons or company, etc. The objective isn't to describe the case methodology, but to highlight anything extraordinary.
References for the Note to Instructors
References should only include cited sources used in the Note to Instructors. Not all Notes will include references.
FORMAT OF the TEACHING NOTE
Teaching notes are not published. However, all cases submitted to Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice must be accompanied by a Teaching Note. Although there are probably as many ways to construct a teaching note as there are to prepare a case, there are certain data that must be provided if the teaching note is to be of any value. The following approach has worked well.
Case Objectives
The teaching note should clearly specify the objectives of the case. For example, the objectives of "Case of the Enigmatic Entrepreneur" were to provide students with the opportunity to define and discuss how ethical behavior may clash with business opportunities and to reflect on how entrepreneurs and consultants should conduct themselves when they do (Hench, Chrisman, & Schweiger, 1992).
Case Synopsis
The teaching note should provide a brief synopsis of the case, usually not exceeding one to two pages. A good synopsis allows the instructor to get a feel for the contents of the case as he or she makes final preparations for class. It should also refocus the instructor's attention on the key issues of the case.
Intended Use
Third, the teaching note should provide information on how the case was intended to be used. This section should mention the course or courses where the case could be taught, whether the case should be used early or late in the term, how many class periods are needed to effectively teach the material, and so on.
Questions
The teaching note should provide a comprehensive set of topical questions which form a framework for teaching the case in class. A good set of questions should take the students from a broad survey of the situation to specific analysis and recommendations for decision making. It is also desirable to provide a set of secondary questions which might be used to enhance the discussion of the main issues, if time permits.
Case Analysis
By far the most important part of any teaching note is devoted to case analysis. The case analysis should be specific in its content and provide a consistent perspective on the issues of the case. Naturally, there is more than one way to teach a case and often more than one possible course of action that might be viable. While it is usually not possible for the teaching note to cover every one of these, it is desirable for a set of alternatives to be presented and one recommended. It is also desirable to provide the supporting analysis and logic used to arrive at the recommended plan of action. Of course, some instructors will have different viewpoints and arrive at different conclusions. Nevertheless, since case authors are most familiar with the material, it is their responsibility to provide as complete an analytical picture as possible and develop a "solution" that best fits the facts as they see them.
An epilogue to the case should be included in the teaching note if information on the decision of the entrepreneur and fate of the venture is known. Students frequently want to know "what happened" and many instructors like to be in a position to provide that information.
WHERE TO SUBMIT
Manuscripts must be submitted via Manuscript Central. Use the "User Tutorials" available through Manuscript Central to answer any questions during the online submission process or contact the Managing Editor . Please closely follow the suggested guidelines above to ensure a smooth review process.
First authors of manuscripts accepted for publication will receive reprints of the article.
