For Authors
OATCJ publishes teaching case studies in all disciplines. Cases must be based on factual real-life occurrences involving actual organisations and people, and must be grounded in primary and/or secondary research.
In brief
OATCJ publishes teaching case studies with a companion instructor's manual, peer-reviewed double-anonymously by independent reviewers with relevant expertise. There are no submission or publication fees. Authors retain copyright. Cases are released under Creative Commons and distributed globally through The Case Centre. The target turnaround from submission to author feedback is 60 days per revision.
Scope and eligibility
OATCJ accepts teaching case studies across all disciplines, including decision-based, descriptive, evaluative, and analytical formats. To be eligible:
- Cases must be based on factual real-life occurrences involving actual organisations and people. Fictional cases are not accepted.
- Authors may disguise the names of organisations or individuals in the case.
- Previously published cases or articles are not eligible, except those presented at workshops or proceedings.
- Every submission must include an instructor's manual.
Manuscripts addressing the United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education are preferred; however, all topics are considered. All accepted submissions are tagged based on relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Author certification
Include the following paragraph on a separate page at the beginning of your submission:
In submitting this case to the Open Access Teaching Case Journal for widespread distribution in print and electronic media, I (we) certify that it is original work, based on real events in a real organization. It has not been published and is not under review elsewhere. Copyright holders have given written permission for the use of any material not permitted by the "Fair Use Doctrine." The host organization(s) or individual informant(s) have provided written authorization allowing publication of all information contained in the case that was gathered directly from the organization and/or individual.
General format requirements
- All manuscript files must be in MS Word format.
- Use the provided Case Study Template and Instructor's Manual Template (available in the Scholastica portal).
- OATCJ uses Canadian spelling, the Canadian Press Stylebook, and a modified APA style for citations and formatting. OATCJ style will be applied by the editorial team; contributors will have the opportunity to approve any substantive changes.
- Files must be thoroughly proofread before submission for grammatical integrity, consistent spelling, punctuation, and grammar.
- Remove all author names from manuscripts to preserve double-anonymous review.
Case study requirements
OATCJ cases follow this structure: opening paragraph; background information for the organisation, industry, and protagonist(s); case narrative; decision points (where applicable); closing paragraph; exhibits (where applicable).
- Tense: Use past tense throughout when describing case events, except for direct quotes.
- Length: Maximum 30 pages including references and appendices. The main case body is recommended at no more than 10 pages.
- References: Must be in APA format and cited in the case text as footnotes. Footnotes may also be used for brief explanations that would interrupt the narrative flow.
- Images and tables: Must be captioned, numbered, and cited appropriately. Images should be embedded in the document at the highest quality possible (colour or B&W). Tables must be created using Word's table function, not as images, and every column must have a header.
- Currency: Specify whether dollar amounts refer to Canadian, U.S., Australian, or other currency.
- URLs: Ensure all URLs in the references list are live and stripped of tracking parameters.
- Third-party assets: Do not include third-party images or content without explicit permission, unless they carry a Creative Commons or open licence. Provide a credit line for each exhibit.
Instructor's manual requirements
All submissions must include an instructor's manual. Remove author names from the file. The instructor's manual is distributed only to verified instructors and will not be made publicly available. Structure it as follows:
Case summary
A short summary of no more than 500 words covering: (1) the organisation the case is based on; (2) an introduction to the protagonist; and (3) an explanation of the central problem, decision, or focus of analysis.
Learning objectives
Typically three to five learning objectives that are directly addressed in the instructor's manual.
Theoretical linkages
A concise overview of the key theoretical concepts and frameworks that inform the analysis of the case, to support instructors in applying and teaching the relevant concepts.
Relevant courses
The types of programs (e.g., undergraduate, graduate) and business disciplines (e.g., HR, MIS, Operations Management) in which the case may be used.
Recommended reading
Full APA references for readings that provide theoretical context to the learning objectives, including DOI links where available.
Suggested teaching approaches
How the case can be used in class, including in-class teaching plans with the amount of time required (e.g., appropriate for 80-, 110-, or 170-minute classes).
Research methods
An explanation of how data for the case was obtained: interview-based primary research, secondary sources, or a combination. Identify all sources.
Analysis and discussion questions
Discussion questions suitable for in-class, group, or online use. Questions must be answerable from the case and associated readings, and must align with the learning objectives and teaching plan. Provide an exemplar answer to each question, including guidance on common student errors and how theory applies to the question.
Appendices / exhibits
Frameworks, models, or other materials for instructor use. Always include a source reference. Reproduced visuals from other authors require explicit permission; derived visuals must be referenced in APA format.
Epilogue (where applicable)
If chronological information exists about what happened after the case's time period, include it here. Non-ideal real-world outcomes are welcome and often instructive.
Use of artificial intelligence
AI tools and platforms (such as Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) pose risks related to data, privacy, copyright, and intellectual property, and do not provide attribution and citations accurately. OATCJ strongly recommends that authors do not include content generated by such tools. OATCJ cannot apply a Creative Commons licence to content without clarity on the origin of the underlying works. Inserting substantial copyright-protected works into AI without the copyright owner's permission may violate current copyright law, including the Copyright Act C-42 (Canada).
If your manuscript includes content produced with AI tools, disclose how the tools were used. Authors are accountable for the accuracy, integrity, and originality of their content.
Review and timing
All submissions are double-anonymously reviewed: both authors and reviewers remain anonymous to each other. Submissions are expected to require at least one round of revision prior to acceptance.
| Stage | Target |
|---|---|
| Acknowledgement of submission | 5 business days |
| Author feedback per revision round | 60 days |
Instructor access to instructor's manuals
Instructor's manuals are distributed on request to verified instructors only. Verification requires a school email address, a biography on the instructor's institutional website, and an ORCID identification number. Access is managed through The Case Centre's standard educator verification process.
Author fees and copyright
OATCJ does not charge any submission, processing, or publication fee. Authors retain copyright; cases are released under a Creative Commons licence (CC BY-NC-ND by default; CC BY-ND available on request). See Licensing at a glance.
Authorship, ethics, and consent
- All named authors must have contributed substantively to the case and/or instructor's manual.
- Authors must disclose any conflicts of interest, including financial, familial, or consulting relationships with the focal organisation.
- Authors must obtain written consent for publication from the focal organisation. A release form is not required if the case is built solely from publicly available sources; state this clearly in the cover letter with full source documentation.
- Authors are responsible for the accuracy of every factual claim and for securing permission for any reproduced material.
- Case authors who submit to OATCJ will be invited to serve as reviewers in the future. This reciprocity is part of the scholarly process and supports the sustainability of the peer-review community.
See the full policies and peer review page for detailed ethics provisions.
Pre-submission checklist
- Past tense used throughout the case (except direct quotes).
- Spell check run with language set to English (Canadian).
- Currency usage consistent and type specified (Canadian, U.S., etc.).
- Exhibits numbered in the order they are referenced and provided in that order.
- Source indicated for each exhibit (author's work, case subject, or third party).
- All reference URLs are live and free of tracking parameters.
- Only sources with corresponding citations in the case text are listed in the References.
- Tables created using Word's table function (not as images); each column has a header.
- No third-party assets used without permission or a Creative Commons/open licence.
- Author names removed from all submitted files.
- Author certification paragraph included on a separate page at the start of the submission.