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For Instructors

OATCJ cases are built to be taught. Every case is paired with a teaching note, a recommended course level, and suggested analytical frameworks.

How to use OATCJ cases

  1. Find a case. Browse all cases by category, topic, or keyword. Each case page includes the full abstract and links to The Case Centre, where a preview is available.
  2. Access the case. OATCJ cases are free to read. Download the full case from The Case Centre without a subscription.
  3. Request the teaching note. Teaching notes are distributed to verified instructors through The Case Centre's standard vetting process. Register as faculty on The Case Centre to request teaching notes directly from each case page.
  4. Bring it to class. Teaching notes include a session plan, assignment questions, board plan, and framework mapping.

Cases by discipline

Published cases cover the following categories:

Adopting open-access cases

Because OATCJ cases are open access, students can read the case without purchasing it. This is particularly useful for:

  • Courses where textbook and case pack costs are already high.
  • Short executive or continuing-education programmes where procurement is cumbersome.
  • Programmes at institutions without a Case Centre subscription for students.
  • Community-college, polytechnic, and non-research institutions building case-based curricula.

The Creative Commons licence permits instructors to distribute the case to enrolled students for non-commercial educational use, with proper attribution and without modification.

Citing an OATCJ case

APA 7th edition is recommended. Example:

Sharen, C. (2025). The Pillar Nonprofit Network: Brand Activism and Nonprofit Governance. Open Access Teaching Case Journal, 3(2). The Case Centre, reference 210737.

Each case page on this site provides a copy-ready APA-formatted citation.

Practical notes for first-time users

  • Pre-read the teaching note. OATCJ teaching notes identify prerequisite concepts; align them with where students are in the term.
  • Plan the focal moment. Many OATCJ cases are anchored at a specific decision or analytical question; structure the class around that focal moment, not the narrative chronology.
  • Use the exhibits. Quantitative exhibits are designed to support specific analyses; consider assigning one exhibit per student group.

Suggested syllabus language

The following may be used on a course syllabus:

"This course uses teaching cases from the Open Access Teaching Case Journal (OATCJ), a peer-reviewed open-access journal distributed by The Case Centre. Cases are free for students to access. Teaching notes are provided to the instructor under vetted access."