Learning & progress · 4 min read
Case studies and the Research Library: basis badges and sources
How to read the real-company and composite badges on case studies, where the sources live, and what the Research Library's citation rule means.
What a case study is
Case Studies are 50 structured breakdowns of business decisions: a timeline, the key decision, what worked, what failed, risk factors, key data, and a lesson summary. You can filter by industry, business model, risk, outcome, level, and what each case includes (data, tool, or worksheet).
Studies publish as they're researched. A case that's still being researched shows its real outline with placeholders rather than invented facts — verified and anonymized, never made up.
The basis badge: real company or composite
Every published case carries one of two badges at the top, so you never have to wonder what you're reading. "Real company — documented history" (green) means a real, named company, built only from public filings and documented history. "Illustrative composite — not a real company" means an illustrative story built from documented industry data, so the numbers and dynamics are true to life even though the company itself isn't real.
Sources, and sitting in the owner's chair
Published cases end with a numbered "Sources & basis" list stating what the case is built on; entries with a link open the source directly. Many cases also include a decision block: you commit to a choice from the owner's chair before reading how it actually went, and you can choose again to see every outcome.
The Research Library
The Research Library holds industry reports, datasets, timelines, interviews, worksheets, and checklists. The rule is simple: items publish only once sourced and reviewed, and each one lists the sources it draws on at the end.
Each briefing ends with a "Sources & references" section. Linked entries open the named source directly; entries without a link say exactly what kind of reference they are and how to check them yourself. Every briefing also carries an educational note: this is general business education, not financial, legal, tax, or investment advice.
Who can read what
Both libraries open in full with a free account, case studies and research briefings alike. Without an account you read the opening portion of either and then meet a create-account wall. Organization learners get both as part of their seat, unless their program has a section switched off.