INFORMS' FOURTH ANNUAL CASE COMPETITION
What is the Purpose of the Case Competition?
To encourage the creation, dissemination, and classroom use of new (i.e., previously unpublished) cases in operations research and the management sciences
Who is Sponsoring the Case Competition?
INFORMS' Education Committee, INFORM-ED, and the INFORMS' Case and Teaching Materials Initiative
What are the Rules of the Case Competition?
1.
A submitted case must:
·
be
no more than 10 pages (8.5X11.0) single spaced (maximum of approx. 3000 words)
- exhibits are in addition to page limit (shorter
cases are acceptable)
·
include
Teaching Notes of an appropriate length
·
use
Times New Roman 12 point font with 1 inch margins
·
not
have been published previously in any format
2.
INFORMS' A complete
submission will consist of six hard copies and one electronic copy (in a
specified format) of the following:
·
a
title page with indicators of authorship eliminated in five copies
·
a
short (250 word maximum) abstract which identify the
§
industry
§
business
and technical issues
§
pedagogical
objectives
§
suggested
use(s) of the case
·
the
case
·
all
relevant electronic files (data files,
animated simulations, etc.) use of such material
is encouraged!
·
teaching notes
·
Case
Competition Submission Form (downloadable here as a Word document)
What Are The Criteria For Judging The Case Competition Entries?
1.
The relevance of
application of one (or more) of INFORMS constituent disciplines
o
real problem situation that is embedded in the issues facing
the organization
o
potential for use of OR/MS to analyze the situation
o
reasonable
alternate approaches to solving the problem posed by the case exist (i.e.,
there is more than one good approach to the analysis of the case)
o
well-defined
pedagogical outcomes
2.
The substance of
application
o
nontrivial
problem situation and/or solution(s)
o
formulation,
analysis, and solution at a level appropriate for
intended student audience
o
significant
insight results from participation in
analysis of the case
3.
The quality and
organization of the exposition
o
lucid
and interesting narrative style
o
writing
style ready for publication
o
quality
of exhibits
4.
Value and content of
teaching notes
o
synopsis of case
o
clear
case objectives and suggested uses
o
discussion
questions and suggested answers
o
linkage
to underlying concepts and theory
o
suggested
teaching pattern or flow
5.
Quality of session
presentation (for finalists)
o
discussion of case scenario
o
indication
of potential solutions
o
explanation
of the pedagogical benefits and teaching notes
Who Will Evaluate The Case Competition Entries?
Biographical sketches of this year's Case Competition judges will be provided shortly.
What Is The Timeline For The Case Competition?
The timeline for the competition is:
· August 15,
2003 -
application packages due
o
Publication-Ready
Case
o
Teaching
Notes
o
Case
Competition Submission Form
· August
& September, 2003 -
packages are blind reviewed by the panel of judges
· September
26, 2003
- the panel of judges will select four finalists. The Chair will notify all
contestants of the judges' decisions
· October 19 -
22, 2003
- the final competition
o
Finalists
will give thirty minute presentations of their entries at one of two special
open session of the Fall 2003 INFORMS Meeting in Atlanta, GA
o
The
panel of judges will select the winning entry from these finalists based on
these presentations
o
The
winner will be announced at the INFORM-ED Business meeting during the Fall 2003
INFORMS Meeting
o
Finalists
must present their cases at the Fall 2003 INFORMS Meeting to be eligible to win
What Are The Prizes To Be Awarded In The Case
Competition?
In
addition to the gratitude and admiration of your peers:
· First Prize - $500.00 and a
plaque*
· Up to Three Runners-Up -
$100.00 and a
plaque*
*INFORMS reserves the right to present
no awards/prizes if the judges' committee determines that no deserving entries
have been submitted.
Where Do I Send My Entry Material?
Please
electronically submit all documents simultaneously to Christopher J Zappe at:
or submit physical copies of all documents
through the mail to:
Christopher J. Zappe
Associate Dean of Faculty & Associate
Professor of Decision Sciences
113 Marts Hall
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA 17837
Is There Anything Else I Need To Know About
The Case Competition?
Yes
- please note that:
· All submitted cases will
be considered for publication by the INFORMS
Case and Teaching Materials Initiative
· For more information
contact Chris Zappe at zappe@bucknell.edu.