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Looking for an idea for your current case paper? This is a fascinating topic, as raised in this Nova episode
Students will engage in research on a current case of healthcare ethics (within the previous 12 months) and write the case study analysis paper. The case chosen should be a real (not hypothetical) ethical situation. Students need to abide by the reference rules, such as Chicago Manual Style, MLA, APA, etc. It should be noted that ethical analysis cannot be done without reference to ethical principles, so the case should be narrated and analyzed in the light of ethical principles. The case study analysis in the field of healthcare ethics has a traditional scholarly format in terms of content and style. The students must write it in accordance with the format given by your professor. And the paper should be 1500 words minimum in length.
1. Writing Case study analysis Papers (with your moral verdict)
Your case study assignment is coming (due by Sunday midnight) and I would like to give you a rather clear guideline. it cannot be a full-blown research paper. This is an analysis paper and you have to be succinct, and what must be shown in the paper is your ability to do an ethical analysis. An ethical analysis is a philosophical or theological analysis of an ethical case. And in our context, the following THREE methodological steps are recommended.
STEP ONE, briefly narrate the case which includes necessary medical indications.
STEP TWO, identify what moral principles (among the four) are involved in the case, and specify the principles in conflict into thick rules so that the case can present itself as a genuine moral dilemma.
STEP THREE, take sides by balancing one rule over the other rule and provide your philosophical/theological justification for your prioritization. Note that the justification does not need to be a full-bulown philosophical/theological argument but a form of narrative that gives reasons why your position has an intellectual force as to achieve reflective equilibrium. Check if your ethical justification passes the following tests:
Civility (devoid of threatening or humiliating or offensive utterance in style).
Deep Moral Conviction (based on one’s culture or religion).
Universalizability (R.M. Hare’s sense),
Selflessness/Impartiality (not seeking one’s own interest).
Relationality/Care Concern (beneficent concern arising out of a relationship, whether it is a special relation, e.g., mother-child, or general social relationship, e.g., patient-doctor).
Analytic Superiority (slippery slope concern not as a fallacy, non-contradiction, free of logical fallacies, etc.).
Strong Intuitive-Common Sense Appeal (general concerns about quality-of-life and sanctity-of-life, etc.).
When writing the case study analysis paper, you will find the cases of two different sorts. One is when the case you selected is already treated by authority. For example, the case is dealt with in courts, so you can read the opinions of the legal professionals. Or professional bioethicists visited the issues, so you can read about what they think about them. The other is that the case is still new, so not treated by authority yet. I recommend that you pick the case of the latter sorts. However, if you run into the first kind, the views from the scholars and legal professionals must be stated in your paper. But note that you cannot write the paper if you think you are completely convinced by their verdicts of the case, for there is nothing more you can add to them.
2. The Style Guideline for the Paper is as follows.
The Format of the Paper is single-spaced with 1-inch margin, 12-font, and 1500 words minimum. The proper citation bibliography must be present (e.g., APA or MLA or Chicago Style). Count your words by the standard when you meet the page-requirement. And make sure to stick to the following paper style format including title and all the subtitles!!
3. Style Sample.
On Iran’s Legalization of Voluntary Vital Organs hw
[Course Name]
Prof. Name [Instructor Name]
Student Name [Student Name]
11/11/2025 [Date Submitted]
Introduction [subtitle]
Briefly introduce what you are going to write in one paragraph.
Case [subtitle]
This is where you briefly narrate the case which includes necessary medical indications. Write the story about the case. Make sure to capture the controversial nature of the case.
Ethical Analysis [subtitle]
Here, you will identify what moral principles (among the four) are involved in the case, and specify the principles in conflict into thick rules, so that the case can present itself as a genuine moral dilemma. Take for instance the Standard Case of the Jehovah’s Witness Child. The doctor’s beneficence as “Strive to help the patient” and the doctor’s respect for the child patient’s surrogate autonomy as “Respect the child’s patient’s will” are in conflict. And it can be narrowed down into the tension between “It is morally prohibited to risk the death of a patient if his or her life-threatening condition can be medically managed by suitable medical techniques” and “It is morally prohibited to disrespect a parental refusal of treatment.”
Verdict [subtitle]
You will take side by balancing one rule over the other rule and provide your philosophical/theological justification for your prioritization. Note that the justification does not need to be a full-blown philosophical/theological argument but a form of narrative that gives reasons why your position has an intellectual force to achieve reflective equilibrium. Check if your ethical justification here passes the tests:
a. Civility
b. Deep Moral Conviction
c. Universalizability
d. Selflessness/Impartiality
e. Relationality/Care Concern
f. Analytic Superiority
g. Strong Intuitive-Common Sense Appeal.
In so doing, you are offering your own philosophical or theological justifications for your moral prioritization, that is, why a particular moral principle or principles you have selected weighs more than the others.
Conclusion [subtitle]
Here, you are briefly summarizing what you did so far in the paper.
