Case study permission and privacy checklist
A pre-publication checklist for names, confidential details, quotes, and results.
On this page
A case study needs a clear record of what may be published, who agreed to it, and when that agreement should be checked again. A client relationship, a signed contract, or a public logo does not answer every one of those questions.
Use this checklist before you draft and again before you schedule the finished article. It is an editorial approval workflow, not legal advice. Your contract, privacy obligations, client policy, and the law that applies to your work may require additional review.
Confirm who owns each part of the material
One project can contain several kinds of material with different owners. A client may control internal data and screenshots. An employer may control a project description. Ask the speaker to approve the exact wording and attribution, then check any separate rights or client review requirements. Your own notes still need checking if they reveal confidential information.
Make a small inventory before you write:
| Material | Who can approve it? | Can it be public? | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project name and logo | Client or brand owner | [yes, no, or conditional] | [approval link or contact] |
| Your role and dates | Project owner or employer | [yes, no, or conditional] | [supporting record] |
| Screenshots, documents, or data | Rights holder | [yes, no, or conditional] | [approved version] |
| Client quotation | Speaker and, where needed, communications reviewer | [yes, no, or conditional] | [written approval] |
| Result or outcome | Owner of the measurement | [yes, no, or conditional] | [public source or approval] |
Do not treat silence as approval. If no one can confirm a detail, leave it out until you have a clear answer.
Ask for written approval that matches the use
An approval request works best when the reviewer can see the material and the proposed publication context. Send the draft, the intended title, the web address or publication channel, and the date you expect to publish. Point out names, quotations, results, images, and links separately.
Here is a practical request format:
We plan to publish a short case study about [project] on [site]. The draft describes [your role] and includes [named items]. Please confirm whether each item may appear publicly, whether any wording needs correction, and who should approve final changes. We will not publish the material until we receive written confirmation.
Keep the answer with the final draft. A verbal approval can be useful context, but a dated written record makes a later review possible. If the client asks for edits, update the record with the revised wording and new approval.
Remove details that can expose the client
Removing the company name may not make an example anonymous. A launch date, unusual location, employee title, product feature, precise number, or sequence of events can identify the work to people who know the situation.
Read the draft for combinations of details, not only individual details. In an illustrative example, “a regional clinic introduced a new booking service during a named public event” could identify an organisation even without its name. Generalising one detail may not solve the problem.
Use a table to make the decision visible:
| Draft detail | Risk to check | Editorial action |
|---|---|---|
| Named client | Brand or relationship disclosure | Include only with permission |
| Exact internal metric | Confidential business information | Remove or use an approved public result with context |
| Direct quote | Misquotation or unauthorised endorsement | Use the exact, approved wording |
| Screenshot | Personal data, product information, or copyright | Use an approved redacted image or remove it |
| Project timing | Identifies a private initiative | Generalise or remove if it makes the client recognisable |
Do not paste private client calls, files, or transcripts into a drafting tool unless your agreement and the tool's terms allow it. A safer workflow is to write a short, approved brief that contains only material cleared for the intended use.
Check endorsements and claims carefully
A quote that praises your work can function as an endorsement. The US Federal Trade Commission says endorsements should reflect the endorser's honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experience, and that material connections may need disclosure in US advertising. Its guidance is specific to its jurisdiction and context, so get appropriate advice for your own location and publication. FTC Disclosures 101
For editorial work, the immediate check is plain: do not rewrite praise into a stronger claim, attach a result that the speaker did not state, or imply the person independently measured something they only observed. Keep the quote in its original meaning and put any needed context beside it.
Set a review date and publish from the approved version
Approval can expire in practice. A role changes, a project launches, a client changes policy, or a public result is updated. Set a review date based on the material. Use a shorter review period for time-sensitive claims and a trigger such as a role change, contract end, new measurement, or client request.
Before publication, compare the scheduled copy with the approved copy. Check:
- every named person and organisation
- each quotation, link, image, and result
- the date and status of the relationship
- the person who supplied approval
- the review date and any conditions on use
Record the approval owner, date, allowed material, restrictions, and next review date beside the project. Use the case study guide only after that record is complete.