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How to Cite a Case Study in APA, MLA, or Chicago
When citing a case study, the format in MLA and APA is similar to that of a report, and in Chicago style, it is similar to that of a book. For all three citation styles, you will need the name of the author(s), the title of the case study, the year it was published, the publishing organization/publisher, and URL (if applicable). The templates and examples below will demonstrate how to cite a case study in MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title of Case Study . Edition (if applicable), volume number (if applicable), Publisher, year of publication, URL without http:// or https:// (if applicable).
Hill, Linda A., et al. HCL Technologies (A). Rev. edition, Harvard Business School, 2008, www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=34784.
In-text Citation:
(Author Last Name(s) page #)
(Hill et al. 8)
Author Last Name, Author Initial. (Publication Year). Title of Case Study (Case # if applicable). Publishing Organization. URL
Hill, L., Khanna, T., & Stecker, E. (2008). HCL Technologies (A) (Case 408-004). Harvard Business School. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=34784
(Author Last Name, Publication Year)
(Hill et al., 2008)
Notes-bibliography style
Author Last Name, First Name. Title of the Case Study . Publishing City: Publishing Organization, Publication Year. URL.
Hill, Linda A., Tarun Khanna, and Emily Stecker. HCL Technologies (A). Boston: Harvard Business School, 2008. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=34784.
1. Author First Name Last Name, Title of the Case Study (Publishing City: Publishing Organization, Publication Year), URL.
1. Linda A. Hill, Tarun Khanna, and Emily Stecker, HCL Technologies (A) ( Boston: Harvard Business School, 2008), https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=34784.
Author-date style
Author Last Name, First Name. Publication Year. Title of the Case Study . Publishing City: Publishing Organization. URL.
Hill, Linda A., Tarun Khanna, and Emily Stecker. 2008. HCL Technologies (A). Boston: Harvard Business School. https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=34784.
In-text citation:
(Author Last Name Publication Date)
(Holl, Khanna, and Stecker 2008)
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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)
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How to Write a Case Study in APA Format
Table of contents
- 1 What Is a Case Study In APA Format?
- 2.1 Sample Of APA Case Study Outline
- 3.1 Title Page in APA for Case Study Project
- 3.2 APA Title Page Example
- 3.3 The Abstract for an APA case study
Whether you study social sciences or life sciences, you’re likely to encounter a case study analysis in your academic journey. These papers demand a lot from students. First, you must have impeccable research and analysis skills. Sample populations, particularly people, can be challenging to analyze. It’s easy to misinterpret data and come up with the wrong conclusions. Additionally, you’ll need to have a knack for writing to present your findings persuasively, backed up by evidence-based arguments that build confidence for your teacher to accept the results of your work. If you need to boost your paper, Papers Owl is here to help you with a wide range of guidelines on how to write a case study in APA.
What Is a Case Study In APA Format?
To make your success, first realize that a case study is detective work. Your research may have an unresolved question or to carry out some testing to validate a hypothesis; in this case, studies are born. Psychology, nursing, and business are common fields this method is applied. In this scientific method, you’ll approach an event, action, individual, etc. And apply a set of circumstances to observe outcomes. Most papers in this field are written in the APA format, which can be a burden for students, especially if they aren’t familiar with this style. If you lack time or motivation for writing, appeal to our professional writers to write a case study in APA format, and we will ensure your paper is perfectly formatted and gets a high grade.
Structure of Case Study Report In APA
First, let’s look at the sections in writing a case study in APA, which shares a few similarities to a typical research paper.
Introduction: Introduce your topic to the reader. Be sure to include the state of current research and where you plan to develop the current state of knowledge. You should include an interesting fact to reinforce your work’s importance and develop an interest in your hypothesis. Finish off with a thesis statement that you’ll focus on your workaround.
Aims: In this section, you answer the questions regarding why you are conducting your research and any questions you’ll explore. Avid case study writer recommends focusing your questions around your thesis. You can develop a triangle with a diagram and drill down your questions in a logical format that matches your paper’s main purpose.
Methods: Writing a case study in APA requires a methods section that details how you conducted your research. Did you conduct any interviews, send out questionnaires, or observe any behaviors? Detail them in this section, and state the environment and circumstances surrounding your data collection.
Results: Now that you’ve identified what you’d planned to accomplish and how you went about it in your APA case study format, it’s time to post the results. Don’t be shy if things don’t go swimmingly. Often in studies, we have unexpected results, which sometimes makes your paper more interesting to read.
Discussion: It’s time for the heart and soul of your paper. After all your research and observation, it is time to have a discourse on the results. The key to how to write a case paper in APA hangs on your ability to interpret the results in a meaningful way. Be sure to focus the discussion on your stated methods and how they pertain to your aims.
Recommendations: Here you want to detail what is to follow your research. Professional case study writers advise stating any knowledge gaps in your work and any unanswered or new questions you had found in the process. Your insights will be useful for others to follow in your footsteps and expand on your analysis.
Sample Of APA Case Study Outline
Example of writing a case study analysis in APA format:
Writing a case study in APA Step By Step
Knowing how to write a case study in APA format is a common question for students. In addition to the typical academic standards, APA has its own requirements that must be adhered to. The first step is to create a heading, known as a running head, that will be present on each page of your paper. The running head includes:
- The page number on the right margin
- A shortened title of your paper in ALL-CAPS no longer than 50 characters to the right
Title Page in APA for Case Study Project
The title of a case study in an APA paper is a requirement. The purpose is to state the name of the work, who the author is, and the institution that sponsored the research. It has the following parts:
- The words “running head” at the top, followed by the actual running head
- The full title of your paper using APA titling no longer than 12 words
- Your name without any designations (Dr/Ph.D./Rev/etc.) and the institution you attend
For APA Style ( 7th edition ), the cover page should also have:
- A page number at the top right corner.
- The institutional affiliation where the research took place.
- Course information, which is mandatory for student papers.
- The author’s note is optional and usually appears in professional papers.
- Font options have expanded to include Calibri 11, Arial 11, Lucida Sans Unicode 10, Times New Roman 12, or Georgia 11.
- All text on the title page should be double-spaced.
- Center all page contents and capitalize the first letter of significant words.
Note: APA 7 distinguishes between the formatting of title pages for professional and student papers. For instance, professional papers include a running head, while student papers do not necessarily include one.
APA Title Page Example
The Abstract for an APA case study
The abstract of your paper works as a summary to give a brief overview of what it contains. Include the running head at the top; the first line should have the word “abstract” centered. Follow the abstract with 150-250 words summarizing your paper. You may also index some keywords to help find the contents of your work in academic databases. At the end of your summary, indent once, and in italics, indicate keywords related to your work.
Writing an effective college paper requires a lot of planning and formatting to get it done right. Brush up on these guidelines for how to write your paper in APA format . If you need someone to review your work or write any parts of your paper, reach out to our professional writers, who are always willing to lend a hand.
Additionally, with the help of our blog, you can make sure you create a professional PowerPoint presentation that clearly outlines the main points of your paper. If you need help with this, our professional writers can provide guidance.
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How to Cite a Case Study in APA: A Comprehensive Guide
If you’re writing an academic paper, you may need to cite a case study. But how do you do that? This guide will explain everything you need to know about citing a case study in APA format.
Table of Contents
What is APA?
APA stands for American Psychological Association. It is a style guide used by many academic disciplines, including psychology, sociology, and business. The purpose of the APA style is to provide a consistent format for academic writing, making it easier for readers to understand and follow the author’s argument.
Why is it important to cite a case study?
Citing a case study is important for several reasons. First, it gives credit to the original author for their work. Second, it allows readers to find the source if they want to learn more. Finally, it adds credibility to your work by demonstrating that you have researched and referenced other relevant studies.
How to cite a case study in APA format
Here are the steps you need to follow to cite a case study in APA format:
Step 1: Start with the author’s last name and first initial.
The first step in citing a case study is to list the author’s last name and first initial. For example Smith, J.
Step 2: Include the year of publication in parentheses.
Next, you need to include the year of publication in parentheses. For example: (2018).
Step 3: Provide the title of the case study in italics.
After the year of publication, you need to provide the title of the case study in italics. For example The impact of social media on adolescent mental health.
Step 4: Add the name of the publisher.
The next step is to add the name of the publisher. For example Harvard Business Review Press.
Step 5: Include the DOI or URL.
Finally, you need to include the DOI or URL where the case study can be found. For example https://doi.org/10.1145/1234567.1234567
Here’s what the final citation should look like:
Smith, J. (2018). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Harvard Business Review Press. https://doi.org/10.1145/1234567.1234567
What to do if there is no DOI or URL
If you cannot find a DOI or URL for the case study, you can omit it from the citation. In that case, you should include the name of the database where you found the case study instead. For example:
Smith, J. (2018). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Harvard Business Review Press. Academic Search Complete.
Tips for citing a case study in APA format
- Always check the specific requirements of your instructor or publisher to ensure that you are following their guidelines correctly.
- Double-check your citations to make sure that you have included all the necessary information.
- If you are citing multiple case studies from the same author or publisher, you can use a shortened version of the citation after the first one. For example Smith (2018, p. 25).
Citing a case study in APA format may seem daunting at first, but it is quite simple once you know the steps. By following the guidelines in this article, you can ensure that your citations are accurate and complete and that you are giving credit to the original authors for their work.
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Citing a case study
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Published February 4, 2021. Updated August 9, 2021.
To create a reference or citation for a case study, you will need to know basic information including the name of the author, title of the case study, journal or book title, and publication year.
The templates and examples below will show you how to cite a case study in MLA style, APA style, Chicago style, and Harvard referencing style.
Easily cite a case study in the style of your choice using the Chegg Writing citation generator .
Help protect your paper against accidental plagiarism with the Chegg Writing plagiarism checker and citation generator .
Citing a case study in MLA style
In-text citation template and example:
(Author Surname Page number)
(Rapp and Caramazza 373)
Works cited entry template and example:
Surname, First M. “Title of the Case Study.” Name of Publication , Volume number, Issue number, Publication Day Month Year, Page number. Case study.
Rapp, Brenda, and Alfonso Caramazza. “Selective Difficulties with Spoken Nouns and Written Verbs: A Single Case Study.” Journal of Neurolinguistics , vol. 15, no. 3, 2002, pp. 373–402. Case Study.
Citing a case study in APA style
(Author Surname, Year)
(Rapp & Caramazza, 2002)
Reference list entry template and example:
Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the case study [Case study]. Name of Publication , Volume(Issue), Page number.
Rapp, B., & Caramazza, A. (2002). Selective difficulties with spoken nouns and written verbs: A single case study [Case study]. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 15(3), 373–402.
Citing a case study in Chicago style, notes-bibliography
Footnote template and example:
Author Full Name, “Title of the Case Study,”
Name of Publication
Volume number, Issue number (Publication Month Day, Year): Page number.
Brenda Rapp and Alfonso Caramazza, “Selective Difficulties with Spoken Nouns and Written Verbs: A Single Case Study,”
Journal of Neurolinguistics
15, no. 3 (2002): 373.
Shortened Note
Author Surname, “Shortened Title of the Case Study,” Page number.
Rapp and Caramazza, “Selective Difficulties,” 402.
Bibliography entry template and example:
Author Surname, First M. “Title of the Case Study.” Name of Publication Volume number, Issue number (Publication Month Day, Year): Page number.
Rapp, Brenda, and Alfonso Caramazza. “Selective Difficulties with Spoken Nouns and Written Verbs: A Single Case Study.” Journal of Neurolinguistics 15, no. 3 (2002): 373–402.
Citing a case study in Chicago style, author-date
(Author Surname Publication year)
(Rapp and Caramazza 2002)
Author Surname, First M. Publication year. “Title of the Case Study.” Name of Publication Volume number, Issue number: Page number.
Rapp, Brenda, and Alfonso Caramazza. 2002. “Selective Difficulties with Spoken Nouns and Written Verbs: A Single Case Study.” Journal of Neurolinguistics 15, no. 3: 373–402.
How to cite a case study in Harvard referencing style
(Author Surname, Publication Year)
(Rapp and Caramazza, 2002)
Author Surname, F.M. (Publication Year) ‘Title of case study’, Name of Journal , Volume(Issue), pp. #-#.
Rapp, B. and Caramazza, A. (2002) ‘Selective difficulties with spoken nouns and written verbs: A single case study’, Journal of Neurolinguistics , 15(3-5), pp. 373–402.
Writing a paper ? Don’t forget to include a bibliography .
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Structure: Author Last Name, Author First Name. Title of Case Study. Edition (if applicable), volume number (if applicable), Publisher, year of publication, URL without http:// or https:// (if applicable). Example: Hill, Linda A., et al. HCL Technologies (A).Rev. edition, Harvard Business School, 2008, …
General format for citing case studies: Author (s). (Year). Title of case study. Number of case study. URL. Examples: Harvard Business School Case Study. Smith, S. (2003).
Reference List Citation: Author's Last Name, Author's First Initial. (Publication Year). Title of case study: Subtitle if any. Case Study Number (if given). Database main URL. …
General Format. In-Text Citations: The Basics. In-Text Citations: Author/Authors. Footnotes and Endnotes. Reference List: Basic Rules. Reference List: Author/Authors. Reference List: …
Knowing how to write a case study in APA format is a common question for students. In addition to the typical academic standards, APA has its own requirements that must be adhered to. The first step is to create a …
How to cite a case study in APA format. Here are the steps you need to follow to cite a case study in APA format: Step 1: Start with the author’s last name and first initial. The first step in citing a case study is to list the …
The templates and examples below will show you how to cite a case study in MLA style, APA style, Chicago style, and Harvard referencing style. Easily cite a case study in the …
There is no specific way to reference a case study in APA style. Case studies are typically published as an article or report, or within a book. Format the reference list entry …
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual provides guidelines for clear communication, citing sources, and formatting documents. This article focuses on paper formatting. Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr