Citing a case study in APA is no mean feat for any student, whether in college or university. Most students would opt to have this task completed by expert writers instead of themselves. However, you can know how to cite a case study in APA and write an A+ paper painstakingly.
But how?
Well, all the answers you need for this are a few scrolls away. Follow me as we explore how to write a case study in APA like a pro!
Table of Contents
What Is the APA Citation Case Study?
APA is an acronym for the American Psychological Association. It is an in-text and reference list citation format used for case studies, theoretical methodologies, literature reviews, empirical studies, and methodological articles. Its use is most prominent in the science fields.
An APA case study allows readers to understand the types of sources used in a project and their components. The information in the post follows the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
It outlines how to properly organize and structure a research paper, explain the grammar guidelines, and cite sources correctly. You will also get the differences between the 6th and 7th editions at the end of this guide.
Case Study Outline: Structure and Writing Tips
A case study is a kind of report, where sections within the essay’s body deal with specific aspects of the case. For instance, your instructor may ask you to focus on particular questions about the issue and organize your writing around those questions.
There are different kinds of case studies, including:
- Historical,
- Problem-oriented,
- Cumulative,
- Critical and
- Illustrative case studies
The type of case study will depend on the topic of discussion. A case structure mainly comprises of the following parts, though this may vary depending on different institutions:
- Cover page: It comprises of the necessary details of the student and class information. These include all authors’ names, institutional affiliation, course number and title, instructor’s name, and due date.
- Table of contents provides an outline of where critical parts of the report can be found and direct the reader accordingly.
- Executive summary: It explains what you will examine in the case study. You will also give an overview of the field you’re researching.
- Introduction: It identifies the focal problem being faced together with background information and the most relevant facts. Any previous studies of the issue come here.
- Case Evaluation: It includes the study’s purpose and the specific questions you are trying to answer. You also have an explanation of why something is working or is not working.
- Proposed solutions: You will give the decision criteria and possible alternatives for solving the problem at hand. They should be realistic ways to decipher what isn’t working or how to improve their current condition.
- Recommendations: Highlight the strategies that you can use to better the situation with explanations on their appropriateness.
- Implementation: It has details on how to execute the recommendations and ensure their success.
- References: Provide citations of sources used in the case study project at any point.
Nonetheless, remember to refer to your assignment instructions to find out what you have to do in the writing process.
How To Cite a Case Study in APA: Outline
The standard in-text citation and reference list formats for a case study require that you have an in-depth understanding of the APA citation style. The APA case study format follows a list of stringent rules which you must abide by to have an A+ paper.
Before embarking on the citation process, ensure that you have the following elements in place:
- The author’s name
- Date of publication
- The title of the case study
- Number of case study
Once the details above are intact, it is now time to curate them into the order recommended for APA citation style. You can request one of our professionally tailored APA format case study example to understand this concept better.
Also, feel free to take any APA style case study paper example below for your motivation:
General APA Case Study Citation Template
- General Style
- Textbook Case Study Format APA
- Footnote Structure:
- In-Text Appearance:
Author(s). (Year). Title of the case study. The number of the case study. URL.
For example, Warbeck, D. (2010). Integrated Management. HBS No. 7-806-122. https://hbsp.oxford.edu/cases/
Author(s) or editor(s) of the chapter or case study (Year of the book publication). Title of chapter or case study.
For Example, Jameson, B. (2003). The Role of Online Writing. In J. Ness, Cases in College Students (pp.15-18). HMD Publishing.
Content Footnote:
1 Student rely on online sites for completing their assignments.
Copyright Attribution:
1 Adapted from “Content Management in the US,” by H. B. Gibbering, 08 June 2005, Harvard Business Review, 3(12), p. 34 (https://hbr.org/case/hbs_22345).
First footnote: Branding remains a crucial aspect of digital marketing.1
Subsequent reference to the footnote: Most businesses opt for short video ads and online challenges (see Footnote 1).
Case Study Title Page For APA 6 and APA 7
Here are the differences between the two formats as presented in the screens below. Note, that the title page for APA 7 case study doesn’t require any running head, and the paper title is bold.
APA 6 Case Study Title Page
APA 7 Case Study Title Page
APA Case Study Citations
|
Topic |
APA 6th |
APA 7th |
|
In-text citation for three or more authors |
In in-text citations with three to five authors, list all authors the first time, then use et al. after that; for sources with six or more authors, use et al. for all citations. |
In in-text citations, use et al. for all sources with three or more authors. |
|
Direct quotation from audiovisual works |
No instructions from the manual itself (only the APA Style Blog) |
To quote directly from an audiovisual work, including a timestamp marking the beginning of the reproduced material in place of a page number. |
|
Dates listed in secondary source citations |
Secondary source citation is devoid the date of the source. |
Secondary source citation has the date of the source. |
APA Case Study References
|
Topic |
APA 6th |
APA 7th |
|
Number of author names listed in a reference |
Provide initials and surnames for up to seven authors in a reference. If eight or more authors exist, use three spaced ellipsis points after the sixth author, followed by the last author name (no ampersand). |
Write surnames and initials for up to 20 authors in a reference. If 21 or more authors, use the ellipsis after the 19th, followed by the last author name (no ampersand). |
|
Reference format when the publisher and author are the same |
Use the word “Author” as the publisher’s name in its reference entry when both are the same. |
Omit the publisher in its reference entry. |
|
Issue numbers for journal articles in references |
Include issue number when the journal is paginated separately by issue. |
Include the issue number for all periodicals that with issue numbers. |
|
Publisher location |
Provide publisher location (city, state, address, etc.) before publisher name. |
Do not include the publisher’s location such as city, state, etc. after publisher name in a reference. |
|
Website name in references for online media |
Write the URL but not the website in the publication information. |
Provide the name of the website in plain text, followed by a period, before the URL. |
And that is how to reference a case study in APA 6th and 7th edition. Perhaps a sample from one of our professional writing experts can help you. With our online writing help, you can request for an APA style case study paper example and use it as a motivation to get started.
What are you waiting for now?
