Working on a paper sometimes requires citing specific resources. While it’s normal to always include the sources you used to write the paper, you may not do it properly.
So, today, we’ll share some very important tips on this topic, as well as help you understand the basics for writing the best paper ever. If you consider writing an academic paper on a tight schedule, it’s always a good idea to use some help. You can ask a friend or teacher to help you with it or rely on professional writing services, as seen at https://mypaperdone.com/term-paper-help.
Still, we always support those who want to complete the task themselves. So, we found and collected some of the best tips and common practices when it comes to citing resources, or in this specific case – case studies.
What Type of Case Study You Need to Cite?
Case studies can be separated into two main types – published and unpublished. Published are, as you suppose, accessible to the general audience, while the unpublished can be case studies for internal use.
Naturally, if you cite sources like journals, books, or other publications, you will have to cite the resource. Still, some forms of government reports, school internal reports, white papers, and other sources fall under the unpublished category.
When working on a research or academic paper, you’re obligated to cite the resources – and never represent other people’s words and discoveries as yours.
Learn More About the Citation Styles
There are three main citation formats: APA, MLA, and Chicago. But before delving into the details, you need to gather specific information like the author of the study, the title, publication date, publisher, and eventually the URL, if available online.
And now, let’s explain the different citation styles:
APA Case Study Citation
When citing a case study with a known author, you need to put the last name first. If there is more than one author, you use the format:
Jones, A., Milton, R. & Wilson, J.
It’s important to separate their names with commas and add the ampersand & before the last author’s name.
Next, you add the study’s year or the abbreviation “n.d.” if the year is unknown. Then, add the case study’s title in italics. If available, add the case number, and finally, add the publication info.
So, using the above example, an APA citation will be (N is for name):
Surname, N. (2024). Title of the case study 2022-2023. XXX No. xxx-yyy. Publishing information.
MLA Case Study Citation Format
According to the MLA standard, you write the full name of the author, not just the first letter. Let’s say our fictional character from the previous example is named Alexander Jones. In case of citing his case study, you must first write the surname and then the name, which means “Jones, Alexander.”
Next, after the title of the case study, you include the phrase “Case Study” too, then add the institution that published it, and the year at the end.
So, the format would be:
Surname, Name. Title of the case study. Case Study. Publisher’s information, Year.
Optionally, you can add information if you accessed the online or printed version by simply adding the word “Print.” or “Web.” at the end. If you cite the printed version, you can optionally add the page number. For the web source, add the date you accessed the resource.
Chicago Case Study Format
When using the Chicago format, you must first provide the author’s name in the same way as MLA. If you have more than one author, add the word “and” (not the &-sign) before the last one, and then add the full stop.
In between quotation marks, add the title of the case study with a full stop at the end. After the citation marks, you can add the publisher’s code like XXX No. xxx-yyy. Then, you need to add information about the publisher in this format:
City: Institution, year.
If you use a web resource, add the URL this way:
URL, accessed on Month Year.
Or, if you’re using the printed version, add the page where you find the citation.
Something like this:
Surname Name, “Case Study Title,” XXX No. xxx-yyy. City: Institution, year, URL, accessed Month Year.
Or for print example:
Surname Name, “Case Study Title,” XXX No. xxx-yyy (City, Institution, Year), p. YY.
The “p. YY” part is short for page number.
Tips and Best Practices
Once you learn the formats, you need to know a few more things. For example, if the case study is available online but also in printed form, you must cite the right one because there can be several differences, or maybe you read an older version of the printed case study.
Sometimes, you’ll have to add the date the case study was published, especially on time-sensitive topics and discussions.
Still, when you find your favourite citation format, you must be consistent throughout the whole paper. Sometimes, your mentor will require a specific format, so in that case, you must follow the instructions.
We recommend citing every source, even if you only use a piece of the sentence. You must proofread the citations and write them the same way they are in the case study, with no changes at all.
This way, you can ensure all the citations are incorporated properly and you give enough credit to the sources too.
Final Thoughts
When working on a paper, it is very important to follow the standards of fair citation. Sometimes, you will need to be consistent with the style your educational institution prefers, but in other cases, you will need to determine for yourself which format provides sufficient information for the case study.
Of course, try to do all this with sufficient quality, because only in this way you could get the desired grade and contribute to your education. And never appropriate other people’s words and quotes because, with today’s digitalization, all sources can be easily found, and this can damage your reputation and even your future.
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