. Case Study.
Havard, Cody T. "Basketball at the Most Magical Place on Earth: A Case Study of the NBA’s Season Conclusion at Walt Disney World amid the COVID-19 Pandemic." SAGE, 2021. . Case Study.
Author last name, page number (if given)
. Case Study Number (if given), Sponsoring Organization, Date of publication or last modified date, URL. Case Study.
. Case No. ETH33, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2021, . Case Study. | |
Author last name, page number (if given)
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, edited by First Name Last Name of Editor if given, Publisher, Year of Publication, pp. Page Numbers. or URL (if citing eBook). Case Study.
Green Cause-Related Marketing for Social Innovation: Helping People to Reimagine Plastic Recycling and Sustainability." , Springer, 2021, pp. 19-30. . Case Study. | |
Author last name, page number
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Business citation examples, citation tools & styles, avoiding plagiarism, copyright help, business research help.
David Lam Library's Business Citation Examples guide offers citation tips, as well as APA citation examples from commonly used business databases. Use this document along with the Library's Getting Started with APA Citation Style guide.
According to APA, case studies do not have their own citation style or process, instead a case study is typically cited according to its source type -- often as an article. See below for some examples.
Journal Article/Case Study with DOI (Print or Electronic)
Author Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial.(Year). Title of article. Journal Title , Volume Number (Issue Number), Page Numbers. http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxxxxxx.xx.x
Wheeler, B. J., & Taylor, B. J. (2012). Successful management of allergy to the insulin excipient metacresol in a child with type 1 diabetes: a case report. Journal Of Medical Case Reports , 6 (1), 263-266. http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1752-1947-6-263
Case Study with a DOI from a Library Database (not from a Journal)
Author Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Title of article. Publisher . http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxxxxxx.xx.x
Example from SAGE Cases:
Ravichandran, N., & Narayanaswami, S. (2016). Security management at the national institute of management: To outsource or insource? (A). SAGE Publications . https://www.doi.org/10.4135/9781526438379
Journal Article/Case Study Without a DOI from a Library Database
Author Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial., & Author Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume Number (Issue Number), Page Numbers. Permanent link/URL
Pedemont, K., Jolly, N., & Rose, L. (2011). A child with Myasthenia Gravis and defective accommodation: A case study. Australian Orthoptic Journal , 43 (2), 4–8. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,shib&db=a9h&AN=87023984&site=eds-live&custid=s9076023
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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 according to the type of publication. Following are some examples of case studies in business.
Author(s). (Year). Title of case study . Number of case study. URL
Dey, A. (2022). Corporate governance: A three pillar framework. HBS No. 491-009. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/cases/
Dunbar, C., & Southam, C. (2005). London youth symphony. Ivey ID: 9B05009. http://iveycases.com
Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. "Title of Case Study." Case Study Number (if given), Publisher, Year of Publication. Database Name . Case Study.
Havard, Cody T. " Basketball at the Most Magical Place on Earth: A Case Study of the NBA’s Season Conclusion at Walt Disney World Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic." SAGE, 2021. SAGE Business Cases . Case Study.
According to APA, case studies do not have their own citation style or process, instead, cite as an article.
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Last Updated: March 6, 2024
This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. This article has been viewed 37,953 times.
Particularly in research for business studies or papers in the social sciences, you may want to cite a case study completed by a university or other organization. While case studies have titles and publication information like other articles, they often have a unique case study number that is typically included in your citation. While Chicago citation style is most frequently used in business schools, you may also use the American Psychological Association (APA) or Modern Language Association (MLA) style.
Jump to a source:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Article (trade publication).
Slefo, G. P. (2020, April 6). Digital audio sees shifts: with less commuting, consumers are changing when and where they listen – and what they are listening to. Advertising Age .
Country data set
Economist Intelligence Unit. (2020, May 25). CountryData South Africa May 2020 [Data set]. http://search.proquest.com/abitrade
Dun & Bradstreet First Research reports seem to be available in multiple databases, so in such cases APA says not to include the database name or URL.
Dun & Bradstreet. (2019, May 27). Restaurants - quarterly update [industry report].
Fitch Solutions Group Limited. (n.d.). Mexico agribusiness report Q1 2020 [Industry profile]. BMI Research. http://search.proquest.com/abitrade
Access World News
Broadcast transcript
Kelly, M.L. (2020, May 4). Alaska restaurant owner: reopening far from profitable, but still worth it. [Radio broadcast transcript]. NPR All Things Considered. http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/?p=NewsBank
Newspaper article
DePass, D. & Crosby, J. (2020, February 13). Businesses could feel hit as virus cuts supply chain. Star Tribune , 1A.
McDonald’s. (2019). 2018 annual report . https://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReportArchive/m/NYSE_MCD_2018.pdf
SEC/EDGAR filings
Netflix. (2020, April 21). Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 21, 2020. https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/1065280/000106528020000155/form10qq120.htm
Bloomberg. (2019). Company analysis for Bank of Canada. https://www.bloomberg.com/
Bloomberg. (2017). Environmental, social, and governance analysis for Bank of Canada 11/10/12 to 11/10/17. https://www.bloomberg.com/
Park, K., Philip, S., Davies, W., Man, Y., & Amin, H. (2020, April 20). The virus clips AirAsia’s wings. Bloomberg Businessweek , 16–17.
Business Source Premier
Maze, J. (2020, May/June). Game of chicken: Popeyes' sandwich and Chick-fil-A's consistency proved again that America can't get enough chicken. Restaurant Business.
Company profile
MarketLine. (2020, January 16). 3M Company [Company profile]. https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/business-source-premier
Country report
IHS Markit. (2020, March 3). Country/territory report - Australia. https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/business-source-premier
MarketLine. (2020, April). Healthcare providers in Germany. [Industry profile]. https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/business-source-premier
MarketLine. (2019, September 27). Apple, Inc. SWOT Analysis. https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/business-source-premier
One author:
Smith, S. (2003). Leadership. HBS No. 7-806-122. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Two authors:
Eisenmann, T., & Herman, K. (2006). Google, Inc. HBS No. 9-806-105. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Textbook case study, one author:
Pederson, S. (2008). The XYZ Group. In J. Ness, Cases in digital processing (pp.11-20). Saskatoon, Canada: CDMA Publishing.
Find the permalink to cite the Census table directly whenever possible, rather than the various visualization tools such as CHASS which do not have permalinks.
Statistics Canada. (2017). Census profile, 2016 Census: Montréal (Census metropolitan area), Quebec and Quebec (Province) (Table 98-316-X2016001) [Data set]. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMACA&Code1=462&Geo2=PR&Code2=24&SearchText=Montreal&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&TABID=1&type=0
Statistics Canada. (n.d.). Income - total sex: Total - income statistics in 2015 for the population aged 15 years and over in private households [Data set]. CHASS. http://datacentre.chass.utoronto.ca/
Find the permalink to cite the Census table directly whenever possible, rather than the various visualization tools such as Census Business Builder which do not usually have permalinks.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2017). Construction: Summary statistics for the US, states, and selected geographies (Table EC1723BASIC) [Data set]. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?tid=ECNBASIC2017.EC1723BASIC&t=Employment%3ANew%20Housing%20%28Construction%20and%20Sales%29&vintage=2017&hidePreview=false
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). QuickFacts: Madison city, Wisconsin . U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved June 18, 2020, from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/madisoncitywisconsin/LND110210
U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Census business builder: Small business edition - 3.0.1 [Map showing restaurants in the Dane County, WI area and surrounding counties]. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved June 18, 2020, from https://cbb.census.gov/sbe/#
U.S. Census Bureau. (2012). Retail trade: Geographic area series: Summary statistics for the United States, States, metro areas. counties, and places: 2012 (Table EC1244A1) [Dataset]. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=EC1244&hidePreview=true&table=EC1244A1&tid=ECNBASIC2012.EC1244A1&g=0100000US,.04000.001&lastDisplayedRow=30
U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Hennepin county, Minnesota - income in the past 12 months (in 2018 inflation-adjusted dollars) (Table S1901) [Dataset]. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=hennepin%20county%20mn%20income&g=0500000US27053&hidePreview=false&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1901&t=Income%20%28Households,%20Families,%20Individuals%29&layer=VT_2018_050_00_PY_D1&cid=S1901_C01_001E&vintage=2018
U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). Ramsey county, Minnesota - all sectors: County Business Patterns by legal form of organization and employment size class for U.S., states, and selected geographies: 2018 (Table CB1800CBP) [Dataset]. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=&g=0500000US27123&d=ANN%20Business%20Patterns%20County%20Business%20Patterns&table=CB1800CBP&tid=CBP2018.CB1800CBP&hidePreview=true&lastDisplayedRow=18
CIA World Factbook
Central Intelligence Agency. (2020). Brazil. In The World Factbook . https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html
Consumer Expenditure Survey
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2018). Race of reference person: Shares of annual aggregate expenditures and sources of income, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2018 (Table 2100) [Dataset]. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/cex/2018/aggregate/race.pdf
Country Commercial Guides
International Trade Administration. (2019, June 4). Latvia Country Commercial Guide. U.S. Department of Commerce. https://legacy.export.gov/article?series=a0pt0000000PAuFAAW&type=Country_Commercial__kav
Analyst report.
Deutsche Bank. (2020, April 28). 3M: Under the mask [Analyst report]. Dun & Bradstreet. http://logon.onesource.com/
Dun & Bradstreet. (n.d.). Kohl's Corporation [Company profile]. Retrieved May 27, 2020, from http://logon.onesource.com/
Some reports are HTML and without a date; some are PDFs with a date.
Dun & Bradstreet. (n.d.). Space research & technology [Industry profile]. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from http://logon.onesource.com/
MarketLine. (2020, January). Home & garden products in the United States [Industry profile]. Dun & Bradstreet. http://logon.onesource.com/
Dun & Bradstreet. (2019, December 6). Target Corporation SWOT analysis. http://logon.onesource.com/
Energy Information Administration. (2020, May 17). Retail gasoline prices: Gasoline prices - all grades, 08/20/1990 - 05/11/2020 [Data set]. Department of Energy; Data Planet Statistical Datasets. https://doi.org/10.6068/DP1722EF40B2064
Loose, N., Spearman, J., & Gewise, J. (2021, May). Online shops: Amazon in China 2021 [Report]. Statista Global Consumer Survey - Brand Report. https://ecommercedb.com/
Briggs, P., Dolliver, M., Kim, A., Koch, L., & Wurmser, Y. (2020, February). Canada digital habits by generation: Identifying key distinctions across age groups, from teens to baby boomers . eMarketer. https://www.emarketer.com/
You may need to use a search engine to find the URL for a particular report.
Risk Management Association. (2019, November 11). Financial ratio benchmarks 2019-2020 for NAICS 11110: Soybean farming . https://www.rmahq.org/ProductDetail.aspx?productid=684685779
Lombardo, C. & Mattioli, D. (2020, July 24). Amazon wooed startups, then competed with them - some companies regret sharing information with the tech giant. Wall Street Journal, J1.
Water-conscious Coloradoans love "Garden in a box," the ready-made, do-it-yourself xeric garden kit (2020, March 12). Business Wire.
Factiva. (n.d.). Best Buy Co, Inc. [Company profile]. Retrieved May 27, 2020, from http://global.factiva.com/
Ratios
Factiva. (n.d.). Starbucks Corp. [Ratio comparison report]. Retrieved May 27, 2020, from http://global.factiva.com/
Most reports have a unique identifier number, so use it in parentheses after the title. In this case, also include a more specific description in the brackets than just [Industry report] as is often used elsewhere, because IBIS has risk and other reports as well as global, state, and other levels of industry reports, and sometimes the titles and numbers are the same.
Diment, D. (2019, December). Corporate wellness services (OD4621) [U.S. specialized industry report] . IBISWorld . https://www.ibisworld.com/
Egan, S. (2021, May). Car & automobile manufacturing in the US (33611A) [U.S. industry iExpert summaries report] . IBISWorld . https://www.ibisworld.com/
Lombardo, C. (2019, July). Breweries in Colorado (CO31212) [U.S. industry state report] . IBISWorld . https://www.ibisworld.com/
McGrath, S. (2020, June). Global commercial real estate (K6111-GL) [Global industry report] . IBISWorld . https://www.ibisworld.com/
Global energy consumption, 2016. (2020). In R. S. Lazich & V. L. Burton, III (Eds.), Market Share Reporter (30th ed.). Gale.
Mergent Intellect / Mergent FirstResearch
Mergent. (n.d). Davanni’s, Inc. [Company profile]. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.mergentintellect.com/
Dun & Bradstreet. (2019, August 26). Fast-food & quick-service restaurants [industry report].
Analyst reports (Investext)
MarketLine. (2020, June). Target Corp. [Analyst report]. Retrieved from https://www.mergentonline.com/login.php
Mergent. (n.d.). Hain Celestial Group [Company profile]. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.mergentonline.com/login.php
Executive biography
Mergent. (n.d.). Hain Celestial Group: R. Dean Hollis [Executive bio]. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.mergentonline.com/login.php
Company financials/ratios (part of a company profile)
Mergent. (n.d.). Apple, Inc. Company financials. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://www.mergentonline.com/login.php
SEC filings
Best Buy Co. Inc. (2020, March 23). Form 10-K. Retrieved from https://www.mergentonline.com/login.php
SWOT (Investext)
GlobalData. (2020, March 19). FedEx Corporation (FDX) Financial and Strategic SWOT Analysis Review. https://www.mergentonline.com/login.php
Failla, J. (2020, April). Quick service restaurants - US . Mintel. https://reports.mintel.com/display/986928/#
Mintel. (n.d.). Shampoo & conditioners: Retail market segmentation by values . Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://marketsizes.mintel.com/
Company ratios
Morningstar. (n.d.). Delta Air Lines Inc.: key ratios. Retrieved May 27, 2020 from http://library.morningstar.com
Mutual fund report
Morningstar. (n.d.). Vanguard Global Equity [Mutual fund report]. Retrieved May 27, 2020 from http://library.morningstar.com
Stock analysis
Huey, B. (2020, July 14). Delta Air Lines analyst note. Retrieved from http://library.morningstar.com
MRI-Simmons Catalyst
Since the title of the dataset is not very descriptive of your particular data retrieved, include a description of the variables you used so that somebody else could figure out what you did.
MRI-Simmons. (2020). Spring 2020 NHCS adult study 12 month [Male 18-34] [Segmentation profile]. https://simmonsinsights.com/
MRI-Simmons. (2020). Spring 2020 NHCS adult study 12 month [Cell phones / smartphones services used last 30 days - age, gender] [Data set]. https://simmonsinsights.com/
MRI-Simmons. (2020). Spring 2020 NHCS adult study 12 month [Computer software types owned by age] [Data set]. https://simmonsinsights.com/
Quick Report- Demographic Profile
MRI-Simmons. (2020). Spring 2020 NHCS adult study 12 month [Target/ TUMS-brands used most] [Demographic profile]. https://simmonsinsights.com/
Quick Report- Segmentation
MRI-Simmons. (2020). Spring 2020 NHCS adult study 12 month [Base/ Millennials] [Segmentation profile]. https://simmonsinsights.com/
Homma, A. (2020, February 24). Apparel and footwear in the US [Country report]. Passport. https://go.euromonitor.com/passport.html
Euromonitor. (n.d.). Apparel and footwear USA [Market sizes]. Passport. Retrieved May 20, 2020, from https://go.euromonitor.com/passport.html
Euromonitor. (2018, February 8). Population change as a megatrend driver [Briefing]. Passport. https://go.euromonitor.com/passport.html
Euromonitor. (n.d.) Apparel and footwear dashboard: Store-based retailing [Chart]. Passport. Retrieved June 4, 2020, from https://go.euromonitor.com/passport.html
Pew Research Center
Pew Research Center. (2020, April 20). From virtual parties to ordering food, how Americans are using the internet during COVID-19 [Report]. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/30/from-virtual-parties-to-ordering-food-how-americans-are-using-the-internet-during-covid-19/
PRS Group. (2019, August). Czech Republic. In Political risk yearbook. https://epub.prsgroup.com/
Press Release
No database info needed if it’s something widely available from multiple sources (e.g., most periodical articles, press releases, stock information.)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019, November 15). FDA approves first contact lens indicated to slow the progression of nearsightedness in children [Press release]. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-contact-lens-indicated-slow-progression-nearsightedness-children
PrivCo. (n.d.). PopSockets [Company profile]. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from https://system.privco.com/auth/login
Since there is no official title, create a description in square brackets, non-italicized, to describe how you compiled this data. See section 9.22 in the Manual. The square brackets in this case indicate that somebody else searching the resource cannot use these exact words to search for it; but they could figure out what you did.
PrivCo. (n.d.). [List of VC-backed companies in the Boulder, CO, area with up to $500M in revenue]. Retrieved June 29, 2020, from https://system.privco.com/auth/login
ProQuest US Newstream
Kumar, K. (2020, March 10). Target puts cap on disinfectant sales: retailer encouraging no-contact deliveries for same-day Shipt service. Star Tribune, D3.
Look in the Business Demographics section for the Last Updated date.
If the title of the company profile is sufficiently unique to identify the company profile (i.e. there is only one of that company in that city & state), then the company name with city is the title:
Data Axle. (2020, September). Jackson Hewitt Tax Svc-Walmart, Kenai, AK [Company profile]. Reference Solutions. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.referenceusa.com
If there are multiple locations of that business in that city/state, include the exact address in parentheses as a form of unique number identifier:
Data Axle. (2020, September). Jackson Hewitt Tax Svc-Walmart (3101 A. St, Anchorage, AK) [Company profile]. Reference Solutions. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.referenceusa.com
Data Axle. (n.d.). [List of companies in Walworth county, Wisconsin with 5 or more employees]. Reference Solutions. Retrieved January 26, 2021, from https://www.referenceusa.com
Richard K. Miller & Associates (RKMA Market Research Handbooks)
Miller, R. K., & Washington, K. (2019). Consumer behavior 2019-2020. Richard K. Miller & Associates.
Standard & Poor’s. (2020). Restaurant Brands International [Company profile] . S&P NetAdvantage. https://www.capitaliq.com
Standard & Poor’s. (2020). Transaction screening: bankruptcy announcement date 5/20/2020 - 5/27/2020 [Data set]. S&P NetAdvantage. https://www.capitaliq.com
Scarola, C. & Ko, W. (2020, May). Aerospace & defense. CFRA Industry Surveys. https://www.capitaliq.com
CFRA Equity Research. (2020, August 8). General Electric . CFRA Stock Reports. https://www.capitaliq.com
SBRNet (Sports Market Analytics)
SBRnet. (n.d.). Basketball: College fan market summary. Sports Market Analytics. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://sportsmarketanalytics.com/
Look at the Variable Metadata or View Metadata section in order to get the Source information -- which agency collected the data. The Date is whatever year the data were collected.
SimplyAnalytics. (2019). [% households consuming imported beer/ale: Drank in last 6 months, for ZIP codes 55416, 55401, and Minneapolis metro area] [Data set]. MRI Consumer Survey US. http://app.simplyanalytics.com
SimplyAnalytics. (2019). [Map of Minneapolis, MN metro with family income $200,000 and over]. Census US. http://app.simplyanalytics.com
SimplyAnalytics. (2019.) [% food - Snack/dessert ice cream & sherbet - Brand Haagen-Daaz, entire US] [Data set]. SimmonsLocal US. http://app.simplyanalytics.com
SimplyAnalytics. (2018). [Map showing # multimarket data - Leisure activities - Current level of interest in major league soccer (MLS) - Somewhat, for Minneapolis-St. Paul DMA]. Scarborough Local Insights. http://app.simplyanalytics.com
Statistics, dossiers, and reports
Look under the Source section for “Survey by” -- that is the author
Daniel Research Group. (2019, September). Unit shipments of mobile personal computers (PCs) and laptops in the United States, from 2013 to 2023 (in millions) [Chart]. Statista. https://www.statista.com/
Sporting Intelligence. (2019). Global sports salaries survey 2019 . [Report]. Statista. https://www.statista.com/
Statista. (2020). National Hockey League . [Report]. Statista. https://www.statista.com/
Anything without a named author:
Statista. (2020, May). Laptops & tablets [Consumer market outlook]. https://www.statista.com/
Armstrong, M. (2020, June 4). UK government approval on the slide [Infographic] . Statista. https://www.statista.com/
Statistical Abstract of the United States (ProQuest)
Bureau of Census (2019). Table 3: Resident population projections and components of change: 2017 To 2060 [as of July 1 ] . In ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the U.S. https://statabs.proquest.com/
Stock quotes
NYSE. (2020, July 20). The Gap, Inc. stock quote. Yahoo! Finance. https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GPS?ltr=1
SWOT Analysis
Batter, A. (2016, November/December). The impact of a double trigger on the section 162(m) deduction . Journal of Corporate Taxation , 34-38.
Thomson Reuters. (2020). 2020 RIA federal tax handbook . http://checkpoint.riag.com/
Uniworld. (n.d.). [United States firms with subsidiaries in Norway]. Retrieved June 15, 2020, from http://uniworldonline.com/
Look at the bottom of the company’s stock page for the dates of the PDF reports -- usually approximately quarterly. Those are the archived reports and should be the preferred date.
Value Line. (2020, May 22). Delta Air Lines . Value Line Investment Survey. https://jump.valueline.com/
Use a direct/permalink URL whenever available.
International Financial Statistics. (2020). Government finance: Japan 2013-2020 [Data set] . International Monetary Fund. https://www.imf.org
World Health Organization. (2020, June 2). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Situation report - 134. https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200602-covid-19-sitrep-134.pdf?sfvrsn=cc95e5d5_2
Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2020, May 28). Price indexes for personal consumption expenditures by major type of product and by major function . (Table 2.3.4U) [Data set]. United States Department of Commerce. https://apps.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?reqid=19&step=3&isuri=1&nipa_table_list=2013&categories=underlying
Eurostat. (2020). Area under organic farming [Data set] . https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/sdg_02_40
Standard & Poor’s. (n.d.). Compustat daily updates - fundamentals annual [ Microsoft Corporation: Income statement items - January 2015 to January 2020 ] [Data set] . Capital IQ. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://wrds-www.wharton.upenn.edu/
The Center for Research in Security Prices. (n.d.). CRSP daily stock [Tesla Motors stock prices from 2007 to 2020] [Data set]. Retrieved June 3, 2020, from https://wrds-www.wharton.upenn.ed u/
List Partners. (n.d.). The Wendy’s Company . Winmo. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.winmo.com/
Working Paper
Hastings, J., Neilson, C. A., & Zimmerman, S.D. (2015, June). The effects of earnings disclosure on college enrollment decisions (NBER Working Paper No. 21300). http://www.nber.org/
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To see how to cite a textbook (and a case study from it), visit the APA Help guide:
Books: General Format
Author Last Name, First & Middle Initials. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book. City, ST: Publisher.
In-text : Paraphrase : (Last Name, Year). Quotation : (Last Name, Year, p. Page Number).
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Published on April 15, 2022 by Shona McCombes and Jack Caulfield. Revised on May 31, 2023.
Quoting means copying a passage of someone else’s words and crediting the source. To quote a source, you must ensure:
The exact format of a quote depends on its length and on which citation style you are using. Quoting and citing correctly is essential to avoid plagiarism which is easy to detect with a good plagiarism checker .
How to cite a quote in apa, mla and chicago, introducing quotes, quotes within quotes, shortening or altering a quote, block quotes, when should i use quotes, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about quoting sources.
Every time you quote, you must cite the source correctly . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style you’re using. Three of the most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
To cite a direct quote in APA , you must include the author’s last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas . If the quote appears on a single page, use “p.”; if it spans a page range, use “pp.”
An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative. In a parenthetical citation , you place all the information in parentheses after the quote. In a narrative citation , you name the author in your sentence (followed by the year), and place the page number after the quote.
Punctuation marks such as periods and commas are placed after the citation, not within the quotation marks .
Citing a quote in mla style.
An MLA in-text citation includes only the author’s last name and a page number. As in APA, it can be parenthetical or narrative, and a period (or other punctuation mark) appears after the citation.
Citing a quote in chicago style.
Chicago style uses Chicago footnotes to cite sources. A note, indicated by a superscript number placed directly after the quote, specifies the author, title, and page number—or sometimes fuller information .
Unlike with parenthetical citations, in this style, the period or other punctuation mark should appear within the quotation marks, followed by the footnote number.
, 510. |
Complete guide to Chicago style
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
Make sure you integrate quotes properly into your text by introducing them in your own words, showing the reader why you’re including the quote and providing any context necessary to understand it. Don’t present quotations as stand-alone sentences.
There are three main strategies you can use to introduce quotes in a grammatically correct way:
The following examples use APA Style citations, but these strategies can be used in all styles.
Introduce the quote with a full sentence ending in a colon . Don’t use a colon if the text before the quote isn’t a full sentence.
If you name the author in your sentence, you may use present-tense verbs , such as “states,” “argues,” “explains,” “writes,” or “reports,” to describe the content of the quote.
You can also use a signal phrase that mentions the author or source, but doesn’t form a full sentence. In this case, you follow the phrase with a comma instead of a colon.
To quote a phrase that doesn’t form a full sentence, you can also integrate it as part of your sentence, without any extra punctuation .
When you quote text that itself contains another quote, this is called a nested quotation or a quote within a quote. It may occur, for example, when quoting dialogue from a novel.
To distinguish this quote from the surrounding quote, you enclose it in single (instead of double) quotation marks (even if this involves changing the punctuation from the original text). Make sure to close both sets of quotation marks at the appropriate moments.
Note that if you only quote the nested quotation itself, and not the surrounding text, you can just use double quotation marks.
Note: When the quoted text in the source comes from another source, it’s best to just find that original source in order to quote it directly. If you can’t find the original source, you can instead cite it indirectly .
Often, incorporating a quote smoothly into your text requires you to make some changes to the original text. It’s fine to do this, as long as you clearly mark the changes you’ve made to the quote.
If some parts of a passage are redundant or irrelevant, you can shorten the quote by removing words, phrases, or sentences and replacing them with an ellipsis (…). Put a space before and after the ellipsis.
Be careful that removing the words doesn’t change the meaning. The ellipsis indicates that some text has been removed, but the shortened quote should still accurately represent the author’s point.
You can add or replace words in a quote when necessary. This might be because the original text doesn’t fit grammatically with your sentence (e.g., it’s in a different verb tense), or because extra information is needed to clarify the quote’s meaning.
Use brackets to distinguish words that you have added from words that were present in the original text.
The Latin term “ sic ” is used to indicate a (factual or grammatical) mistake in a quotation. It shows the reader that the mistake is from the quoted material, not a typo of your own.
In some cases, it can be useful to italicize part of a quotation to add emphasis, showing the reader that this is the key part to pay attention to. Use the phrase “emphasis added” to show that the italics were not part of the original text.
You usually don’t need to use brackets to indicate minor changes to punctuation or capitalization made to ensure the quote fits the style of your text.
If you quote more than a few lines from a source, you must format it as a block quote . Instead of using quotation marks, you set the quote on a new line and indent it so that it forms a separate block of text.
Block quotes are cited just like regular quotes, except that if the quote ends with a period, the citation appears after the period.
To the end of his days Bilbo could never remember how he found himself outside, without a hat, a walking-stick or any money, or anything that he usually took when he went out; leaving his second breakfast half-finished and quite unwashed-up, pushing his keys into Gandalf’s hands, and running as fast as his furry feet could carry him down the lane, past the great Mill, across The Water, and then on for a mile or more. (16)
Avoid relying too heavily on quotes in academic writing . To integrate a source , it’s often best to paraphrase , which means putting the passage in your own words. This helps you integrate information smoothly and keeps your own voice dominant.
However, there are some situations in which quoting is more appropriate.
If you want to comment on how the author uses language (for example, in literary analysis ), it’s necessary to quote so that the reader can see the exact passage you are referring to.
To convince the reader of your argument, interpretation or position on a topic, it’s often helpful to include quotes that support your point. Quotes from primary sources (for example, interview transcripts or historical documents) are especially credible as evidence.
When you’re referring to secondary sources such as scholarly books and journal articles, try to put others’ ideas in your own words when possible.
But if a passage does a great job at expressing, explaining, or defining something, and it would be very difficult to paraphrase without changing the meaning or losing the weakening the idea’s impact, it’s worth quoting directly.
If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Plagiarism
A quote is an exact copy of someone else’s words, usually enclosed in quotation marks and credited to the original author or speaker.
In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:
Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .
Every time you quote a source , you must include a correctly formatted in-text citation . This looks slightly different depending on the citation style .
For example, a direct quote in APA is cited like this: “This is a quote” (Streefkerk, 2020, p. 5).
Every in-text citation should also correspond to a full reference at the end of your paper.
A block quote is a long quote formatted as a separate “block” of text. Instead of using quotation marks , you place the quote on a new line, and indent the entire quote to mark it apart from your own words.
The rules for when to apply block quote formatting depend on the citation style:
If you’re quoting from a text that paraphrases or summarizes other sources and cites them in parentheses , APA and Chicago both recommend retaining the citations as part of the quote. However, MLA recommends omitting citations within a quote:
Footnote or endnote numbers that appear within quoted text should be omitted in all styles.
If you want to cite an indirect source (one you’ve only seen quoted in another source), either locate the original source or use the phrase “as cited in” in your citation.
In scientific subjects, the information itself is more important than how it was expressed, so quoting should generally be kept to a minimum. In the arts and humanities, however, well-chosen quotes are often essential to a good paper.
In social sciences, it varies. If your research is mainly quantitative , you won’t include many quotes, but if it’s more qualitative , you may need to quote from the data you collected .
As a general guideline, quotes should take up no more than 5–10% of your paper. If in doubt, check with your instructor or supervisor how much quoting is appropriate in your field.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
McCombes, S. & Caulfield, J. (2023, May 31). How to Quote | Citing Quotes in APA, MLA & Chicago. Scribbr. Retrieved September 13, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/how-to-quote/
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Case study template, case study examples, types of case studies, what are the benefits of case studies , what are the limitations of case studies , case study vs. testimonial.
In today's marketplace, conveying your product's value through a compelling narrative is crucial to genuinely connecting with your customers.
Your business can use marketing analytics tools to understand what customers want to know about your product. Once you have this information, the next step is to showcase your product and its benefits to your target audience. This strategy involves a mix of data, analysis, and storytelling. Combining these elements allows you to create a narrative that engages your audience. So, how can you do this effectively?
A case study is a powerful tool for showcasing a business's success in helping clients achieve their goals. It's a form of storytelling that details real-world scenarios where a business implemented its solutions to deliver positive results for a client.
In this article, we explore the concept of a case study , including its writing process, benefits, various types, challenges, and more.
Understanding how to write a case study is an invaluable skill. You'll need to embrace decision-making – from deciding which customers to feature to designing the best format to make them as engaging as possible. This can feel overwhelming in a hurry, so let's break it down.
If you've been in business for a while, you have no shortage of happy customers. But w ith limited time and resources, you can't choose everyone. So, take some time beforehand to flesh out your target buyer personas.
Once you know precisely who you're targeting, go through your stable of happy customers to find a buyer representative of the audience you're trying to reach. The closer their problems, goals, and industries align, the more your case study will resonate.
What if you have more than one buyer persona? No problem. This is a common situation for companies because buyers comprise an entire committee. You might be marketing to procurement experts, executives, engineers, etc. Try to develop a case study tailored to each key persona. This might be a long-term goal, and that's fine. The better you can personalize the experience for each stakeholder, the easier it is to keep their attention.
Here are a few considerations to think about before research:
These items are just a jumping-off point as you develop your criteria. Once you have a list, run each customer through it to determine your top targets. Approach the ones on the top (your "dream" case study subjects) and work your way down as needed.
You should consider interviewing top-level managers or executives because those are high-profile positions. But consider how close they are to your product and its results.
Focusing on an office manager or engineer who uses your product daily would be better. Look for someone with a courtside view of the effects.
The ways to request customer participation in case studies can vary, but certain principles can improve your chances:
Case study interviews are like school exams. The more prepared you are for them, the better they turn out. Preparing thoroughly also shows participants that you value their time. You don't waste precious minutes rehashing things you should have already known. You focus on getting the information you need as efficiently as possible.
You can conduct your case study interview in multiple formats, from exchanging emails to in-person interviews. This isn't a trivial decision. As you'll see in the chart below, each format has its unique advantages and disadvantages.
Seeing each other's facial expressions puts everyone at ease and encourages case study participants to open up. It's a good format if you're simultaneously conferencing with several people from the customer's team. | Always be on guard for connection issues; not every customer knows the technology. Audio quality will probably be less good than on the phone. When multiple people are talking, pieces of conversation can be lost. | |
It is a more personal than email because you can hear someone's tone. You can encourage them to continue if they get really excited about certain answers. Convenient and immediate. Dial a number and start interviewing without ever leaving the office. | It isn't as personal as a video chat or an in-person interview because you can't see the customer's face, and nonverbal cues might be missed. Don't get direct quotes like you would with email responses. The only way to preserve the interview is to remember to have it recorded. | |
The most personal interview style. It feels like an informal conversation, making it easier to tell stories and switch seamlessly between topics. Humanizes the customer's experience and allows you to put a face to the incredible results. | Puts a lot of pressure on customers who are shy or introverted – especially if they're being recorded. Requires the most commitment for the participant – travel, dressing up, dealing with audiovisual equipment, etc. | |
Gives customers the most flexibility with respect to scheduling. They can answer a few questions, see to their obligations, and return to them at their convenience. No coordination of schedules is needed. Each party can fulfill their obligations whenever they're able to. | There is less opportunity for customers to go “off script” and tell compelling anecdotes that your questions might have overlooked. Some of the study participant's personalities might be lost in their typed responses. It's harder to sense their enthusiasm or frustration. |
You'll also have to consider who will ask and answer the questions during your case study interview. It's wise to consider this while considering the case study format. The number of participants factors into which format will work best. Pulling off an in-person interview becomes much harder if you're trying to juggle four or five people's busy schedules. Try a video conference instead.
Before interviewing your case study participant, it is crucial to identify the specific questions that need to be asked. It's essential to thoroughly evaluate your collaboration with the client and understand how your product's contributions impact the company.
Remember that structuring your case study is akin to crafting a compelling narrative. To achieve this, follow a structured approach:
If you're preparing for a case study interview, here are some sample case study research questions to help you get started:
Preparing for case study interviews can be different from everyday conversations. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
When creating written case studies for your business, deciding who should handle the writing depends on cost, perspective, and revisions.
Outsourcing might be pricier, but it ensures a professionally crafted outcome. On the other hand, in-house writing has its considerations, including understanding your customers and products.
Technical expertise and equipment are needed for video case studies, which often leads companies to consider outsourcing due to production and editing costs.
Tip: When outsourcing work, it's essential to clearly understand pricing details to avoid surprises and unexpected charges during payment.
Understanding and applying storytelling elements can make your case studies unforgettable, offering a competitive edge.
Source: The Framework Bank
Every great study follows a narrative arc (also called a "story arc"). This arc represents how a character faces challenges, struggles against raising stakes, and encounters a formidable obstacle before the tension resolves.
In a case study narrative, consider:
The adage "Don't judge a book by its cover" is familiar, but people tend to do just that quite often!
A poor layout can deter readers even if you have an outstanding case study. To create an engaging case study, follow these steps:
Once you've finished the interview and created your case study, the hardest part is over. Now's the time for editing and revision. This might feel frustrating for impatient B2B marketers, but it can turn good stories into great ones.
Ideally, you'll want to submit your case study through two different rounds of editing and revisions:
Take a moment to proofread your case study one more time carefully. Even if you're reasonably confident you've caught all the errors, it's always a good idea to check. Your case study will be a valuable marketing tool for years, so it's worth the investment to ensure it's flawless. Once done, your case study is all set to go!
Consider sharing a copy of the completed case study with your customer as a thoughtful gesture. They'll likely appreciate it; some may want to keep it for their records. After all, your case study wouldn't have been possible without their help, and they deserve to see the final product.
Where you publish your case study depends on its role in your overall marketing strategy. If you want to reach as many people as possible with your case study, consider publishing it on your website and social media platforms.
Tip: Some companies prefer to keep their case studies exclusive, making them available only to those who request them. This approach is often taken to control access to valuable information and to engage more deeply with potential customers who express specific interests. It can create a sense of exclusivity and encourage interested parties to engage directly with the company.
When sharing individual case studies, concentrate on reaching the audience with the most influence on purchasing decisions
Here are some common distribution channels to consider:
It can seem daunting to transform the information you've gathered into a cohesive narrative. We’ve created a versatile case study template that can serve as a solid starting point for your case study.
With this template, your business can explore any solutions offered to satisfied customers, covering their background, the factors that led them to choose your services, and their outcomes.
The template boasts a straightforward design, featuring distinct sections that guide you in effectively narrating your and your customer's story. However, remember that limitless ways to showcase your business's accomplishments exist.
To assist you in this process, here's a breakdown of the recommended sections to include in a case study:
Case studies are proven marketing strategies in a wide variety of B2B industries. Here are just a few examples of a case study:
There are two different types of case studies that businesses might utilize:
Written case studies offer readers a clear visual representation of data, which helps them quickly identify and focus on the information that matters most.
Printed versions of case studies find their place at events like trade shows, where they serve as valuable sales collateral to engage prospective clients. Even in the digital age, many businesses provide case studies in PDF format or as web-based landing pages, improving accessibility for their audience.
Note: Landing pages , in particular, offer the flexibility to incorporate rich multimedia content, including images, charts, and videos. This flexibility in design makes landing pages an attractive choice for presenting detailed content to the audience.
Here are several significant advantages to leveraging case studies for your company:
Here are some drawbacks associated with the use of case studies:
Video case studies are the latest marketing trend. Unlike in the past, when video production was costly, today's tools make it more accessible for users to create and edit their videos. However, specific technical requirements still apply.
Like written case studies, video case studies delve into a specific customer's challenges and how your business provides solutions. Yet, the video offers a more profound connection by showcasing the person who faced and conquered the problem.
Video case studies can boost brand exposure when shared on platforms like YouTube. For example, Slack's engaging case study video with Sandwich Video illustrates how Slack transformed its workflow and adds humor, which can be challenging in written case studies focused on factual evidence.
Source : YouTube
This video case study has garnered nearly a million views on YouTube.
Here are some of the top advantages of video case studies. While video testimonials take more time, the payoff can be worth it.
Before fully committing to video testimonials, consider the following:
Now that you know the pros and cons of each, how do you choose which is right for you?
One of the most significant factors in doing video case studies can be the technical expertise and equipment required for a high level of production quality. Whether you have the budget to do this in-house or hire a production company can be one of the major deciding factors.
Still, written or video doesn't have to be an either-or decision. Some B2B companies are using both formats. They can complement each other nicely, minimizing the downsides mentioned above and reaching your potential customers where they prefer.
Let's say you're selling IT network security. What you offer is invaluable but complicated. You could create a short (three- or four-minute) video case study to get attention and touch on the significant benefits of your services. This whets the viewer's appetite for more information, which they could find in a written case study that supplements the video.
Should you decide to test the water in video case studies, test their effectiveness among your target audience. See how well they work for your company and sales team. And, just like a written case study, you can always find ways to improve your process as you continue exploring video case studies.
Case studies offer several distinctive advantages, making them an ideal tool for businesses to market their products to customers. However, their benefits extend beyond these qualities.
Here's an overview of all the advantages of case studies:
Case studies serve as a valuable resource for your sales endeavors. Buyers frequently require additional information before finalizing a purchase decision. These studies provide concrete evidence of your product or service's effectiveness, assisting your sales representatives in closing deals more efficiently, especially with customers with lingering uncertainties.
Case studies serve as evidence of your product or service's worth or value proposition , playing a role in building trust with potential customers. By showcasing successful partnerships, you make it easier for prospects to place trust in your offerings. This effect is particularly notable when the featured customer holds a reputable status.
By working closely with your customer success teams, you can uncover various customer stories that resonate with different prospects. Case studies allow marketers to shape product features and benefits into compelling narratives.
Each case study's distinctiveness, mirroring the uniqueness of every customer's journey, makes them a valuable source of relatable and engaging content. Storytelling possesses the unique ability to connect with audiences on an emotional level, a dimension that statistics alone often cannot achieve.
Case studies provide a valuable platform for showcasing your esteemed customers. Featuring them in these studies offers a chance to give them visibility and express your gratitude for the partnership, which can enhance customer loyalty . Depending on the company you are writing about, it can also demonstrate the caliber of your business.
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It's important to consider limitations when designing and interpreting the results of case studies. Here's an overview of the limitations of case studies:
Case studies often focus on specific individuals, organizations, or situations, making generalizing their findings to broader populations or contexts challenging.
Case studies require a significant time investment. The extensive data collection process and the need for comprehensive analysis can be demanding, especially for researchers who are new to this method.
Case studies can be influenced by memory and judgment, potentially leading to inaccuracies. Depending on human memory to reconstruct a case's history may result in variations and potential inconsistencies in how individuals recall past events. Additionally, bias may emerge, as individuals tend to prioritize what they consider most significant, which could limit their consideration of alternative perspectives.
Confirming results through additional research can present difficulties. This complexity arises from the need for detailed and extensive data in the initial creation of a case study. Consequently, this process requires significant effort and a substantial amount of time.
While looking at case studies, you may have noticed a quote. This type of quote is considered a testimonial, a key element of case studies.
If a customer's quote proves that your brand does what it says it will or performs as expected, you may wonder: 'Aren't customer testimonials and case studies the same thing?' Not exactly.
Testimonials are brief endorsements designed to establish trust on a broad scale. In contrast, case studies are detailed narratives that offer a comprehensive understanding of how a product or service addresses a specific problem, targeting a more focused audience.
Crafting case studies requires more resources and a structured approach than testimonials. Your selection between the two depends on your marketing objectives and the complexity of your product or service.
Case studies are among a company's most effective tools. You're well on your way to mastering them.
Today's buyers are tackling much of the case study research methodology independently. Many are understandably skeptical before making a buying decision. By connecting them with multiple case studies, you can prove you've gotten the results you say you can. There's hardly a better way to boost your credibility and persuade them to consider your solution.
Case study formats and distribution methods might change as technology evolves. However, the fundamentals that make them effective—knowing how to choose subjects, conduct interviews, and structure everything to get attention—will serve you for as long as you're in business.
We covered a ton of concepts and resources, so go ahead and bookmark this page. You can refer to it whenever you have questions or need a refresher.
Dive into market research to uncover customer preferences and spending habits.
Kristen’s is a former senior content marketing specialist at G2. Her global marketing experience extends from Australia to Chicago, with expertise in B2B and B2C industries. Specializing in content, conversions, and events, Kristen spends her time outside of work time acting, learning nature photography, and joining in the #instadog fun with her Pug/Jack Russell, Bella. (she/her/hers)
How to write a convincing case study: five must-have elements.
Owner of Criterion.B , overseeing client strategy and company culture.
Looking to produce case studies that increase the credibility of your business and attract new customers? There is a methodical art to case studies — an art you can master.
One mistake I often see brands make is confusing case studies with other promotional materials. As a reminder, case studies are not advertisements or a story about your company. They are a story about your customer's journey.
Here are five must-have elements that can turn your case studies from another thing that gets looked over to engaging lead generators that prospects want to read.
1. A Realistic And Authentic Client-Testimonial
While we recommend that you insert your client quote near the end of your case study, we are putting this component in the No. 1 spot on our list. Why? Because it is arguably the most important.
Without a client quote or testimonial, your case study may sound like you are simply bragging about how great your company is. Any "bragging" in your case study should only come from the client testimonial.
The best place to buy a mattress, according to mattress testers, benefits of investing in a franchise with multiple revenue streams.
That said, simply having a client testimonial doesn't make it a good one. Client testimonials need to be both realistic and authentic. This means that you don't write it yourself.
Something gets lost when you try to write your own testimonial. It's nearly impossible to re-create the individualistic, unique tone of voice that each of your clients or customers has.
Here's a little test. Choose the best client testimonial:
• Option A: "Wow! This agency was great! I honestly can't imagine working with another agency. Their consistent communication and insights into the industry blew me away. Each member on the team was passionate and always ready to answer any questions I had. I recommend them to all of my friends!"
• Option B: "It was a relief to work with this agency. The team was able to understand the needs of my business and the pain points of my customers quickly. I was happy to see how eager they were to get the ball rolling — they didn't waste time. As a property manager, I'm juggling a lot of projects, and they really took the stress off my back."
What's your pick?
If you picked option A, then you may be used to reading client testimonials written by businesses themselves. Don't be afraid to ask customers who are happy with your work for five minutes of their time.
2. Quick Stats
Along with simply including them, the motto for statistics or data in your case study is to get in and get out. Punch in a few facts and let the numbers speak for themselves. As well, the more powerful they are, the less you need to say in general.
For example, one of the most effective statistics in a case study generated by our team is this: 500 e-book downloads and counting. Why? Because it's clear, succinct and proves our effectiveness as a marketing agency in promoting our client's e-book. With the addition of "and counting," we are also showing that the downloads are still increasing. This inspires a future prospect to think, "They can do that for my business."
3. Well-Placed Imagery
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a high-quality image of the product or service you provided for your client is worth a million. In our case, that would be shots of brochures, logos, websites and graphics that we created. It's been said that the brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text . Your prospects are going to see the amazing work you do before they read about it.
On average, we include four images of designed pieces in each of our case studies. We have found that this hits the sweet spot between visuals and text.
As for where to put them, place images next to the headlines or paragraphs that reference your product or service. The biggest mistake is arbitrarily placing a high-quality image and losing the opportunity to make an impression on the prospect because they have no idea what they're looking at.
4. An Angle And A Broad Appeal
Does this seem contradictory? Yes. Can you achieve it? Yes.
To be intriguing (i.e., not like every other case study), give your piece a specific angle — usually something you can highlight in the title. Here's an example: "Marketing Agency Creates Engaging Branded Collateral From Scratch for Texas Apartment Community." The angle is that the agency created marketing materials for a new business. The angle is often the highlight of the case study.
That said, your case study should appeal to a broad audience — more specifically, the entirety of your target audience. This is because you want your case study to maximize its conversion potential, and you can't control what type of individual arrives at your website and clicks on your case study.
5. A 'Challenges' And Subsequent 'Solutions' Section
Without fail, we include both a "challenges" and a "solutions" section. This is critical to driving home the problems you fixed or obstacles you overcame for the client. As a reminder, a case study is a story of the customer's journey, and for a journey to exist, there have to be some obstacles to overcome.
Here are some initial challenges many of our marketing clients come to us with:
• Inconsistent messaging
• Lack of branding
• Low web traffic
• Outdated web design
This is another opportunity to inspire your prospects to think, "They can do that for me." Also, we suggest the solutions section be the place where you put your hard-hitting statistics.
Case Studies Win New Business
Case studies are your ultimate tool for winning new business because they are proof that you are credible, reliable and good at whatever it is that you do. Once you generate your case studies, make sure to put them on the homepage of your website and share them with prospective customers. It's easy for case studies to collect dust; don't let your hard work go to waste.
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Bradley Schnitzer
Professional Writer
After interviewing a happy client/customer (and hopefully sending that recording off to a transcription service) for your case study, you’ll have a treasure trove of quotes to play with.
When you use these quotes right, they go with your own words like peanut butter and jelly.
Or steak and lobster. Sorry, I have expensive taste.
But where do you use the quotes in your case study, exactly? How do you weave in your customer’s words to create flowing marketing prose that closes a sale or 20?
Yeah, you probably use them in the body copy…
But do they fit anywhere else?
Well, let’s look at how often to use quotes in that body copy, then cover some other places to put your customer’s words.
Customer words are among the most powerful marketing assets in your arsenal. After all, customers trust other customers more than they trust you in many cases (that’s not a bad thing, that’s just nature).
Yet, I read a lot of case studies (hey, don’t be surprised: I’m a copywriter) lacking in quotes.
Case studies are indeed social proof-ish, but they’re still written by you. You want a wealth of customer quotes in there.
That said, it’s possible (but less common) to go overboard on the quotes.
You don’t need one in every sentence. Even if you get tons of gold during the case study interview, you have to pick which pieces of gold are most valuable and use them in the right places.
See, overdoing the quotes can get the reader off track. Remember, you have limited room in the case study. It can’t be too long . You’ve got to keep your reader’s attention and cover all the important parts.
As with many things, the ideal lies somewhere in the middle. It is contextual — brand voice, case study length, case study design/format, and much more affect how many quotes make sense in a study.
So you basically want more than one quote but fewer than the total number of sentences in your case study.
Really, you should aim for at least one in each section’s body copy.
But even that is context-specific.
That’s why I’m going to share some key places to sprinkle quotes throughout your case study that aren’t the text. Getting at least one for each of these could be a good bare minimum.
Anyways…
At the very top.
What better way to start a case study than with the happy customer’s words?
Well, start with a compelling title, of course.
But putting a quote right after the title is a good idea. Ideally, that quote should play off the title and offer a powerful summary of the overall case study.
So, for example, if your title is “How ABC Company increased revenue by 10% with XYZ automation,” you’d pull a quote from your interview where the customer mentions how much more revenue or profit their earning.
You could also use a quote with a relevant benefit that isn’t an exact match. In the above example, maybe that’s a quote regarding the time that ABC Company saved with XYZ automation.
However, I like the first idea better since your quote will better encompass the overall case study. The second one would be handy if , for some reason, you didn’t have a quote that followed the first idea.
Here’s a good idea: Each section of the case study should — below the subheading — lead with a quote relevant to that section.
I did this with a client to great success. We had “The Problem” as a subheading, followed by “We didn’t know what we didn’t know…” (actual quote from my client’s customer). As in, they knew they had problems and could make improvements, but they didn’t have the time or energy to define those problems because they were so busy running their business.
Based on the type of service my client offers and the problem they solve, that quote would hit home with more of my client’s target market. Trust me. The client’s customer truly came into the engagement not knowing what they didn’t know — my client taught their customer these things, then helped them fix them.
I’ve seen some people use quotes as subheadings. That can work in some cases, but it is, admittedly, a bit more unconventional.
If you want to play it safe, try sticking relevant quotes right under the subheadings as I described.
But, depending on the brand, I’d actually go this route. Especially in B2C. Make it more of a “success story” angle than a case study.
Lastly, there should be a more full-length testimonial (instead of just a quote) either somewhere on the side or at the very end, depending on design.
This testimonial would be the entire case study in a nutshell, from the customer’s view. It would start with the “before” state and finish with the “looking forward to the future” portion.
You may be able to use 2 testimonials, too. One could go at the end and be the type I just explained. The other might zoom in and talk about the process of working with you.
Either way, strategically placing full-length testimonials drives the point home.
Quotes deserve more than just going into your case study body copy. You can use them under your title and subheadings and throw in a full-length testimonial or two at the end or on the side of the study.
Hey, you can even use them as subheadings.
Just don’t use them too much. Instead, they should add to your case study, like salt and pepper to a steak.
Can you tell I like steak?
If you want help writing a case study and using customer quotes in it, reach out to me . I have a nice, lengthy interview with your client full of follow-up questions to dig out the real gold. Happy to talk more about it with you!
Just plop your name and best email address below:
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Google, Inc. HBS No. 9-806-105. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. In-text citation examples - Harvard Business School Case Study. APA in-text citations include the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number (for quotes), either as part of the text of your paper or in parentheses. One Author:
The APA Manual does not include instructions on how to cite a Harvard Business Review case study. When citing case studies in APA style you will want to include the typical citation elements and apply general formatting guidelines. The following are examples of how case studies could be cited in APA style, but be sure to check with your ...
Citing Your Sources. Proper citation is an essential aspect of scholarship. Citing properly allows your reader or audience to locate the materials you have used. Most importantly, citations give credit to the authors of quoted or consulted information. Failure to acknowledge sources of information properly may constitute plagiarism.
Number of case study. URL. Examples: Harvard Business School Case Study Smith, S. (2003). Leadership. HBS No. 7-806-122. https://hbsp.harvard.edu/cases/ Ivey Business School Case Study Heisz, M., & Leech, L. (2005). Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002: Understanding the requirements and the Canadian response. Ivey ID: 9B05B009. https://www.iveycases.com ...
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. Note: If your source has two to twenty authors, include all of the authors' last names, first initials, and second initials (if given) in the Reference List citation.
APA Style (7th ed.) Case study with a DOI. If the case study has an assigned DOI (print or online versions), include the DOI in the reference. Khan, S. (2019).
EXAMPLE OF A REFERENCE TO A PRINTED CASE STUDY. Spar, D. and Burns, J. 2000. 'Hitting the wall: Nike and International Labor Practices.'. HBS 700047. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. EXAMPLE OF A REFERENCE TO AN ELECTRONIC CASE STUDY FROM A DATABASE. Mathu, K.M. and Scheepers, C. 2016. 'Leading change towards sustainable green ...
If the business case is published as a case document, include the publisher name and a DOI or URL. Citation example for a case study published in an academic article or journal (such as in Harvard Business Review): Gino, F., Klesyk, A., & Hartman, M. (2013). Fighting a government threat. Harvard Business Review, 91(3), 123-127.
SAGE Business Cases. Case Study. In-Text Citation: Required elements: Author last name, page number (if ... Havard states that "insert quote here" (7). Case Study from a Website. Works Cited List Citation: Author's Last Name, Author's First Name. Title of Case Study. Case Study Number (if given), Sponsoring Organization, Date of publication or ...
David Lam Library's Business Citation Examples guide offers citation tips, as well as APA citation examples from commonly used business databases. Use this document along with the Library's Getting Started with APA Citation Style guide.
Harvard Style Guide: Case studies. This guide explains how to use the Harvard Style. It includes a short tutorial. Reference: Author/editor Last name, Initials. (Year) 'Title of case study' [Case Study], Journal Title, Volume (Issue), pp. page numbers. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].
According to APA, case studies do not have their own citation style or process, instead a case study is typically cited according to its source type -- often as an article. See below for some examples. Journal Article/Case Study with DOI (Print or Electronic) Author Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year).
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 according to the type of publication. Following are some examples of case studies in business. Business case study. Author(s). (Year). Title of case study. Number of ...
Case Study. Example. Havard, Cody T. "Basketball at the Most Magical Place on Earth: A Case Study of the NBA's Season Conclusion at Walt Disney World Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic." SAGE, 2021. SAGE Business Cases. Case Study. APA: According to APA, case studies do not have their own citation style or process, instead, cite as an article.
3. List publication information for the case study. Type the city where the case study was published, then follow with a period. Type the name of the publishing company (which will typically be the university or organization that produced the study). Place a comma, then provide the year the case study was published.
In this case, also include a more specific description in the brackets than just [Industry report] as is often used elsewhere, because IBIS has risk and other reports as well as global, state, and other levels of industry reports, and sometimes the titles and numbers are the same.
By keeping in mind research students, this article presents a systematic step-by-step guide to conduct a case study in the business discipline. Research students belonging to said discipline face issues in terms of clarity, selection, and operationalization of qualitative case study while doing their final dissertation. These issues often lead ...
To see how to cite a textbook (and a case study from it), visit the APA Help guide: Click on References and In-text Citation Examples; See the drop down arrow by Books for one that matches your textbook. Example: Books: General Format. Author Last Name, First & Middle Initials. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book. City, ST: Publisher. In-text:
Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use "p."; if it spans a page range, use "pp.". An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
Step 1: Reach out to the target persona. If you've been in business for a while, you have no shortage of happy customers. But with limited time and resources, you can't choose everyone. So, take some time beforehand to flesh out your target buyer personas.
2. Quick Stats. Along with simply including them, the motto for statistics or data in your case study is to get in and get out. Punch in a few facts and let the numbers speak for themselves. As ...
Quotes: Apply Liberally, But Not Too Much. Quotes deserve more than just going into your case study body copy. You can use them under your title and subheadings and throw in a full-length testimonial or two at the end or on the side of the study. Hey, you can even use them as subheadings. Just don't use them too much.
"Discover the inspiring story of Country Delight, a dairy startup founded by two IIM graduates in 2013. From humble beginnings to becoming a ₹6,000 crore com...