how to reference a case study mla

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Answer Last Updated: Aug 23, 2023     Views: 19500

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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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Case Studies

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How to Cite a Case Study: Different Styles

November 20, 2023

Properly citing case studies plays a crucial role in academic writing for several reasons. Firstly, citing case studies demonstrates the credibility and reliability of your arguments and research. By referencing the original sources, you show that you have conducted thorough research and have used reputable and authoritative information to support your claims.

Secondly, citing case studies allows readers to further explore the topic and verify the information provided. It enables them to locate and read the full case study if they wish to delve deeper into the details and findings. This promotes transparency and fosters a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.

Finally, citing case studies acknowledges the contributions of the original authors and researchers. By giving proper credit, you adhere to ethical standards of academic integrity and avoid plagiarism. It also ensures that the individuals responsible for the case study receive recognition for their work.

In summary, citing case studies is essential in academic writing to enhance credibility, facilitate further exploration, and acknowledge the original authors’ contributions.

Basic Guidelines for Citing a Case Study

When citing a case study in your essay, it is important to follow some basic guidelines to ensure accuracy and consistency. Here are the key guidelines to keep in mind:

• Identify the case study: Start by providing the full title of the case study, along with the names of the authors or researchers involved. Include any relevant publication information, such as the name of the journal or book in which the case study is published.
• Format the citation style: Depending on the citation style required by your academic institution or professor, format your case study citation accordingly. Common citation styles include APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard. Each style has specific rules for formatting and referencing case studies, so familiarize yourself with the requirements of the chosen style.
• Include the case study publication date: In addition to the authors’ names and title, mention the date on which the case study was published. This provides important chronological context for your readers and allows them to assess the relevance and currency of the information presented.
• Provide a direct link or source: Whenever possible, include a direct link or source to the case study. This could be a URL to an online version of the case study, a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), or the volume and page numbers if it is published in a journal or book. This helps readers locate the case study easily and access it for further reading.

By adhering to these basic guidelines, you can ensure that your case study citations are accurate, consistent, and accessible for your readers. Remember to consult the specific guidelines of your chosen citation style to ensure complete adherence.

Citing a Case Study in APA Format

When citing a case study in APA format, follow these guidelines to accurately reference the source:

• Author(s) of the case study: Include the last name(s) and initials of the author(s) of the case study. If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas and use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name.
• Year of publication: Provide the year the case study was published in parentheses.
• Title of the case study: Use sentence case capitalization for the title. Only capitalize the first word and proper nouns.
• Source information: Depending on the source type, include additional details following the title. For example:
• If it is a journal article, include the journal name in italics, volume number(issue number), and page range.
• If it is a book chapter, include the book title in italics and the editors’ names.
• If it is an online source, provide the URL and the date of access.

Example APA citation for a case study:

• Single author: Author, A. (Year). Title of case study. Source information.
• Multiple authors: Author, A., & Author, B. (Year). Title of case study. Source information.

Make sure to properly format the citation, including hanging indents, use of italics, and punctuation. Additionally, list all the case studies you cited in a separate references page at the end of your essay, following APA formatting guidelines.

Citing a Case Study in MLA Format

When citing a case study in MLA format, follow these guidelines to reference the source accurately:

• Authors of the case study: Include the author’s name(s) in the order they appear in the source, but inverted (last name, first name).
• Title of the case study: Use sentence case capitalization. Capitalize the first word, proper nouns, and any other words that would normally be capitalized. Italicize the title.
• Title of the source: Use italics to indicate the title of the source. This could be the name of the journal, book, or website.
• Publication information: Depending on the source type, include additional details following the source title. For example:
• If it is a journal article, include the name of the journal in italics, volume number (issue number), and page range.
• If it is a book chapter, include the book title in italics, the editors’ names, publisher, year of publication, and page range.
• If it is an online source, provide the name of the website in italics, the date of publication, the name of the publisher, the URL, and the date of access.

Example MLA citation for a case study:

• Single author: Author last name, First name. “Title of case study.” Title of source, Publication information.
• Multiple authors: Last name, First name and First name Last name. “Title of case study.” Title of source, Publication information.

Remember to properly format the citation, including hanging indents, use of italics, and punctuation. Additionally, list all the case studies you cited in a separate works cited page at the end of your essay, following MLA formatting guidelines.

Citing a Case Study in Chicago Style

When citing a case study in Chicago style, follow these guidelines to reference the source accurately:

• Title of the case study: Use sentence case capitalization. Capitalize the first word, proper nouns, and any other words that would normally be capitalized. Enclose the title in double quotation marks.

Example Chicago citation for a case study:

• Single author: Author last name, first name. “Title of case study.” In Title of source, publication information.
• Multiple authors: Last name, first name, and first name last name. “Title of case study.” In Title of source, publication information.

Remember to properly format the citation, including hanging indents and punctuation. Additionally, list all the case studies you cited in a separate bibliography page at the end of your essay, following Chicago formatting guidelines.

Citing a Case Study in Harvard Style

When citing a case study in Harvard style, follow these guidelines to accurately reference the source:

• Authors of the case study: Include the last name(s) and initials of the author(s) of the case study. Separate multiple authors’ names with commas and use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name.
• Title of the case study: Use sentence case capitalization for the title. Capitalize the first word, proper nouns, and any other words that would normally be capitalized. Italicize the title.

Example Harvard citation for a case study:

Ensure the citation is properly formatted, including punctuation, use of italics, and indentation. Also, list all the case studies cited in a separate references list at the end of the essay, following Harvard formatting guidelines.

Online Databases for Finding Case Studies

Finding case studies for your essay is made easier with the availability of online databases. These databases compile various case studies from different disciplines, allowing you to access a wide range of relevant examples. Here are some online databases you can use to find case studies:

• Google Scholar : This widely-used search engine provides access to scholarly articles, including case studies. Use specific keywords to narrow down your search and include the phrase “cite a case study” to find articles that specifically discuss how to cite case studies.
• EBSCOhost : EBSCOhost is a popular online research platform that offers access to multiple databases such as Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. These databases contain numerous case studies across various fields.
• JSTOR : JSTOR is a digital library that provides access to academic journals, books, and primary sources. It covers diverse disciplines and includes a vast collection of case studies that can be useful for your research.
• ProQuest : ProQuest is another comprehensive research tool that offers access to a wide range of databases, including scholarly journals, newspapers, and dissertations. It houses a substantial collection of case studies covering multiple subject areas.

When searching in these databases, use keywords specific to your topic, such as the name of the industry or concept you are focusing on. Additionally, if you find a relevant case study, make sure to cite it correctly using the appropriate citation style.

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How to Cite a Case Study

Last Updated: March 6, 2024

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD . Jennifer Mueller is a wikiHow Content Creator. She specializes in reviewing, fact-checking, and evaluating wikiHow's content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. Jennifer holds a JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006. This article has been viewed 37,371 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.

Sample Citations

• Example: Lee, Stan.
• If there is more than one author, list the additional authors' names in first-middle initial-last format. Separate author's names with commas, with the word "and" before the last author's name.

• Example: Lee, Stan. "DC Comics in 2016." HBS No. 999-111.

• Example: Lee, Stan. "DC Comics in 2016." HBS No. 999-111. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017.

• Example: Lee, Stan. "DC Comics in 2016." HBS No. 999-111. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017. http://hbsp.harvard.edu, accessed July 2018.

• Print example: Stan Lee, "DC Comics in 2016," HBS No. 999-111 (Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017), p. 14.
• Online example: Stan Lee, "DC Comics in 2016," HBS No. 999-111 (Boston, Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017), http://hbsp.harvard.edu, accessed July 2018.

• Example: Lee, S.
• Separate the names of multiple authors with commas, placing an ampersand before the last author's name.

• Example: Lee, S. (2017).
• If there is no year of publication listed, use the abbreviation "n.d." in the parentheses.

• Example: Lee, S. (2017). DC Comics in 2016 .

• Example: Lee, S. (2017). DC Comics in 2016 . HBS No. 999-111.

• Example: Lee, S. (2017). DC Comics in 2016 . HBS No. 999-111. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

• Example: (Lee, 2017).

• If there are 2 authors, place the word "and" between their names. For 3 or more, use commas with the word "and" before the final author. After the first author, list subsequent authors with their first name followed by their last name. For example: Lee, Stan and Clark Kent.

• Example: Lee, Stan. DC Comics in 2016. Case Study.

• Example: Lee, Stan. DC Comics in 2016. Case Study. Boston. Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017.
• Note that unlike many other citation styles, the unique case study number is not necessarily included for MLA citations. Ask your instructor or supervisor if they want this information included in your citation.

• Print example: Lee, Stan. DC Comics in 2016. Case Study. Boston. Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017. Print.
• Web example: Lee, Stan. DC Comics in 2016. Case Study. Boston. Harvard Business School Publishing, 2017. Web. 17 July 2018.
• If you accessed the case study online, you may put the URL of the case study. However, this isn't required by MLA style. Ask your instructor or supervisor for their preference.

• Example: (Lee 27).

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• ↑ https://guides.library.ualberta.ca/apa-citation-style/case-studies
• ↑ http://libanswers.snhu.edu/faq/128490
• ↑ http://libanswers.walsh.edu/faq/147917
• ↑ http://maag.guides.ysu.edu/businesscitations/mla

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How to Cite a Case Study in MLA: Works Cited, Text Citation, and Footnote

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Academic writing is a broad discipline that covers essay writing, report writing, and case study analysis. In all these writings, students use scholarly sources, such as books, case studies, and peer-reviewed journal articles, to validate arguments. Hence, academic writing standards require students to cite sources that they use to present evidence to back up arguments.

General Rules on Citing a Case Study in MLA

If students use a case study as a source and cite it following the MLA format, there some essential details that they must capture in their citation entry. For example, the main elements include:

• Name of the author(s)
• Title of a case study
• Location of a publisher
• Year of publication

Citing a Case Study as a Standalone Document in MLA on the Works Cited Page

If an author has published a case study as a standalone document, a student should cite this source in the Works Cited page in the way they would cite a book. Hence, a citation entry should appear as follows:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. Case Study Title (Title case study and italicized). Location of the Publisher. Publisher, Date. Case Study.  An example would be:

Rosegrant, Susan. Leadership Failure at Wal-Mart: The Curse of Internationalization. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Publishing, 2015.

Citing a Case Study with In-Text Citations and Footnotes in MLA

When it comes to citing a case study in a body of a paper, a student should use a parenthetical citation (in-text) by indicating the last name of the author and the page number in a case study from where the information is picked.

In-Text Citation Example:

If students follow the rules of an MLA format, an in-text citation would appear as (Rosegrant 5).

Footnote Citation Example:

If a student has to use footnotes, a footnote citation example is

Susan Rosegrant, Leadership Failure at Wal-Mart: The Curse of Internationalization (Boston, MA: Harvard Business Publishing, 2015), 5.

To Learn More, Read Relevant Articles

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• ZoteroBib ZoteroBib creates a bibliography in the style you need, including APA, MLA and Chicago/Turbaian. Just enter the from URL, title, DOI and other information, select your style and Zotero will compile a formatted citation list.
• Zotero How to Guide Learn about Zotero, how to install, set up and use to store your references and create bibliographies and reference lists.
• RefWorks How To Guide Learn about RefWorks, how to set up your account, store references and create bibliographies and reference lists. It is recommended that you create your RefWorks account when you are on-campus. Make sure you use your WSU email to create your account.
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Welcome to the guide for Citing References Using MLA Style!

We hope that you will find this guide a useful starting place for information on style guidelines from the Modern Language Association (MLA). We have assembled a core collection of resources available through the Wayne State University Library System, as well as high quality, freely available web resources. This guide is a collaborative work-in-progress, developed with suggestions and feedback from students and faculty.

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Q. How do I cite a case study in Harvard Business Review?

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Answered By: Katie Hutchison Last Updated: Oct 26, 2016     Views: 352613

Harvard Business Review - Case Studies

This format would apply to any business case including Harvard Business Review, Ivey and MIT Sloane cases:

Author(s). Name of the case. Business Case. City. Publisher. Date. Format (Print or Web) If your format is Web include the date it was accessed. EXAMPLE: Yoffe, David B. and Renee Kim. Apple Inc in 2010. Case Study. Boston. Harvard Business Publishing, 2010. Web. 28 October 2010.

  APA Format

Harvard Business School Case Study

Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year). Title of case study . HBS No. number of case study. City, State abbreviation or Country of publication: Publisher. EXAMPLES:

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.

  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.

…as the case study concluded (Smith, 2003, p. 6).

Smith reported (2003, p. 6) that the data was flawed.

Eisenmann and Herman did agree on the research findings (2006, p. 11).

… as both researchers agreed (Eisenmann & Herman, 2006, p. 11).

Chicago Manual of Style ( PDF selections copied from Grove City College Henry Buhl Library)

CASES (PRINTED)   

Footnote   

Mikołaj  Jan  Piskorski  and David Chen, “Twitter,” HBS No. 710-455 (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2010), p. 8.   

Bibliography   

Piskorski ,  Mikołaj  Jan, and David Chen. “Twitter.” HBS No. 710-455. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2010.   

CASES (ONLINE)   

On the Web   

Amy C. Edmondson and Laura R. Feldman, “Group Process in the Challenger Launch Decision (A),” HBS No. 603-068 (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2002), http://hbsp.harvard.edu, accessed October 2012.   

Edmondson, Amy C., and Laura R. Feldman. “Group Process in the Challenger Launch Decision (A).” HBS No. 603-068. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2002. http://hbsp. harvard.edu, accessed September 2007.   

Michael J. Enright et al., “Daewoo and the Korean Chaebol,” University of Hong Kong case no. HKU143 (University of Hong Kong, August 2001), via Harvard Business Publishing, http://hbsp.harvard.edu/, accessed March 2007.   

Bibliography   

Enright, Michael J., et al. “Daewoo and the Korean Chaebol.” University of Hong Kong case no. HKU143 (University of Hong Kong, August 2001). Harvard Business Publishing. http://hbsp.harvard.edu/, accessed March 2007.   

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What is MLA Style?

MLA Style establishes standards of written communication concerning:

• formatting and page layout
• applying stylistic technicalities (e.g. abbreviations, footnotes, quotations)
• citing sources
• preparing a manuscript for publication in certain disciplines.

Why Use MLA?

Using MLA Style properly makes it easier for readers to navigate and comprehend a text through familiar cues that refer to sources and borrowed information. Editors and instructors also encourage everyone to use the same format so there is consistency of style within a given field. Abiding by MLA's standards as a writer will allow you to:

• Provide your readers with cues they can use to follow your ideas more efficiently and to locate information of interest to them
• Allow readers to focus more on your ideas by not distracting them with unfamiliar or complicated formatting
• Establish your credibility or ethos in the field by demonstrating an awareness of your audience and their needs as fellow researchers (particularly concerning the citing of references)

Who Should Use MLA?

MLA Style is typically reserved for writers and students preparing manuscripts in various humanities disciplines such as:

• English Studies - Language and Literature
• Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Literary Criticism
• Comparative Literature
• Cultural Studies

MLA Formatting and Notation Style

You should start by becoming familiar with the general formatting requirements of MLA Style, as well as the different standards for notation that MLA writers are expected to use. Because MLA is different than other writing styles, such as APA, you should pay attention to every detail of the Style, from general paper layout to abbreviations. The following pages will introduce you to some of these basic requirements to get you started in the right direction.

General Format

• Covers the basic requirements of page layout for a typical MLA manuscript
• Includes general guidelines to apply throughout the document and specific formatting details for the first page of the paper
• Provides an image of the first page of a sample essay written in MLA Style

Footnotes and Endnotes

• Explains the necessity for using both types of notes and how to use them effectively in an MLA paper
• Covers different reasons for why you may use a footnote or endnote to supplement the main body of your paper
• Describes how to number and format the notes to be consistent with MLA guidelines

Formatting Quotations

• Describes how to format quotations borrowed from secondary sources
• Addresses both short quotations worked into the writer's own sentences and long quotations that are blocked off as distinct material
• Explains how to omit or add in words properly to clarify the meaning of a quotation

Abbreviations

• Covers MLA standards for abbreviating words commonly used in academic prose
• Describes the different categories of abbreviations: times, locations, academic references, and publishers
• Includes guidelines for abbreviating information in citations on a Works Cited page

MLA Citations and Works Cited Page

As with any publishing style, the most difficult aspects of MLA Style are the requirements for citing secondary sources accurately. The pages included here walk you through the details of incorporating citations into the text of your paper as well as how to compose a Works Cited page of references at the end of your paper.  Read these guidelines carefully.  It is important that you refer to your sources according to MLA Style so your readers can quickly follow the citations to the reference page and then, from there, locate any sources that might be of interest to them. They will expect this information to be presented in a particular style, and any deviations from that style could result in confusing your readers.

How to Document Sources in MLA Style: An Overview

• Covers the process for developing Works Cited pages and in-text citations using MLA (9th ed.)
• Explains "containers," a concept new to the eighth edition, including how to apply them to develop citations

In-Text Citations: The Basics

• Addresses the MLA Style formatting requirements for citing secondary sources within the text of your essay
• Offers a few basic rules for using parenthetical citations, including when not to use them
• Includes examples of in-text citations
• Explains the author-page formatting of the parenthetical citation and how that applies to different types of sources
• Provides examples of in-text citations based on the kind of source being cited, such as a literary work, an anonymous work, and a work with multiple authors
• Describes how to cite a source indirectly referenced in another source

Works Cited Page: Basic Format

• Guides you through the general rules that apply to any Works Cited page using MLA Style, including where the page appears and how to organize the works
• Walks you through how to construct a reference entry for different types of texts, starting with a focus on authors
• Serves as a primer on formatting that will be expanded in all of the following pages addressing MLA Works Cited entries for different types of sources
• Includes an example Works Cited Page

Works Cited Page: Books

• Builds from the basic format page with a focus on how to create citations for certain commonly referenced book sources
• Includes guidelines and examples for a variety of books depending on the number of authors, whether the work is a piece is a larger work, or the book itself is part of multivolume collection

Works Cited Page: Other Common Sources

• Provides guidelines on how to reference other sources you may encounter during research that are considered books or non-periodical works
• Includes works that you might likely use but that have unusual publication information, such as a government document, pamphlet, or dissertation

Works Cited Page: Periodicals

• Covers the guidelines for developing a citation entry for works found in periodicals (typically articles in circulating publications that have different dates and volume/issue numbers)
• Lists types of entries depending on the kind of journal (e.g. one paginated by volume), if the source is a magazine vs. a newspaper, or the kind of article (e.g. a letter to the editor)

Works Cited Page: Electronic Sources

• Demonstrates the basic requirements and unique qualifications for constructing references for different types of electronic sources
• Covers more standard sources—from online periodicals and scholarly databases—to less conventional sources, like emails and video recordings found online
• Includes OWL suggestions on how to cite blog entries and comments posted to blogs (NOTE: consult your instructor to find out if these are acceptable research sources to use for your assignment)

Works Cited Page: Other Non-Print Sources

• Applies the basic MLA citation rules to non-print sources you may use in your research, such as interviews and images
• Provides directions and examples of how to cite video and sound recordings, as well as three dimensional works like sculptures

Please Note:  If you know exactly what you're looking for concerning MLA, you can use the OWL Navigation to the left by looking under "Research and Citation" and clicking on "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." You may also use the search option in the navigation bar to find resources.

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Business Case Studies

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• Writing Case Studies

Citing Your Sources

Chicago style, american psychological association (apa) style manuals, modern language association (mla) style manuals, selected web guides.

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.  For an explicit definition of plagiarism, see the  Boston University Academic Conduct Code .

For detailed instructions on how to cite within the text of your paper, please consult a style manual listed below. Please also note: some of the resources below do not cover every possibility you might encounter when trying to cite your sources. For this reason, it is suggested that you consult a style manual to create your bibliography.

• Online Resources
• Sample Citations
• Reference Books
• Chicago Manual of Style Online This link opens in a new window Note: Full text online includes 16th and 17th editions.
• Citation Quick Guide - A Chicago Style Q&A and a Tools section featuring sample forms, letters and style sheets. - Discover the difference between Notes & Bibliography style and Author/Date style.
• Citation Guide (HBS) This excellent guide in .PDF from the Harvard Business School covers citation within text as well as how to do a bibliography using Chicago style.

1. Lynda Gratton, The Key: How Corporations Succeed by Solving the World’s Toughest Problems (New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014),  67-71.

Shortened note:

10. Gratton, The Key , 67-71.

Bibliography entry:

Gratton, Lynda. The Key: How How Corporations Succeed by Solving the Toughest Problems . New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014.

     13. Peter Weill and Stephanie L. Woerner, What's Your Digital Business Model?: Six Questions to Help You Build the Next-Generation Enterprise (Harvard Business Review Press, 2018), 21-23, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bu /detail.action?docID=5180058.

Shortened note :

15. Weill and Woerner, What's Your Digital Business? , 21-23, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bu /detail.action?docID=5180058.

Weill, Peter and Stephanie L. Woerrner. What's Your Digital Business?: Six Questions to Help You Build the Next-Generation

       Enterprise . Harvard Business Review Press 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central ,

       https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bu /detail.action?docID=5180058.

Journal Article from a database

     19. Sam son Nambei Asoba and Nteboheng Patricia Mefi , "Functional Strategies for Small Businesses During Crisis Situations,"  Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal 27, n o. 3 (2021): 2-3. https://ezproxy.bu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Ffunctional-strategies-small-businesses-during%2Fdocview%2F2565213471%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D9676.

      27. Asoba and Mefi, "Functional Stategies," Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal 27, 2-3. https://ezproxy.bu.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fscholarly-journals%2Ffunctional-strategies-small-businesses-during%2Fdocview%2F2565213471%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D9676

Asoba, Samson Nambei and Nteboheng Patricia Mefi. "Functional Strategies for Small Businesses During Crisis

       Situations." Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal 27, no. 3 (2021): 1-7. [place url here].

Electronic Databases (BU Databases)

Mergent Online (Electronic database)

      25. Thomas Key, "Comprehensive Technical and Fundamental Analysis for AAPL," Mergent Online, Stock Trader's Daily (via Investext), Sept. 15, 2021, accessed 9-17-21, [place url here].

Key, Thomas. "Comprehensive Technical and Fundamental Analysis for AAPL." Mergent Online.

      Stock Trader's Daily (via Investext). Sept. 15, 2021, accessed 9-17-21, [place url here].

MarketLine Company Profile via Business Source Complete (Electronic database)

     31 . “Company Profile: Apple Inc., “Company Profile: Apple Inc.,” MarketLine Report via Business Source Complete, accessed October 17, 2014, [place url here].

“Company Profile: Apple Inc., 19 September 2014.” MarketLine Report via Business Source Complete.

      Accessed October 17, 2014. [place url here].

• APA Style.Style and Grammar Guidelines

APA Sample Citations: Note- initially no indent and then following lines indented.

Print Source:

Book (print):.

Gratton, L. (2014).  The Key: How Corporations Succeed by Solving the World’s Toughest Problems . New York: McGraw-Hill Education .

Bloomberg (Electronic Database):

Bloomberg L.P. (2014).  Historical Price Line Chart for Apple, Inc. 11/1/03 to 11/1/04 . Retrieved October 17, 2014 from Bloomberg L.P.

MarketLine Company Profile via Business Source Complete:

MarketLine Report. (2014, September 19).  Company Profile: Apple Inc . Retrieved October 17, 2014 from Business Source Complete database.

Mergent Online (SEC/EDGAR filing in BU database):

Apple, Inc. (2013, September 28).  Form 10-K . Retrieved October 17, 2014 from Mergent Online database.

Mintel Reports (Electronic Database):

Mintel. (2014, October).  Mobile Apps – US – October 2014 . Retrieved October 17, 2014 from Mintel Reports database.

SRDS online (Electronic Database)

SRDS Media Solutions. (n.d.).  U.S. News & World Report Profile . Retrieved October 17, 2014 from SRDS Media Solutions database.

University Reporter  (Electronic Database):

University Reporter . (2014, Spring).  2014 Spring Reporter Apparel/Accessories . Retrieved February 23, 2016 from  University Reporter  database.

Articles from a BU Database:

Abi/inform global.

Overman, S. (2014). The Culture of Conscience.  Leadership Excellence ,  31 (10) , 49-51.

Online Sources:

Annual report available online:.

Apple Inc.(2013).   Apple, Inc. Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 28, 2013 . Retrieved from http://investor.apple.com/financials.cfm.

• Ask the MLA The FAQ’s answer recurring questions about the use of this style.

MLA Sample Citations: Note- initially no indent and then following lines indented.

Gratton, Lynda.  The Key: How Corporations Succeed by Solving the World’s Toughest Problems . New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2014. Print.

Electronic Databases (BU Databases):

Bloomberg (electronic database): bloomberg l.p..

Bloomberg L.P. “ Historical Price Line Chart for Apple, Inc. 11/1/03 to 11/1/04."   Bloomberg L.P. ,2014. Web. 17 October 2014.

MarketLine Report. “ Company Profile: Apple Inc. ”  Business Source Complete database,  19 September 2014. Web. 17 October 2014.

Apple, Inc. “ Form 10-K,"   Mergent Online database . 28 September 2013. Web.  17 October 2014.

Mintel (Electronic Database):

Mintel. “ Mobile Apps – US ."   Mintel database,  October 2014. Web.  17 October 2014.

SRDS Online (Electronic Database):

SRDS Media Solutions. “U.S. News & World Report Profile."  SRDS Media Solutions, n.d. Web. 17 October 2014.

University Reporter .  2014 Spring Reporter Apparel/Accessories . Web. February 23, 2016.

Article from a BU database

Overman, Steven. “The Culture of Conscience."  Leadership Excellence  31.10 (2014): 49-51. ABI-Inform Complete. Web.  17 October 2014.

Online Sources

Apple Inc.  Apple, Inc. Form 10-K for the Fiscal Year Ended September 28, 2013 . Apple Inc., 28 September 2013. Web. 17 October 2014.

• Citing Your Sources This Boston University research guide offers links to information about citing sources.
• Citing Sources Within Your Paper (Duke University) Duke University is responsible for this well-organized site about citing in the body of your text.
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University provides examples of APA, MLA and Chicago Style citations as well as formatting instructions from the style manuals.

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Q. How do you cite a case study?

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Answered By: Chris Sheetz Last Updated: Aug 17, 2018     Views: 173

To cite a case study correctly you need to determine which research paper style is required by your instructor. MLA and APA are the most commonly used styles at LCCC.  MLA 8th edition, the most recent, does not give specific instructions for citing case studies but the EasyBib link below provides examples of MLA7 and other styles. Additional guidance and examples also can be found below at  Cite Sources & Avoid Plagiarism . 

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Home / guides / How to Cite a Case Study

How to Cite a Case Study

Students are often puzzled about the proper citation format for unusual documents or sources. While they can easily find information on how to cite books, online sources, or periodicals, they may be puzzled about how to cite lesser known sources, like case studies.

Case studies may not a very common type of source, but they can absolutely add value to your research paper or dissertation. In fact, some schools, particularly a very well-known Ivy League’s business school, have become well-known for publishing case studies that challenge some of the assumptions in different industries.

Definition of Case Study

There are actually multiple different definitions for the term case study, each referring to slightly different versions of similar real-life studies of people or phenomenon, in context. In general, the term case study refers to a type of research methodology commonly used in the social sciences, which is an empirical inquiry into a phenomenon in its real-life setting. Case studies tend to be intensively in-depth. In contrast to other types of research, they do not have control groups. Instead, the focus on a single person, group, or event. Therefore, case studies cannot establish cause and effect relationships. Instead, they seek to explore potential causes of the principals being studies, and rather than being conclusory, tend to be both descriptive and exploratory.

While the term case study refers to a single study, research presented in a case study format may actually look at multiple case studies. In those instances, the case study may offer quantitative evidence in addition to qualitative evidence.

Basic Rules for Citing Case Studies

In general, case studies are going to be cited like books. That is because case studies are generally going to be published by publishing houses, giving you many of the same identifying information that you need when citing a book.

However, and this is an important thing to note, sometimes case studies are going to be located within other sources. You may find case studies within books, within periodicals, and within dissertations or thesis. If the case study you are citing is published within another type of publication, then you will cite the case study as an appropriate part of that publication. For example, if the case study is a chapter in a book, then you would cite to the book chapter. If the case study is found in an academic article, then you would cite to the academic article.

Can You Cite an Unpublished Case Study?

There may be times that you want to cite a case study prior to publication or even a case study that is not slated for publication. In those instances, you may wonder if you can use the case study, and, if so, how to properly cite to it.

The citation format for an unpublished case study is relatively easy. In both APA or MLA format, citing to unpublished works is similar to citing to published works. You would simply need the author’s name, the date it was published, the title of the case study, where it was located, and when it was accessed.

Basic APA Citation Format for a Case Study

Last Name, Initials. (Date published). Title. City of Publication: Publisher.

Basic MLA Citation Format for a Case Study

Last Name, First Name. Title . City of Publication: Publisher, Year Published.

Method of Publication. URL.

In MLA 7, it was up to the user to determine whether or not to include a URL with sources found on the web. However, MLA 8 suggests that URLs be included in a citation whenever the source has been found online.

For this example, we are going to look at a screenshot that gives us the publication information for a case study from the Harvard Business Review.

Looking at the screenshot, you can see the following information:

Authors: Elizabeth Collins and Larry E. Greiner

Title: A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the Fast Lane at Landon Care Products

Publication Date: April 11, 2008

Source: HBS Brief Cases

This screenshot does not tell us the publisher or the place of publication, but the source was found searching through the Harvard Business Review. That tells us the following information:

Publisher: Harvard University Press.

Place of Publication: Boston

APA Citation:

Collins, E. & Greiner, L.E. (2008, April 11). A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the

Fast Lane at Landon Care Products. Boston: Harvard University Press.

MLA Citation:

Collins, Elizabeth and Larry E. Greiner. A Day in the Life of Alex Sander: Driving in the

Fast Lane at Landon Care Products. Boston: Harvard University Press, 2008. PDF.

Where to Find Case Studies Online

Case studies are an invaluable research tool, particularly in the social sciences and business. The Harvard Business Review is probably the best-known and most-reliable source for business cases studies. However, it is far from the only source for case studies online. You can often find case studies in: books, dissertations, theses, articles, and websites.

If you are having a problem finding case studies, you may find the following resources to be useful:

Harvard Business School

The Case Centre

The Richard Ivey School of Business

Your University Case Study Database

If you are at a university, then you may have student access to a great case study database, already. It is certainly worthwhile to check and see if your university has a database of case studies. If you are unsure how to locate this information, take a few moments to contact your school’s librarian to ask if your university has this resources, and, if so, how you can access it!

Case studies are highly-focused empirical investigations into specific people, groups, or phenomenon. Thought they cannot establish causal relationships; case studies are often a great research tool because they allow one to investigate the relationship between different factors. Case studies are often used as an initial exploratory research method, though they may be used in more highly-focused ways if the particular issue being researched does not lend itself to a more quantitative-type of analysis. For example, if what is being studied occurs so rarely that quantitative analysis is difficult, a case study may be the perfect way to investigate the topic.

If you are focusing on the social sciences or on business, then you will almost certainly need to make references to some case studies in some of your research and writing. Doing so is very easy. You either cite to the book, article, thesis, dissertation, or webpage where you found the case study, or, if the case study is published as a stand-alone document, cite to the case study like you would cite to a book. If the case study is one of many case studies included in a compilation-type book, then you should follow the instructions for citing to a chapter or section of a book.

Using the tips and example that we have provided, you should be able to easily cite to any case study you encounter. However, if you have any questions about how to incorporate case studies into your academic writing or any other aspects of your academic writing project, we would be happy to answer them.

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Consider your source's credibility. ask these questions:, contributor/author.

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Ever wonder how to cite a book with no author in APA style? Do you know how graphics should be formatted in a paper? Thanks to our EasyBib® guide on citing and formatting in American Psychological Association (APA) style, you don't have to guess anymore! We break down the guidelines for you into separate, digestible chunks of information that range from the ways to present headers, to use of abbreviations, to how to format titles for citations. There are also several helpful citation examples for you to review. Read up and start learning today!

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Jump start your knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style (or Turabian style) with our structured EasyBib® guides. Each one will teach you the structure of a Chicago-style citation, followed by a real-life citation example for you to examine. Begin with our "“"Quick Guide" on citing common source types (books, magazines, newspapers, and websites). Then, discover why we have footnotes and how they work, or choose a "How to Cite" guide based on the source type you're using (e.g. photo, film, tweet, journal, blog, video on YouTube, conference paper, etc.). You're in charge of your own learning path!

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Keep your citing skills current and your writing skills fresh by reading our weekly EasyBib® Blog. You'll find articles about citing interesting source types (know how to cite a meme?), the latest updates to our tools and services, writing tips and tricks, and more! Aside from content that students (or any writer) could benefit from, we also feature posts written by educators, for educators! They discuss writing and information literacy pedagogy, present resource recommendation lists, and generally share their experience and knowledge.

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How to cite “The art of case study research” by Robert E. Stake

Apa citation.

Formatted according to the APA Publication Manual 7 th edition. Simply copy it to the References page as is.

If you need more information on APA citations check out our APA citation guide or start citing with the BibguruAPA citation generator .

Stake, R. E. (1995). The art of case study research . SAGE Publications.

Chicago style citation

Formatted according to the Chicago Manual of Style 17 th edition. Simply copy it to the References page as is.

If you need more information on Chicago style citations check out our Chicago style citation guide or start citing with the BibGuru Chicago style citation generator .

Stake, Robert E. 1995. The Art of Case Study Research . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

MLA citation

Formatted according to the MLA handbook 9 th edition. Simply copy it to the Works Cited page as is.

If you need more information on MLA citations check out our MLA citation guide or start citing with the BibGuru MLA citation generator .

Stake, Robert E. The Art of Case Study Research . SAGE Publications, 1995.

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BibGuru offers more than 8,000 citation styles including popular styles such as AMA, ASA, APSA, CSE, IEEE, Harvard, Turabian, and Vancouver, as well as journal and university specific styles. Give it a try now: Cite The art of case study research now!

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How do i cite a case study in harvard business review.

Cite case study as you cite a book.

EasyBib: https://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/how-do-i-cite-a/case-study/

University od Alberta: https://guides.library.ualberta.ca/apa-citation-style/case-studies

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MLA Works Cited Page: Format, Template & Examples

The Works Cited page is a part of research papers written in the Modern Language Association (MLA) format where all sources used by the author are listed. While writing research papers, authors may consult several sources and use their data or paraphrase parts of the original text. It is essential to give due credit to the used sources and cite them appropriately to avoid plagiarism. This list of sources offers an easy reference for readers who may want to refer to the original source for their own research.  

A well-formatted and accurate Works Cited page can provide readers with specific details to help them access that source. For example, for a journal article, in addition to basic details like author name, title, journal name, etc., the MLA Works Cited page also provides the volume and issue numbers, page numbers, publisher, etc. A Works Cited page gives credibility to the research paper, proving that the information published is accurate and backed by evidence. 

This article describes the template of an MLA Works Cited page along with examples and suggests steps to ensure accurate formatting of all entries. 

Table of Contents

• What is a Works Cited Page? 
• Basic Rules for an MLA Works Cited Page 
• Online journal article with DOI or URL 
• Online newspaper article 
• E-book 
• Specific type of e-book (Kindle, Nook) 
• Print book 
• Chapter in edited book 
• Web page with an author 
• Web page with no author 
• Web page with no author or organization 
• Blog post 
• Video 
• YouTube video 
• Image 
• Conference paper presentation 
• Dissertation from a database 
• Twitter (now X) posts 
• Format of an MLA Works Cited Page 
• Formatting Headings and Citation Titles on an MLA Works Cited Page 
• Single author 
• Two authors 
• Three or more authors 
• General rules 
• Key Takeaways 
• Frequently Asked Questions 

What is a Works Cited Page?

The MLA Works Cited page 1 lists all the sources used while writing research papers. This page is always the last one after the main content. A Works Cited page uses the official MLA format and has similar content as reference lists used by other styles such as the Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago style), the American Psychological Association (APA), and the American Medical Association (AMA). Each style uses a different format, emphasizing different elements. 

The Works Cited page helps avoid plagiarism by crediting the sources and allows readers to quickly locate the sources. Papers in MLA format should always have a Works Cited page and each entry on this page should be cited in the text at the corresponding location. 

Basic Rules for an MLA Works Cited Page

Here are some basic rules for writing the MLA Works Cited page: 2  

• Start your Works Cited list on a fresh page at the end of your paper, with the same formatting as other sections, such as one-inch margins, last name, page number, and header. 
• Align the title, “Works Cited,” at the top center. Don’t use italicization, boldfacing, quotation marks, or all-caps to highlight the title. 
• Left align the citations and arrange them alphabetically by authors’ last names. If author names are unavailable, arrange by the first letter in the title (other than A, An, or The). 
• Do not use serial numbering or bullets to list the entries. 
• Double space all citations. 
• Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent (Figure 1). 

• List page numbers of the sources correctly. If only one page of a print source is used, use the abbreviation “p.” before the page number (e.g., p. 232). If a page range is used, use “pp.” (e.g., pp. 232-38). 
• For online sources, include a location, like a URL or a digital object identifier (DOI). Delete “http://” from URLs. The DOI or URL is usually the last element in a citation. 
• End all entries with a period. 

Citing Sources in MLA

A citation in an MLA Works Cited page requires the following core elements. These elements should be written in the order given below, followed by the punctuation mark shown unless the particular element is the final element of the entry, in which case, it should end with a period. 4,5  

• Author’s name
• Title of source
• Title of the container, (a container is the larger publication in which the text is published. For example, if citing an article from a journal, the journal is the container) 
• Other editors, translators, contributors
• Publication date
• Location (page numbers in print versions; DOI or URL in online versions) 

A few optional elements can be included, if available: 

• Date of access (the date you last accessed the online source) 
• Date of original publication 
• Format of media source 

All style guides have their own specific formats for writing different sources in a reference list—journal articles, printed and digital books, videos, websites, etc. The MLA-style format for different types of sources is listed below: 4

Online journal article with DOI or URL

Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Title of Journal , vol., no. (issue), date of publication, pp. (if available). Database Name , DOI or URL. 

Online newspaper article

Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Article.” Name of Newspaper , Publication Date, p. (if available), URL. Access date. 

Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book . E-book, publisher, publication year, DOI or URL (if available). 

Specific type of e-book (Kindle, Nook)

Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book , editor or translator (if necessary), (Kindle/Nook) ed., publisher, year. 

Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book . City*, Publisher, Publication Date. 

*City is cited only if the book is published before 1900 or if the publisher has multiple offices worldwide. 

Chapter in edited book

Author’s last name, First name. Title of Book . Edited by FirstName LastName, publisher, year, page range of chapter. 

Web page with an author

Author’s last name, First name. “Title of Webpage.” Title of Website , URL. Access date. 

Web page with no author

“Title of Article.” Title of Website , date of publication, URL. Access date. 

Web page with no author or organization

“Title of Webpage.” Title of Website (if different), publication year, URL. Access date. 

Author’s last name, First Name (or, in some cases, screen name, editor, etc.). “Title of Post.” Name of Website , version or date of post, name of organization (if different), URL. Access date. 

Title of Motion Picture/Film . Directed by First Name Last Name, performances by First Name Last Name, Studio Name, Year. Access date, Media format. 

Last Name, First Name, director/writer/producer. Title of Motion Picture/Film . Studio, Year. Access date, Media format. 

YouTube video

If author is different from the uploader: 

Author Last Name, First Name. “Title of Video.” YouTube , uploaded by [Screen name], date, URL. Access date, Media format. 

If author and uploader are the same OR if there is no clear author: 

“Title of Video.” YouTube , uploaded by [Screen name], date, URL. Access date, Media format. 

Artist’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Image , date of creation, institution, city. Name of web site , URL. 

Title of Piece . Date of creation. Name of Website , URL. 

Conference paper presentation

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Conference Paper Title.” Conference Title that Includes Date and Location , edited by Conference Editor(s). Publisher. Date of Publication. 

Dissertation from a database

Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Dissertation (Doctoral dissertation) . Database name, date of publication, URL (if available). 

Twitter (now X) posts

Twitter Handle (First Name Last Name if Known). “The entire tweet word-for-word.”  Twitter , Day Month Year of Tweet, Time of Tweet, URL. 

Format of an MLA Works Cited Page

Here’s a list of steps for formatting the MLA Works Cited page:

• Place one-inch margins around the entire document except for the “running head.” In the page setup settings, you can view and modify the margin size. 
• Double space the entire page using the “Line spacing” or “Paragraph spacing” options in your word processing program. 
• Organize the Works Cited entries in either alphabetical (by author name or title) or non-alphabetical order. 1,2

Example: 

Benjamin, Chloe. The Immortalists . Penguin, 2018. 

Black Panther . Directed by Ryan Coogler, performance by Chadwick Boseman, Marvel Studios, 2018. 

Egan, Jennifer. Manhattan Beach . Scribner, 2017. 

Formatting Headings and Citation Titles on an MLA Works Cited Page

The following points outline the basic format for headings and titles used on a Works Cited page. 1 The running head is at the top right corner of every page of the document. It displays the last name of the author and the page number (e.g., Letterman 6). 

• The running head should be placed half an inch from the top of the page and along the right side’s one-inch margin. 
• The page title (Work/Works Cited) should be written below the running head.  
• No center alignment 
• No boldfacing, italicization, or underlining 
• Same font size (12 point) and type as the entire document 
• Separated by a double space from the first citation on the page 

Consider the following rules while formatting source titles: 1,5,7,8  

• List the full title as the original source and use title case (capitalize all principal words, except articles [a, an, the], prepositions, or coordinating conjunctions [and, for, but, or, so, nor, yet] when in the middle of the title). 

Examples:  

The Code of the Exiled, Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire  

Cheyfitz, Eric. The Poetics of Imperialism: Translation and Colonization from The Tempest to Tarzan. Expanded ed., U of Pennsylvania P, 1997. 

• Separate the subtitle from the title with a colon and space. 

Goldman, Anne. “Questions of Transport: Reading Primo Levi Reading Dante.” The Georgia Review , vol. 64, no. 1, 2010, pp. 69-88. 

• Italicize titles if the source is self-contained and independent, e.g., titles of books, plays, films, periodicals, journals, magazines, databases, and websites. 

Example: Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye . Little Brown, 1991. 

• Enclose titles in quotation marks if the source is part of a larger work, e.g., articles, essays, chapters, poems, short stories, webpages, songs, television episodes, and speeches. 
• Titles beginning with numbers are placed in the reference list as if the title was written out alphabetically. 

Formatting Author Names on an MLA Work Cited Page

Few important rules to consider when formatting author names: 1,2  

Single author

• List author names alphabetically by the author’s last name (or, for entire edited collections, editor names). The format for writing author names is as follows: 

Last name, first name, middle name or middle initial  

Said, Edward W. Culture and Imperialism . Knopf, 1994. 

• To cite more than one work by the same author, order the entries alphabetically by title, and use three hyphens in place of the author’s name for every entry after the first. 

Alcott, Louisa May. “Eight Cousins.” Project Gutenberg , 2018, www.gutenberg.org/files/2726/2726-h/2726-h.htm . 

—. Little Women . Bantam Classics, 1983. 

—. Rose in Bloom . CreateSpace, 2018. 

Two authors

The first listed author’s name on the source is the first author in the reference.  

Last name, First name of author 1, and First name Last name of author 2 

Pavear, Richard, and Larissa Volokhonsky, translators. Crime and Punishment . By Feodor Dostoevsky, Vintage eBooks, 1993. 

Three or more authors

Include only the first listed author’s last name, followed by a comma and their first name, followed by another comma and then “et al.”  

Example:  

Baron, Sabrina Alcorn, et al., editors. Agent of Change: Print Culture Studies after Elizabeth L. Eisenstein. U of Massachusetts P / Center for the Book, Library of Congress, 2007. 

General rules

• Do not list titles (Dr., Sir, etc.) or degrees (PhD, MA, MD, etc.) with names but include suffixes like “Jr.” or “II.”  

King, Martin Luther, Jr. 

• Alphabetize works with no known author by their title; use a shortened version of the title in the parenthetical citations in your paper. 

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and Simulations . […] 

Boring Postcards USA […] 

• To cite works by authors using a pseudonym or stage-name, cite the better-known name if the person is well known. For example, Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson, and is the better-known name so only the pseudonym should be used. If the pseudonym is less well known, cite the real name in square brackets after the pseudonym.  

Van Dyne, Edith [L. Frank Baum]. Aunt Jane’s Nieces At Work . 1st World Library, 2006. 

Key Takeaways

To summarize, an MLA Works Cited page should have the following format: 

• Starts on a new page at the end. 
• Centered page title without any highlights. 
• Double-spaced citations, preferably in Times New Roman 12-pt font. 
• Left-justified entries with a hanging indent of 0.5 inches. 
• Source titles in title case. 
• Entries ordered by the first word, typically author name or the first word in the title (except articles a, an, the). If the title begins with a year or a number, alphabetize it as if the number/year is spelled out. 

Frequently Asked Questions

A1. The Works Cited page and references have a similar purpose; both include sources that have been specifically cited or paraphrased in the paper and whose data have been directly used. A bibliography includes a list of sources related to the content in a research paper, that is, sources that you may have consulted while writing your research paper, but may not have actually used, cited, or paraphrased from. 1   

A2. Yes, there are a few other styles for citing references, such as the Chicago Style, AMA Manual of Style, APA Manual of Style, and the IEEE style. All of these have different referencing formats. In addition, organizations may create their own referencing styles, commonly called a house style. 

A3. No, the Works Cited page should include only those sources that you have cited or whose data you have used in your research paper. Sources that you have only consulted while conducting research should be included in a bibliography. 

A4. Per MLA format, ignore symbols, such as hashtags when alphabetizing. Use the first letter in the entry to alphabetize. 9   Example:  @AP. “It’s been four years since the #MeToo movement took over social media. . . .” X, 15 Oct. 2021, https://twitter.com/AP/status/1449019990741590025.  “#MeToo Poll: Many in US More Willing to Call Out Misconduct.” Associated Press , 15 Oct. 2021, https://apnews.com/article/sexual-misconduct-metoo-79688da3a0c3519d2a76b5b6e6b23ba7.  “#MeToo Protest in Amsterdam after Allegations at TV Show.” Associated Press , 29 Jan. 2022, https://apnews.com/article/entertainment-business-arts-and-entertainment-netherlands-amsterdam-4bb589aae061e534b1a47ac453e9d85f . 

A5. Here is one way of adding a hanging indent in MS Word: 10   1. Highlight the text that you want to format.   2. Click the Home tab at the top of the page; in the “Paragraph” section click the small arrow in the lower-right corner to open a window with different paragraph setting options.   3. In that settings window, look for a section, “Indentation,” which has an option, “Special.” Click the drop-down menu beneath Special and select Hanging.   4. MS Word will mostly have the default spacing of the hanging indent set to 0.5 inches. To adjust the spacing, change the number in the By section.  5. Click OK to save and apply the hanging indent to your highlighted text. 

To summarize, an MLA Works Cited page is an essential part of a manuscript written using the MLA style and includes all sources used by the author to write the research paper. As described in the article, the Works Cited page and its entries have a specific format that should be strictly followed, and all the core elements included in the individual entries.  

We hope this article has provided a deeper understanding of the MLA style and will help you apply this format to all your Works Cited pages. 

References  

• What is a works cited page? EasyBib website. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/mla-format/how-to-format-a-mla-works-cited-list/  
• MLA Works Cited page: Basic format. Purdue Online Writing Lab. Accessed May 14, 2024. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_page_basic_format.html  
• MLA Citation: Works Cited Example. Press Books @ MSL website. Accessed May 16, 2024. https://pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu/csu-fyw-rhetoric/chapter/12-4-mla-works-cited-examples/  
• MLA Works Cited Page. The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center. Accessed May 17, 2024. https://writingcenter.uagc.edu/mla-works-cited-page  
• Section 5. List of Works Cited. MLA Handbook eighth edition. 
• Sample MLA Works Cited Page. College of San Mateo library website. Accessed May 17, 2024. https://www.collegeofsanmateo.edu/library/docs/MLAWorksCited7.pdf  
• MLA Style Guide, 8 th & 9 th Editions: Title of Source. Accessed May 18, 2024. https://irsc.libguides.com/c.php?g=483085&p=3303403#:~:text=Italicize%20titles%20if%20the%20source,are%20placed%20in%20quotation%20marks . 
• Frequently Asked Questions about Citing Sources in MLA Format. Harvard Guide to Using Sources. Accessed May 20, 2024. https://usingsources.fas.harvard.edu/frequently-asked-questions-about-citing-sources-mla-format  
• How do I alphabetize a works-cited-list entry that begins with a hashtag or another symbol? MLA Style Center. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://style.mla.org/alphabetizing-hashtags-and-other-symbols/  
• Hanging Indents and Microsoft Word. MLA Style Center. Accessed May 21, 2024. https://style.mla.org/hanging-indents/  

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AI on Trial: Legal Models Hallucinate in 1 out of 6 (or More) Benchmarking Queries

A new study reveals the need for benchmarking and public evaluations of AI tools in law.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly transforming the practice of law. Nearly  three quarters of lawyers plan on using generative AI for their work, from sifting through mountains of case law to drafting contracts to reviewing documents to writing legal memoranda. But are these tools reliable enough for real-world use?

Large language models have a documented tendency to “hallucinate,” or make up false information. In one highly-publicized case, a New York lawyer  faced sanctions for citing ChatGPT-invented fictional cases in a legal brief;  many similar cases have since been reported. And our  previous study of general-purpose chatbots found that they hallucinated between 58% and 82% of the time on legal queries, highlighting the risks of incorporating AI into legal practice. In his  2023 annual report on the judiciary , Chief Justice Roberts took note and warned lawyers of hallucinations. 

Across all areas of industry, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is seen and promoted as the solution for reducing hallucinations in domain-specific contexts. Relying on RAG, leading legal research services have released AI-powered legal research products that they claim  “avoid” hallucinations and guarantee  “hallucination-free” legal citations. RAG systems promise to deliver more accurate and trustworthy legal information by integrating a language model with a database of legal documents. Yet providers have not provided hard evidence for such claims or even precisely defined “hallucination,” making it difficult to assess their real-world reliability.

AI-Driven Legal Research Tools Still Hallucinate

In a new  preprint study by  Stanford RegLab and  HAI researchers, we put the claims of two providers, LexisNexis (creator of Lexis+ AI) and Thomson Reuters (creator of Westlaw AI-Assisted Research and Ask Practical Law AI)), to the test. We show that their tools do reduce errors compared to general-purpose AI models like GPT-4. That is a substantial improvement and we document instances where these tools provide sound and detailed legal research. But even these bespoke legal AI tools still hallucinate an alarming amount of the time: the Lexis+ AI and Ask Practical Law AI systems produced incorrect information more than 17% of the time, while Westlaw’s AI-Assisted Research hallucinated more than 34% of the time.

Read the full study, Hallucination-Free? Assessing the Reliability of Leading AI Legal Research Tools

To conduct our study, we manually constructed a pre-registered dataset of over 200 open-ended legal queries, which we designed to probe various aspects of these systems’ performance.

Broadly, we investigated (1) general research questions (questions about doctrine, case holdings, or the bar exam); (2) jurisdiction or time-specific questions (questions about circuit splits and recent changes in the law); (3) false premise questions (questions that mimic a user having a mistaken understanding of the law); and (4) factual recall questions (questions about simple, objective facts that require no legal interpretation). These questions are designed to reflect a wide range of query types and to constitute a challenging real-world dataset of exactly the kinds of queries where legal research may be needed the most.

Figure 1: Comparison of hallucinated (red) and incomplete (yellow) answers across generative legal research tools.

These systems can hallucinate in one of two ways. First, a response from an AI tool might just be  incorrect —it describes the law incorrectly or makes a factual error. Second, a response might be  misgrounded —the AI tool describes the law correctly, but cites a source which does not in fact support its claims.

Given the critical importance of authoritative sources in legal research and writing, the second type of hallucination may be even more pernicious than the outright invention of legal cases. A citation might be “hallucination-free” in the narrowest sense that the citation  exists , but that is not the only thing that matters. The core promise of legal AI is that it can streamline the time-consuming process of identifying relevant legal sources. If a tool provides sources that  seem authoritative but are in reality irrelevant or contradictory, users could be misled. They may place undue trust in the tool's output, potentially leading to erroneous legal judgments and conclusions.

Figure 2:  Top left: Example of a hallucinated response by Westlaw's AI-Assisted Research product. The system makes up a statement in the Federal Rules of Bankruptcy Procedure that does not exist (and Kontrick v. Ryan, 540 U.S. 443 (2004) held that a closely related bankruptcy deadline provision was not jurisdictional). Top right: Example of a hallucinated response by LexisNexis's Lexis+ AI. Casey and its undue burden standard were overruled by the Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215 (2022); the correct answer is rational basis review. Bottom left: Example of a hallucinated response by Thomson Reuters's Ask Practical Law AI. The system fails to correct the user’s mistaken premise—in reality, Justice Ginsburg joined the Court's landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage—and instead provides additional false information about the case. Bottom right: Example of a hallucinated response from GPT-4, which generates a statutory provision that has not been codified.

RAG Is Not a Panacea

Figure 3: An overview of the retrieval-augmentation generation (RAG) process. Given a user query (left), the typical process consists of two steps: (1) retrieval (middle), where the query is embedded with natural language processing and a retrieval system takes embeddings and retrieves the relevant documents (e.g., Supreme Court cases); and (2) generation (right), where the retrieved texts are fed to the language model to generate the response to the user query. Any of the subsidiary steps may introduce error and hallucinations into the generated response. (Icons are courtesy of FlatIcon.)

Under the hood, these new legal AI tools use retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) to produce their results, a method that many tout as a potential solution to the hallucination problem. In theory, RAG allows a system to first  retrieve the relevant source material and then use it to  generate the correct response. In practice, however, we show that even RAG systems are not hallucination-free. 

We identify several challenges that are particularly unique to RAG-based legal AI systems, causing hallucinations. 

First, legal retrieval is hard. As any lawyer knows, finding the appropriate (or best) authority can be no easy task. Unlike other domains, the law is not entirely composed of verifiable  facts —instead, law is built up over time by judges writing  opinions . This makes identifying the set of documents that definitively answer a query difficult, and sometimes hallucinations occur for the simple reason that the system’s retrieval mechanism fails.

Second, even when retrieval occurs, the document that is retrieved can be an inapplicable authority. In the American legal system, rules and precedents differ across jurisdictions and time periods; documents that might be relevant on their face due to semantic similarity to a query may actually be inapposite for idiosyncratic reasons that are unique to the law. Thus, we also observe hallucinations occurring when these RAG systems fail to identify the truly binding authority. This is particularly problematic as areas where the law is in flux is precisely where legal research matters the most. One system, for instance, incorrectly recited the “undue burden” standard for abortion restrictions as good law, which was overturned in  Dobbs (see Figure 2). 

Third, sycophancy—the tendency of AI to agree with the user's incorrect assumptions—also poses unique risks in legal settings. One system, for instance, naively agreed with the question’s premise that Justice Ginsburg dissented in  Obergefell , the case establishing a right to same-sex marriage, and answered that she did so based on her views on international copyright. (Justice Ginsburg did not dissent in  Obergefell and, no, the case had nothing to do with copyright.) Notwithstanding that answer, here there are optimistic results. Our tests showed that both systems generally navigated queries based on false premises effectively. But when these systems do agree with erroneous user assertions, the implications can be severe—particularly for those hoping to use these tools to increase access to justice among  pro se and under-resourced litigants.

Responsible Integration of AI Into Law Requires Transparency

Ultimately, our results highlight the need for rigorous and transparent benchmarking of legal AI tools. Unlike other domains, the use of AI in law remains alarmingly opaque: the tools we study provide no systematic access, publish few details about their models, and report no evaluation results at all.

This opacity makes it exceedingly challenging for lawyers to procure and acquire AI products. The large law firm  Paul Weiss spent nearly a year and a half testing a product, and did not develop “hard metrics” because checking the AI system was so involved that it “makes any efficiency gains difficult to measure.” The absence of rigorous evaluation metrics makes responsible adoption difficult, especially for practitioners that are less resourced than Paul Weiss. 

The lack of transparency also threatens lawyers’ ability to comply with ethical and professional responsibility requirements. The bar associations of  California ,  New York , and  Florida have all recently released guidance on lawyers’ duty of supervision over work products created with AI tools. And as of May 2024,  more than 25 federal judges have issued standing orders instructing attorneys to disclose or monitor the use of AI in their courtrooms.

Without access to evaluations of the specific tools and transparency around their design, lawyers may find it impossible to comply with these responsibilities. Alternatively, given the high rate of hallucinations, lawyers may find themselves having to verify each and every proposition and citation provided by these tools, undercutting the stated efficiency gains that legal AI tools are supposed to provide.

Our study is meant in no way to single out LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters. Their products are far from the only legal AI tools that stand in need of transparency—a slew of startups offer similar products and have  made   similar   claims , but they are available on even more restricted bases, making it even more difficult to assess how they function. 

Based on what we know, legal hallucinations have not been solved.The legal profession should turn to public benchmarking and rigorous evaluations of AI tools. 

This story was updated on Thursday, May 30, 2024, to include analysis of a third AI tool, Westlaw’s AI-Assisted Research.

Paper authors: Varun Magesh is a research fellow at Stanford RegLab. Faiz Surani is a research fellow at Stanford RegLab. Matthew Dahl is a joint JD/PhD student in political science at Yale University and graduate student affiliate of Stanford RegLab. Mirac Suzgun is a joint JD/PhD student in computer science at Stanford University and a graduate student fellow at Stanford RegLab. Christopher D. Manning is Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Machine Learning, Professor of Linguistics and Computer Science, and Senior Fellow at HAI. Daniel E. Ho is the William Benjamin Scott and Luna M. Scott Professor of Law, Professor of Political Science, Professor of Computer Science (by courtesy), Senior Fellow at HAI, Senior Fellow at SIEPR, and Director of the RegLab at Stanford University. 

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Scientists may have finally solved the problem of the universe’s 'missing' black holes

Primordial black holes are one of the strongest candidates for the universe's missing dark matter. But a new theory suggests that not enough of the miniature black holes formed for this to be the case.

The early universe contained far fewer miniature black holes than previously thought, making the origins of our cosmos's missing matter an even greater mystery, a new study has suggested.

Miniature, or primordial, black holes (PBHs) are black holes thought to have formed in the first fractions of a second after the Big Bang. According to leading theories, these dime-sized singularities popped into existence from rapidly collapsing regions of thick, hot gas.

The pockets of infinitely dense space-time are how many physicists explain the universe's dark matter, a mysterious entity that, despite being completely invisible, makes the universe much heavier than can be explained by the matter we see. 

But even though the hypothesis is popular, it has one big problem: we've yet to directly observe any primordial black holes. Now, a new study has offered a possible explanation as to why they didn't form, throwing open cosmology's dark matter problem to wider speculation. 

According to the research, the modern universe could have taken shape with far fewer primordial black holes than previous models estimated. The researchers published their findings May 29 in the journal Physical Review Letters .

Related: 1st detection of 'hiccupping' black hole leads to surprising discovery of 2nd black hole orbiting around it

"Many researchers feel they [primordial black holes] are a strong candidate for dark matter, but there would need to be plenty of them to satisfy that theory," lead author Jason Kristiano , a graduate student in theoretical physics at the University of Tokyo, said in a statement . "They are interesting for other reasons too, as since the recent innovation of gravitational wave astronomy, there have been discoveries of binary black hole mergers, which can be explained if PBHs exist in large numbers. But despite these strong reasons for their expected abundance, we have not seen any directly, and now we have a model which should explain why this is the case."

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 A hole in the picture  

The universe began 13.8 billion years ago with the Big Bang , causing the young cosmos to explode outward due to an invisible force known as dark energy . 

As the universe grew, ordinary matter, which interacts with light, congealed around clumps of invisible dark matter to create the first galaxies, connected together by a vast cosmic web. Nowadays, cosmologists think that ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy make up about 5%, 25% and 70% of the universe’s composition, respectively.

Initially, the universe was opaque, a plasma broth that no light could traverse without being snared by electromagnetic fields produced by moving charges. Yet after 380,000 years of cooling and expansion, the plasma eventually recombined into neutral matter, giving off microwave static that became the universe's first light, the cosmic microwave background (CMB).

Cosmologists have been searching for these early black holes by studying this first baby picture of the universe . Yet, so far, none have been found.

Some physicists think there's a possibility they haven't discovered the vast numbers of primordial black holes necessary to account for dark matter simply because they've yet to learn how to detect them.

But by applying a model built on an advanced form of quantum mechanics called quantum field theory to the problem, the researchers behind the new study arrived at a different conclusion — we can't find any primordial black holes because most of them simply aren't there.

— Scientists reveal largest map of the universe's active supermassive black holes ever created

— Universe's oldest X-ray-spitting quasar could reveal how the biggest black holes were born

— Mysterious 'ancient heart' of the Milky Way discovered using Gaia probe  

Primordial black holes are believed to have emerged from the collapse of short but strong gravitational waves rippling across the universe. By applying their model to these waves, the researchers found that it could take much less of these waves to combine than other theories estimate in order to shape larger structures across the universe. And the fewer the waves necessary to recreate the picture, the fewer primordial black holes.

"It is widely believed that the collapse of short but strong wavelengths in the early universe is what creates primordial black holes," said Kristiano. "Our study suggests there should be far fewer PBHs than would be needed if they are indeed a strong candidate for dark matter or gravitational wave events."

To confirm their theory, the researchers will look to future, hyper-sensitive gravitational wave detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) project , which is due to be sent into space on an Ariane 3 rocket in 2035.

Ben Turner is a U.K. based staff writer at Live Science. He covers physics and astronomy, among other topics like tech and climate change. He graduated from University College London with a degree in particle physics before training as a journalist. When he's not writing, Ben enjoys reading literature, playing the guitar and embarrassing himself with chess.

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Astrophysics > Earth and Planetary Astrophysics

Title: exoplanet aeronomy: a case study of wasp-69b's variable thermosphere.

Abstract: Aeronomy, the study of Earth's upper atmosphere and its interaction with the local space environment, has long traced changes in the thermospheres of Earth and other solar system planets to solar variability in the X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (collectively, "XUV") bands. Extending comparative aeronomy to the short-period extrasolar planets may illuminate whether stellar XUV irradiation powers atmospheric outflows that change planetary radii on astronomical timescales. In recent years, near-infrared transit spectroscopy of metastable HeI has been a prolific tracer of high-altitude planetary gas. We present a case study of exoplanet aeronomy using metastable HeI transit observations from Palomar/WIRC and follow-up high-energy data from the Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory that were taken within one month of the WASP-69 system, a K-type main sequence star with a well-studied hot Jupiter companion. Supplemented by archival data, we find that WASP-69's X-ray flux in 2023 was less than 50% of what was recorded in 2016 and that the metastable HeI absorption from WASP-69b was lower in 2023 versus past epochs from 2017-2019. Via atmospheric modeling, we show that this time-variable metastable HeI signal is in the expected direction given the observed change in stellar XUV, possibly stemming from WASP-69's magnetic activity cycle. Our results underscore the ability of multi-epoch, multi-wavelength observations to paint a cohesive picture of the interaction between an exoplanet's atmosphere and its host star.

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