Citing a particular type of research requires adherence to specific guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). This process involves providing credit to the original source and enabling readers to locate the material. Depending on the context of the case study’s appearance (e.g., part of a book, journal article, website), the citation format will vary. For example, if found within a journal article, the reference would include the author(s), year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, and page numbers. In-text citations would follow the author-date format (e.g., (Smith, 2023)).
Correctly attributing sources demonstrates academic integrity and avoids plagiarism. Consistent application of citation styles provides uniformity across scholarly works, enabling efficient retrieval of referenced materials. APA style, due to its widespread use in social sciences and related fields, is particularly important for researchers aiming to disseminate their findings broadly. The development of APA guidelines has been a gradual process, refined over decades to ensure clarity and precision in scholarly communication.
