The educational process is closely related to papers. Every beginner will have to face tasks that can raise many questions. A case study is one of the papers that absolutely everyone is afraid of. But what is the problem? Is it that difficult task? Let's take a look at the details.
Case Study Format APA: The Main Definition
First of all, you should understand what you will have to face during the educational process. Any case study involves researching a topic related to an object, subject, or specific process. Therefore, any student will have to do a series of particular cases to answer the questions posed. As a rule, this task involves searching for reliable sources, comparing different facts and results of third-party research.
How to Write a Case Study Paper in APA Format: The Basic Structure
One of the nice facts is the similarity of this assignment to a regular research paper. That's why you don't have to spend a lot of time understanding the basic sequence and key tasks. Plus, newbies won't need to use Google and search queries like "case study outline APA." Instead, let's start in chronological order to make it easier for you to understand all the details.
- Intro. Start with some "hook." Indicate what you are going to research and how important your actions are. In addition, no one forbids you to put forward a hypothesis or indicate an interesting fact that will be the starting point for further paragraphs.
- Aims. Tell us why you decided to start your research. What are the key questions for you? Use an analog of a pyramid to indicate the important vector of your aims. Then it will be easier for you to organize the information received.
- Methods. All your research should be based on some proven method. For example, if you've interviewed students in your dorm, then you should include your sample, main questions, goals, and circumstances to make your results convincing.
- Results. This section is for your results. Feel free to add whatever data you received. It's worth noting that even simple research can be amazing. What if you got statistics you never knew existed? What if your target audience gave unexpected answers? List everything you have learned.
- Discussion. And here is the most difficult and crucial part! Let's say you've received the data and are ready to get started. Discuss your results and interpret the data you have. Feel free to compare all statistical information with third-party research, if necessary.
- Recommendations. Most likely, you still have some questions or blank spots on the map. Indicate those stages of the study that should be carried out differently or supplemented with other data. This section of the paper will be valuable to your potential followers.
Useful Tips for Beginners
Let's take a look at some basic tips that will be very helpful for most people. The point is that skill comes with experience. Unfortunately, beginners have to go through hundreds of obstacles on their way to good grades. So is it worth exhausting your body and mind if a couple of practical tips can change absolutely everything? Here's what you need to be aware of first.
Right Citation Matters
Some beginners often ask questions like, "How to cite a case study in APA format in-text?" You can make any statement, fact, or other data and paraphrase it. Your task is to indicate the author, his/her name, and the year of publication. This will be enough to comply with all the rules and avoid plagiarism.
Check the Length and Content Of Your Abstract
Since many newbies are not familiar with the details, the main question of any first-year student will be something like, "How to write an abstract for a case study?" Since you should stick to the APA format, try to write about two sentences up to 250 words. This part is a summary and a starting point for your assignment, so be laconic and avoid too complex wording.
Good References Are the Path to High Grades
Most likely, you have at least once had a question like, "How to reference a case study in APA format?" There is nothing wrong with that. All newbies have to start from scratch. However, this part of your paper is pretty straightforward. Here are a couple of examples of what your reference list should look like:
- Wilson, P. (2001). Infelicity: A history of basic fractal patterns. Los Angeles: Nielsen.
- Taylor, J. (2012). Singularity: The wave concept method. Houston: O'Reilly.
- Anderson, L. (1991). Chromatic aberration: The digital palette of our time. Dallas: HarperCollins.
- Moore, S. (2003). Structural deviation: The biphasic psychoanalysis method. Columbus: Doubleday.
As you can see, this is a fairly easy part of your assignment, especially if you know the rules. Try to stick to the basic concept so that your professor has no complaints about the results of your work.
Check Your Paper Carefully
Let's say you are very close to the final stage and have finished the last paragraph. What is the next step, and what to remember first? Even if you think that the fears are left behind, then you should not relax. Read your assignment at least 2-3 times. Try to avoid mistakes in style, punctuation, and grammar. Then, take a look at the sentences and try to rewrite the vague wording.
Your task is not to forget about the purpose of your assignment. You should be concise and describe all your steps in detail. You might even want to ask someone to read your paper. For example, your family member or friend might take 30 minutes to help you. As a rule, third-party people can notice those inaccuracies that you do not see due to fatigue.
Always Meet Deadlines
Such monstrous paper takes a lot of time to write. That is why you should make a plan of your actions in advance. Divide your assignment into several parts. Take your calendar and make a few notes to navigate the dates. Having distributed the theoretical and practical parts of the assignment, you will not be afraid to be late. Write every day, and you will be able to cope with the task and not sacrifice quality.
Originality Is a Must
Most likely, you will cite some trusted sources or other research. This is the right decision, but what if direct speech can negatively affect originality? Then you should consider completely redesigning some of the sentences while maintaining the general meaning. In general, you can rewrite any paragraph if your plagiarism checker signals local plagiarism. Try to explain any term without reference to the official interpretation. Then your paper will be original.