How to Properly Cite Case Studies in a Harvard-Style Dissertation
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Type 1: Published Academic Case Studies
These are case studies published in peer-reviewed journals or as standalone academic publications. They follow the same citation logic as journal articles.
For a case study published in a journal, the in-text citation uses the author's surname and year: (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000). The reference list entry follows journal article format:
Eisenhardt, K.M. and Martin, J.A. (2000) 'Dynamic capabilities: What are they?', Strategic Management Journal, 21(10–11), pp. 1105–1121.
Note: 'article title' in single quotation marks; Journal Name in italics; Volume(Issue), pp. page range.
Type 2: Harvard Business School and Similar Published Case Studies
These are the widely used teaching cases published by HBS Publishing, The Case Centre, INSEAD, and similar institutions. They are not journal articles — they're standalone documents — but they do have identifiable authors and publication information.
For a Harvard Business School case, the reference looks like this:
Kotter, J.P. and Rathgeber, H. (2010) Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. Case No. 9-795-016.
In-text: (Kotter and Rathgeber, 2010).
Some universities prefer a slightly different format for teaching cases. Always check your institution's specific Harvard referencing guide, as variations exist.
If the case study has a listed author, cite the author. If it's attributed to an institution (as some HBS cases are), cite the institution as the author: Harvard Business School (2018) Apple Inc. in 2018. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing. Case No. 718-439.
Type 3: Case Studies Within Academic Books
Sometimes a case study appears as a chapter within an edited academic book. In this situation, you cite the chapter author and the book, not just the book.
Format: Chapter Author(s) (Year) 'Chapter/Case Title', in Book Editor(s) (ed./eds.) Book Title. Place: Publisher, pp. page range.
Example: Teece, D.J. (2009) 'The case of Dolby Laboratories', in Teece, D.J. (ed.) Dynamic Capabilities and Strategic Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 143–162.
In-text: (Teece, 2009). Don't cite the editor of the book when you've read a specific chapter — cite the chapter author.
Type 4: Company or Consultancy Case Studies (Grey Literature)
Many students cite case studies from company websites, consultancy blogs, or industry publications — content produced for promotional or commercial purposes rather than academic rigour. These require particularly careful handling.
The format for a case study from a company's own website follows the online source pattern:
Company Name (Year) Title of Case Study [online]. Available at: URL (Accessed: Date).
Example: McKinsey & Company (2023) 'Transforming a global bank's digital operations' [online]. Available at: https://www.mckinsey.com/case-study-example (Accessed: 12 January 2024).
Important caveat: Grey literature case studies — particularly those produced by the companies being studied or by their consultants — carry inherent bias and should be cited and evaluated critically. They often present only the successes and omit complications, failures, or negative outcomes. In your dissertation text, acknowledge this limitation: "While McKinsey's case study (2023) describes the transformation as comprehensively successful, the absence of independent evaluation limits the reliability of these claims."
Secondary Citations: When You Haven't Read the Original
Sometimes you encounter a case study being cited or discussed in another work, but can't access the original. Ideally, track down and read the original source. But when this isn't possible, you need to use a secondary citation, which should be used sparingly and with explicit acknowledgement.
In-text format: (Chesbrough, 2003, cited in Teece, 2010).
In your reference list, you cite only the source you actually read — not the original you couldn't access:
Teece, D.J. (2010) 'Business models, business strategy and innovation', Long Range Planning, 43(2–3), pp. 172–194.
A brief note in your methodology or literature review acknowledging that certain foundational works were accessed through secondary sources demonstrates academic honesty.
A Final Note on Consistency
Whatever format your specific institution requires, consistency is non-negotiable. Switching between citation styles — sometimes including page numbers for direct quotes and sometimes not, sometimes italicising journal names and sometimes not — signals carelessness. Use a reference management tool like Zotero or Mendeley to maintain consistency, but always double-check against your university's Harvard referencing guide, as these tools sometimes make errors.
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