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Citing a case study in annotated bibliography?

thesis-dissertation ▲ 1 10 views 2026-10-30

I am doing my MBA thesis on supply chain resilience and need to cite a specific Harvard-style case study. The university handbook is vague on whether the case number or the author name comes first in the reference list. I want to make sure my bibliography looks professional before I submit the draft to my supervisor.

1 Answer

You should list the case study in your annotated bibliography the same way you’d list any other source in Harvard style—by the author’s name first, followed by the year, then the title, and finally the case number in brackets if the case is identified that way. So a typical entry would look like: Smith, J. (2022) “Improving Supply Chain Resilience: A Harvard Business School Case” (HBS No. 123‑456). After the citation, write your brief annotation describing what the case covers, why it matters to your thesis, and any particular insights you drew from it. This order keeps the reference list alphabetised by author, which is what most Harvard guides expect, and the case number at the end lets readers locate the exact document without breaking the flow. I know how stressful it can feel when the handbook isn’t crystal‑clear, especially when you’re juggling data, analysis, and the looming deadline for your draft. Think of it like packing a suitcase for a trip: you want the most important items—your clothes—right at the top where you can see them, and the smaller accessories—like socks—tucked in at the bottom. In your bibliography, the author and year are the “clothes” that make the entry easy to scan, while the case number is the “sock” that helps a reader find the exact case if they need it. If your university’s handbook mentions either format, you can safely default to author‑first because that’s the convention most supervisors recognize, and you’ll still look professional. When you write the annotation, keep it concise—about 150 words—highlighting the case’s relevance to supply‑chain resilience, the methodology used, and any key findings you’ll reference later. Double‑check that the punctuation matches the Harvard style you’ve been using throughout your thesis, and you’ll have a clean, consistent bibliography that shows you’ve paid attention to the details. With that sorted, you can focus on polishing the rest of your thesis and feel confident that your sources are presented clearly and professionally.

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