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Citing Business Information: Articles

This guide offers examples how to cite commonly-used business information sources.

How to Cite an Article

The purpose of any citation is so that the reader can find the sources you used. In the reference list or bibliography section of your paper, the general format for citing an article is this:

  • Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article.Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), pages. http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyyy

Include the author(s), publication date, article title, journal title, volume and issue numbers (if applicable), and page numbers. If available, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or permanent link to the article.

How to Cite an article from the Wall Street Journal

Image of article record in ABI Inform database with title Even Boulder Finds it isn't Easy Going Green

 

  • Simon S. (2010, Feb 13). Even Boulder finds it isn't easy going green. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from ABI/Inform database.
  • Simon, S. (2010, Feb 13). Even Boulder finds it isn't easy going green. Wall Street Journal [Eastern edition], p. A.1.

Why are these different styles equally okay for this citation? In short, consider your audience. If your audience is the academic community (your classmates, your professor), the easiest way for them to access the article without hitting a paywall will be through a library database. Alternatively, including the [Eastern edition] and page number makes it easier for the reader to find the article through a different database.

It is also okay to put the source's website url in the citation.

  • Simon, S. (2010, Feb 13). Even Boulder finds it isn't easy going green. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from www.wsj.com.

How to Cite an Article from Harvard Business Review

Business Source Complete database article record for "profits at the bottom of the pyramid" article from October 2014.

 

APA Style strongly encourages authors to cite the article's DOI, if available. Harvard Business Review articles generally do not have an assigned DOI. In this situation, it is okay to include "Retrieved from [database]" or "Retrieved from [permalink]." It is also okay omit the link altogether.

How to Cite a Scholarly Article

 

Image of article title, journal, date, authors for article titled "Informed traders: linking legal insider trading and share repurchases"

The ProQuest article record above does not include a DOI. The APA Style strongly encourages authors to cite a DOI (if available). In this instance, the journal's website provided the article DOI.

  • Chan, K., Ikenberry, D. L., Lee, I., & Wang, Y. (2012). Informed traders: Linking legal insider trading and share repurchases. Financial Analysts Journal, 68(1), 60-73. DOI:10.2469/faj.v68.n1.3

Image of title and author for journal article called "Kids, cartoons, and cookies: Stereotype priming effects on children's food consumption"

This article is in press as of the time of this guide's creation. To cite a scholarly article in press, you can either include the year it was accepted OR replace the date with (in press). The volume and issue number are omitted because those have not been confirmed. Include the DOI if present.

  • Campbell, M. C., Manning, K. C., Leonard, B., & Manning, H. M. (in press). Kids, cartoons, and cookies: Stereotype priming effects on children's food consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology. DOI:10.1016/j.jcps.2015.06.003
  • Campbell, M. C., Manning, K. C., Leonard, B., & Manning, H. M. (2015). Kids, cartoons, and cookies: Stereotype priming effects on children's food consumption. Journal of Consumer Psychology. DOI:10.1016/j.jcps.2015.06.003

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What's a DOI?

DOI (Digital Object Identifier): a unique code assigned to articles and other documents published online. This identifier is attached to the article itself and will serve as a persistent link even if the website changes or disappears. Learn more at doi.org.