Finance Bibliography Style: A Guide

Creating a comprehensive and consistent bibliography is crucial in academic finance research and professional reports. While no single, universally accepted “finance bibliography style” exists, several conventions are frequently employed. Adhering to these conventions enhances the credibility and readability of your work by allowing readers to easily verify your sources and explore related research.

Generally, finance bibliographies draw heavily from established styles like Chicago, APA, and MLA, adapting them to the specific needs of the discipline. Here’s a breakdown of key considerations and examples:

Common Styles and Their Usage

Chicago Style: Often favored for its detailed approach, Chicago is suitable for both humanities and social sciences, including finance. It offers both notes and bibliography (footnotes/endnotes) and author-date systems. The author-date system is more common in empirical finance.

APA Style: Commonly used in social sciences, APA focuses on clarity and conciseness. It emphasizes the author and year of publication, making it easy to track the chronology of research.

MLA Style: While less prevalent in finance, MLA is sometimes used, particularly in literature reviews and theoretical papers. It prioritizes the author’s name and page number.

Key Elements and Formatting

Regardless of the chosen style, certain elements are essential:

• Author(s): List authors in the order they appear in the source. Use “and” or “&” depending on the style guide.
• Year of Publication: This is critical for understanding the context of the research.
• Title: Include the full title of the article, book, or working paper. Capitalization rules vary by style.
• Journal or Publisher: Specify the journal name (with volume and issue numbers) or the publisher of the book.
• Page Numbers: Provide the inclusive page range for journal articles or book chapters.
• DOI or URL: Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) are preferred for journal articles. Include a URL if a DOI is unavailable or for online-only content.

Examples

Here are some examples, demonstrating variations across styles:

Journal Article (Chicago Author-Date):

Fama, Eugene F., and Kenneth R. French. 1993. “Common Risk Factors in the Returns on Stocks and Bonds.” Journal of Financial Economics 33 (1): 3–56.

Journal Article (APA):

Fama, E. F., & French, K. R. (1993). Common risk factors in the returns on stocks and bonds. Journal of Financial Economics, 33(1), 3–56.

Book (Chicago Author-Date):

Brealey, Richard A., Stewart C. Myers, and Franklin Allen. 2020. Principles of Corporate Finance. 13th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

Book (APA):

Brealey, R. A., Myers, S. C., & Allen, F. (2020). Principles of corporate finance (13th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

Working Paper (Chicago Author-Date):

Pastor, Lubos, and Robert F. Stambaugh. 2003. “Liquidity Risk and Expected Stock Returns.” National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 9922.

Working Paper (APA):

Pastor, L., & Stambaugh, R. F. (2003). Liquidity risk and expected stock returns (Working Paper No. 9922). National Bureau of Economic Research.

Important Considerations

• Consistency: Choose a style and apply it consistently throughout your bibliography.
• Accuracy: Double-check all information for accuracy. Typos and errors undermine credibility.
• Alphabetical Order: Entries should be alphabetized by the first author’s last name.
• Hanging Indents: Employ hanging indents for each entry to improve readability.
• Consult Style Guides: Refer to the official style guides (e.g., The Chicago Manual of Style, Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) for detailed rules and examples.

By following these guidelines, you can create a well-structured and informative finance bibliography that strengthens the validity and impact of your research.