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Citing Yahoo Finance in MLA style requires adapting the general guidelines for website citations to the specific features and data found on the platform. Since Yahoo Finance primarily offers financial data and news, consider the type of information you’re referencing when constructing your citation.
Basic Citation Structure:
The core elements of an MLA citation for Yahoo Finance generally follow this pattern:
Author, if available. “Title of Article or Data Set.” Yahoo Finance, Publisher (Yahoo), Date of Publication or Last Updated, URL. Accessed Date.
Specific Scenarios and Examples:
- Stock Quotes or Company Data: When citing stock prices, financial statements, or other company-specific data found on Yahoo Finance, treat the company page as the “article” and Yahoo Finance as the website. The publisher is Yahoo.
Example:
Yahoo Finance. “Apple Inc. (AAPL).” Yahoo Finance, Yahoo, Accessed 15 Oct. 2023, finance.yahoo.com/quote/AAPL/.
Explanation: We treat “Apple Inc. (AAPL)” as the title of the page. Yahoo Finance is the website, and Yahoo is the publisher. You should always include the date you accessed the information, as financial data is subject to change. - News Articles from Yahoo Finance: If you are citing a news article specifically written by a Yahoo Finance contributor, the citation is more straightforward.
Example:
Smith, John. “Inflation Remains Stubborn Despite Fed Efforts.” Yahoo Finance, 12 Oct. 2023, finance.yahoo.com/news/inflation-remains-stubborn-despite-fed-efforts-140000123.html. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.
Explanation: Here, John Smith is the author of the article. The title of the article is “Inflation Remains Stubborn Despite Fed Efforts.” The date is the date the article was published on Yahoo Finance. - Screeners and Data Tools: If you’re using data generated from a Yahoo Finance screener or other data tool, cite the tool itself. Ideally, cite any specific parameters you used. However, providing a precise citation for this type of information can be challenging, so focus on clarity.
Example:
Yahoo Finance Stock Screener. Yahoo Finance, Yahoo, Accessed 15 Oct. 2023, screen.yahoo.com/.Explanation: You can describe the specifics of the screener in the body of your text. For example: “Using the Yahoo Finance Stock Screener (finance.yahoo.com/screen/), I searched for companies with market capitalization above $1 billion and a price-to-earnings ratio below 15.”
Important Considerations:
- Accessed Date: Always include the date you accessed the information. Financial data can change rapidly.
- Consistency: Maintain consistency in your citation style throughout your work.
- Specificity: Be as specific as possible about the source of your data within Yahoo Finance.
- In-Text Citations: Your in-text citations should correspond to the entries on your Works Cited page. For example, (Yahoo Finance) or (Smith).
By following these guidelines and adapting them to the specific information you are citing from Yahoo Finance, you can create accurate and informative MLA citations for your research.
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