Data Services

Citing data is much like citing any other information source: you need to provide all the information necessary for someone else to find that dataset. Fortunately, that information is much the same as for any bibliographic reference, generally: creator(s), title, publication year, version, publisher, URL or persistent identifier.

A data citation can be formatted in any citation style. In 2014, the Force11 working group on data citation published their Joint Declaration of Data Citation Principles, a set of 8 guiding principles addressing the purpose and components of data citations. 125 organizations have endorsed these principles, and most citation styles adhere to them.

It is important that the elements included in a data citation refer to the dataset itself, not merely to a related publication; for example, the title of the dataset should describe the contents of the dataset, not simply replicate the title of the corresponding paper.

Citing Data in Major Citation Styles

APA

Data set references are covered in Section 10.9 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition. See guidance here: Data Set References. 

General format: 

Author. (Year). Title (Version) [Data set]. Publisher. URL/DOI

Examples:

O’Donohue, W. (2017). Content analysis of undergraduate psychology textbooks (ICPSR 36966; Version V1) [Data set]. ICPSR. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36966.v1

(from Data Set References, APA Style)

Smith, T.W., Marsden, P.V., & Hout, M. (2011). General social survey, 1972-2010 cumulative file (ICPSR31521-v1) [data file and codebook]. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center [producer]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. doi: 10.3886/ICPSR31521.v1

(from Quick Guide to Data Citation, ICPSR)

Chicago

Chicago has not specified a particular style for datasets. Follow the general guidelines for print or web publications, as applicable. 

General format (Author-Date style):

Author. Title of dataset. Place: Publisher, Year. URL/DOI.

Example:

Smith, Tom W., Peter V. Marsden, and Michael Hout. 2011. General Social Survey, 1972-2010 Cumulative File. ICPSR31521-v1. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center. Distributed by Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research. doi:10.3886/ICPSR31521.v1

(from Quick Guide to Data Citation, ICPSR)

MLA

MLA has not specified a particular style for datasets. Follow the general guidelines for print or web publications, as applicable. Some further guidance: How do I cite published data?

General format: 

Author. Title of dataset. Publisher, Publication Date, Location. Publisher name, Date of publication (DD Month YYYY), location. URL/DOI.

Example:

Smith, Tom W., Peter V. Marsden, and Michael Hout. General Social Survey, 1972-2010 Cumulative File. ICPSR31521-v1. Chicago, IL: National Opinion Research Center [producer]. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 2011. Web. 23 Jan 2012. doi:10.3886/ICPSR31521.v1

(from Quick Guide to Data Citation, ICPSR)