Research Data Management

Data citation is a fundamental part of the research data lifecycle. It enables reuse and verification of the data, gives proper credit to the creator of the dataset, and supports the scholarly record for research. Just as you cite all of your resources in a scholarly article or book, you should also cite the data that you used to conduct your research.

Citing data is pretty easy. Citations should include information that can identify a unique dataset over time.

• Author (or Creator): First name or first initial and last name of author(s)
• Title: Name of the dataset
• Publisher (or Distributor): Repository
• Publication Year: Date the dataset was released or published
• Version: If you have multiple versions of a specific dataset, or an updated set
• Identifier: Unique identifier. This is often a DOI, but can also be an URN or Handle System.

Data citation standards vary between disciplines and publishers. Use standards adopted by relevant academic journal, data repository, or professional organization. Data repositories often generate suggested citations that accompany their datasets. For example, LibraData records provide options to download in various citation formats (RIS, BibTeX, and EndNote).

The resources below provide data citation guidance and examples.