Citing Data

Cite data in your paper/presentation so that you can:

Include in your citation:

Using citation software or style guides? In Endnote use the reference type for "dataset." If you're using Mendeley or Zotero, make due with using other more generic reference type templates and fill in the essentials for your dataset.

 
 

Cite data: examples

Want detailed guidelines for citing data?  See:

Examples of data citations include:

  • Cite a complete dataset, e.g.:
    • Bachman, Jerald G., Lloyd D. Johnston, and Patrick M. O'Malley. Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (12th-Grade Survey), 1998 [Computer file]. Conducted by University of Michigan, Survey Research Center. ICPSR02751-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor], 2006-05-15. http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR02751.
    • ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model, version 1, ASTGTM_N11E122_num.tif, ASTGTM_N11E123_num.tif, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan and NASA, downloaded from https://wist.echo.nasa.gov/api/, October 27, 2009
  • Cite a subject archive entry, e.g.:
    Genbank accession number, available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

Data archives may provide guidelines on how to cite the data, e.g.,:

 
 

Cite data using Zotero

As Zotero lacks an "item type" for datasets, enter the citation in the system as a "Document," depending upon if/how the data producer provides a recommended citation; either:

  • Export an RIS file and import this file into Zotero
  • Copy and paste the information from a recommended citation into a new Zotero item with the type "Document"
  • Otherwise, use the "Document" item type to add the components of the citation