Citing Data
Attribution & Impact
 
Data

Data is a legitimate research output, equal in importance to a journal article. When you use your own data or someone else's, you must cite it.

 

Data Availability Statements
Most journals now require a statement in your manuscript. Instead of saying "Data available upon request" (which is often rejected), state:

"The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in [Repository Name] at [DOI Link]."
Why Cite?
Credit
It gives proper attribution to the data creators.
Impact
It allows the impact of the dataset to be tracked (through citation counts), which can be included in tenure and promotion dossiers.
Validation
It helps other researchers locate the exact evidence used to support your claims.
Anatomy of a Citation

Just like a book, a data citation needs specific components. Always prefer a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) over a standard web link, as DOIs are permanent.

  • Author(s): Principal Investigator/Creator.
  • Date: Year of release.
  • Title: Name of the dataset.
  • Version: Critical for data that changes (e.g., v2.0).
  • Repository: Where the data lives.
  • Identifier: The DOI or stable URL.
Style Examples
APA Style (7th Ed.)

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dataset (Version number) [Data set]. Publisher/Repository. https://doi.org/xxxxx

 

Example:
Smith, J. & Doe, A. (2023). Water quality metrics for PEI estuaries (Version 2) [Data set]. UPEI Data Repository. https://doi.org/10.1234/upei.5.5

MLA Style (9th Ed.)

Author. "Title of Dataset." Repository Name, Version, Date, URL/DOI.

 

Example:
Smith, John. "Water quality metrics for PEI estuaries." UPEI Data Repository, Version 2, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1234/upei.44.3

External Resources
English