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Citing and publishing research data

Citing data improves research integrity, research impact, collaboration, acknowledgement, and reward. Data citation is an emerging direction in scholarly communications.

Style Manual Data Citation Guidelines

There is no universal standard for formatting a data set citation, but this guide suggests two approaches that can be used to create a reasonable citation

  1. Consult the style manual for the citation style you are using, and adapt it as needed to fit data sets. (see the Citation Guide)  
  2. Consult the supporting material for the datsa repository or archive in which the data set resides, and see if it suggests a format for citations. (See the related tab on the left for some examples)

As with all questions of citations and formatting, the ultimate authority is the style guide for the publication to which the article will be submitted (or the instructor, in the case of class papers).

You may wish to refer to

  • How to Cite Data from Michigan State University Libraries for further reading on the topic.
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