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Data Resources

Information on how to find and cite numeric data resources or data sets.

Why

Citing the data that you use in your research is critical for a number of reasons.

Citing data:

  • strengthens the authoritativeness of your work;

  • provides a record of the data you've used in your research;

  • allows the reader to go to find further information;

  • extends professional honesty and courtesy--writers have a responsibility to acknowledge using someone else's data.

When citing data, there are many style choices.  Check with your professor to see which style (APA, MLA, etc.) you should use.  You can find more detailed information on citing information here.

Image source:  Reasonist.  Used with permission.

Examples

APA   7th edition

O’Donohue, W. (2020). Content analysis of undergraduate psychology textbooks (ICPSR 21600; Version V1) [Data set]. ICPSR. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36966.v1

 

MLA  8th edition

April 17-May 19, 2019 Online Dating. Pew Research Center, May 2019, pewinternet.org/dataset/may-2019-online-dating/. Accessed 12 Dec. 2020. Dataset.

 

Chicago   17th edition, author-date

The World Bank. 2020. World Development Indicators. Washington, D.C.: The World Bank. http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog/world-development-indicators.