Researchers should cite data when communicating their scholarly or scientific findings in the same way that they cite articles, books, and other sources. Data citation gives credit and attribution to the creator, encourages sharing, collaboration, and re-use, enables verification of research results, and allows for tracking usage and impact. Data takes many forms across academic disciplines. Some of these include:
Although uniform citation formats have been slow to develop, below are the commonly accepted elements of data citation:
When citing data for publication, below are a number of places researchers can look for guidance:
The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook. The handbook contains guidance on paper formatting, mechanics of prose, quoting and paraphrasing, as well as creating in-text references, and lists of works cited.