How to Cite a Dataset
Updated July 2026
A dataset is cited with the author, title, version, a [Data set] descriptor (APA), the repository, and ideally a DOI. Datasets are first-class research outputs now — citing the data you used (not just the paper about it) is expected, and increasingly required.
Here's the format in each style, plus how to handle data you reanalyze.
The format
Author → title → version → [Data set] (APA) → repository → DOI/URL. Use the Dataset type in Manual Entry; a DOI makes the citation permanent.
World Bank. (2024). World development indicators (2024 ed.) [Data set]. World Bank Data. https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-development-indicators
In-text(World Bank, 2024)
World Bank. "World development indicators." World Bank Data, 2024, https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-development-indicators.
In-text(World Bank)
World Bank. "World development indicators." World Bank Data. 2024. https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/dataset/world-development-indicators.
In-text(World Bank 2024)
The pieces
- Author — the individual(s) or organization that produced the data (e.g., a research group, a government agency, the World Bank).
- Title — the dataset's title, italicized in APA.
- Version/year — datasets are versioned and re-released; cite the version/edition you used.
- Repository — where it lives (Zenodo, Dryad, ICPSR, Figshare, a government data portal).
- DOI — most deposited datasets have one; prefer it over a bare URL.
Cite the data you used, even if there's a paper
If a paper reports a study and you only discuss its findings, cite the paper. If you downloaded and analyzed the data yourself, cite the dataset — and if you did both, cite both. Funders and journals increasingly mandate data citation, so when in doubt, cite the dataset directly.
Government and large public datasets
Census data, World Bank indicators, and similar use the agency/organization as author and the data portal as the repository. Note the specific table, indicator, or query when you used a slice rather than the whole set. Official guidance: the APA Style Blog on data sets and Purdue OWL.
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Go Premium — $5/monthFrequently asked questions
- How do I cite a dataset in APA?
- Author. (Year). Title (Version) [Data set]. Repository. https://doi.org/… Prefer the DOI; include the version you used.
- Do I cite the dataset or the paper?
- Cite the dataset if you downloaded and analyzed the data yourself; cite the paper if you only discuss its reported findings. If you did both, cite both.
- What if the dataset has no DOI?
- Use the repository URL and the version/access date. Many repositories (Zenodo, Dryad, ICPSR) mint DOIs — check the dataset's landing page.
- How do I cite government data like the Census or World Bank?
- Use the agency/organization as author and the data portal as the repository, noting the specific indicator or table if you used a subset.