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Data & Statistics
APA, MLA, and Turabian Data Citation Formats
The reference for your data will depend on the citation style you need to use and where the data set came from--a GCU Library database like Sage Data or Statista, or a public portal like data.gov.
- Sage Data datasets and views have DOIs.
- Statista does not provide DOIs but does provide article numbers for most items.
In most citation styles you will need some or all of the following elements for a citation.
- Creator: the author or producer of the dataset.
- Publication year: year that the dataset (and/or data visualization) was created.
- Title: the title of the dataset, followed by any information on the specific version of the dataset referenced.
- Publisher: the publisher or distributor of the dataset.
- Resource type: where available. For Sage Data citations, we use [dataset].
- Identifier: a unique identifier assigned to the dataset and/or data visualization, such as a DOI or URL.
APA Style (7th edition)
- Statista and Sage Data both publish unique, proprietary statistics, and thus use the APA rules for limited circulation databases, which adds the database name to the citation. Even though both pull data from public sources, the charts and graphs created from that data are unique to these databases.
- Statista also publishes statistics of their own, for which you will need to use Statista as the author.
- Some Statista documents have named authors or a source which should be used as the author.
- Label all charts and graphs with the type in brackets.
Format for Data from Library Databases:
Author/Producer. (Date). Dataset title: Chart title version [Data set]. Publisher Name. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example From Sage Data:
Energy Information Administration. (2020, May 17). Retail gasoline prices: Gasoline prices - all grades, 08/20/1990 - 05/11/2020 [Data set]. Sage Data. https://doi.org/10.6068/DP1722EF40B2064
Examples From Statista:
Articles With Individual Authors:
Guttman, A. (2019, January 22). Influencer marketing: Statistics & facts . Statista.
Individual Statistics From Other Sources:
ThinkNow. (2019, October). Share of online users in the United States who say they pay attention to recommendations from social media influencers as of April 2019, by age group [Graph]. Statista.
- The stats author can be found under Source:
Dossiers & Other Documents:
Statista. (2020). Influencer marketing . Article did-28362-1.
- The dossiers have article numbers at the bottom of the download page.
- The date is also there.
Format for Data on a Public Website:
Agency Name. (Year). Title of set [Description]. URL
Example:
United States Census Bureau. (2018). Poverty status in the past 12 months of families [Data set]. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Poverty&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1702&t=Poverty&vintage=2018&hidePreview=true
MLA Style (9th edition)
Formats:
Author. Title of Dataset (including date range of dataset). Publisher, Publication Date. Database Name (if different than publisher), DOI.
Organization Name. Title of Resource. Report No., Publisher or Website , Publication date, URL.
Example From Sage Data:
Energy Information Administration. Retail Gasoline Prices: Retail Gasoline Prices - All Grades, 08/20/1990 - 05/30/2016 . Sage Data, 17 Sept. 2017. https://doi.org/10.6068/DP15E5374E97A17.
Examples From Statista:
Articles With Individual Authors:
Dencheva, Valentina. Influencer Marketing Worldwide: Statistics & facts . Statista, 19 January 2023, https://www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/topics/2496/influence-marketing/#topicOverview
Individual Statistics From Other Sources:
ThinkNow. Share of Online Users in the United States Who Say They Pay Attention to Recommendations from Social Media Influencers as of April 2019, by Age Group [Graph]. Statista, October 2019, https://www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/statistics/1081751/attention-towards-influencer-recommendations-age-us/?locale=en
Dossiers & Other Documents:
Influencer Marketing . Article did-28362-1. Statista, 2020, www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/study/102541/influencer-marketing-in-the-us/?locale=en
Example From a Public Website:
United States Census Bureau. Poverty status in the past 12 months of families . 2018, data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Poverty&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1702&t=Poverty&vintage=2018&hidePreview=true
Turabian Style (9th edition)
- The Turabian manual does not directly address data sets or collections of statistics. We have adapted the format for government publications to best identify the data.
Formats:
Note Format:
1. Department or Agency Name, Title of Document , ed. First Name Last Name [if named], Document ID Numbers or Identifiers [if any], Month Day, Year, URL if online.
Bibliography Format:
Agency Name. Title of Document . Edited by First Name Last Name [if named]. Document ID Numbers or Identifiers. Month Day, Year. URL if online.
Example From Sage Data:
1. Energy Information Administration. Retail Gasoline Prices: Retail Gasoline Prices - All Grades, 08/20/1990 - 08/24/2017, September 5, 2017, https://doi.org/10.6068/DP15E5374E97A17
Energy Information Administration. Retail Gasoline Prices: Retail Gasoline Prices - All Grades, 08/20/1990 - 08/24/2017 . September 5, 2017. https://doi.org/10.6068/DP15E5374E97A17
Examples From Statista:
Articles With Individual Authors:
1. Valentina Dencheva, Influencer Marketing Worldwide: Statistics & facts, Statista, January 19, 2023, https://www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/topics/2496/influence-marketing/#topicOverview
Dencheva, Valentina. Influencer Marketing Worldwide: Statistics & facts . Statista. January 19, 2023. https://www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/topics/2496/influence-marketing/#topicOverview
Individual Statistics From Other Sources:
1. ThinkNow, Share of Online Users in the United States Who Say They Pay Attention to Recommendations from Social Media Influencers as of April 2019, by Age Group (Graph), Statista Database, October 2019, https://www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/statistics/1081751/attention-towards-influencer-recommendations-age-us/?locale=en
ThinkNow. Share of Online Users in the United States Who Say They Pay Attention to Recommendations from Social Media Influencers as of April 2019, by Age Group (Graph). Statista Database, October 2019. https://www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/statistics/1081751/attention-towards-influencer-recommendations-age-us/?locale=en
Dossiers & Other Documents:
1. Influencer Marketing, Article did-28362-1, Statista, 2020, www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/study/102541/influencer-marketing-in-the-us/?locale=en
Statista. Influencer Marketing . Article did-28362-1. 2020. www-statista-com.lopes.idm.oclc.org/study/102541/influencer-marketing-in-the-us/?locale=en
Example From a Public Website:
1. United States Census Bureau, Poverty status in the past 12 months of families, 2018, https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Poverty&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1702&t=Poverty&vintage=2018&hidePreview=true
United States Census Bureau. Poverty status in the past 12 months of families . 2018. https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Poverty&tid=ACSST1Y2018.S1702&t=Poverty&vintage=2018&hidePreview=true
Citing Datasets in Sage Data
All DataSheets created in Sage Data include a citation at the bottom in the DataCite style.
GCU does not use the DataCite Style. You will need to reformat the provided citation to APA, MLA, or Turabian format.
Sage Data utilizes Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs). DOIs are assigned to each DataSheet created. The DOI ensures that the same version of the data and infographic can be retrieved at any point in the future.
- First select the indicator(s), variables, and chart, map, graph, or ranking that you wish to save for viewing later, citing in your research, or including in your work product. Below is a trend showing median household income in three US states:
- Notice that below the infographic on the right, there is an active link labeled "Create Link (DOI)". Click to generate a DOI.
- If a DOI has already been created for this particular view, an actual DOI will display rather than "Create Link (DOI)".
- After you Create the DOI, the statistical abstract that appears below the infographic is updated to display the DOI in the same spot where "Create Link (DOI)" had appeared. This link can be copied and pasted into your work product, an email, etc.
- Using this link ensures that the person you provide it to will see the same view of the data that you selected. The DOI is included with all export options in Sage Data.
- The DOI also appears in the citation of the view - you should always include the DOI when you cite a view in your papers.
The “Cite This” icon, circled in red below, in the center tool bar of the Sage Data interface, provides options for direct export of citations formatted for several popular style guides, as well as options for export to citation management programs.
Available options include:
- DataCite (Sage Data default format)
- APA (7 th edition)
- Chicago (17 th edition)
- MLA (8 th edition)
Click on the Quotation Marks and select your preferred format. A dialog box will open with the formatted citation. “Copy to Clipboard” and then paste into your own document.
As with all electronic reference management tools, do note that the final responsibility for the citation is yours - as the author of the paper - so be sure to review the citation created against the correct style guide.
Sage Data Statistical Datasets currently supports exports to the reference management tools RefWorks, EndNote, and Zotero.
Do note that the final responsibility for the citation is yours - as the author of the paper - so you should always review the citation created using a reference manager against the correct style guide.
Export options include permanent URL links to views and/or associated data.
- These links differ from the Create DOI URLs in that the latest available data will be returned via the URL links if the more current date is selected.
- DOI links return to the exact view of the data at the time it was created.
- To explore options, open the Export icon on the center tool bar:
Four URL link options are provided:
- Sage Data provides a link back into the dataset selected.
- JSON, XML and Excel links return the data populating the chart you've created, allowing you to import results into your own applications.
