All use of SEDAC data and information should be cited according to our Guidelines.

We ask users of SEDAC data to please cite the use of our data in your work. Citing data files and information retrieved from online sources is important for the following reasons:

• The authors and developers of a dataset, whether published or unpublished, should be acknowledged.

• Our funding agencies, our data sources, and our partners benefit from knowing that the data and information products we distribute are useful to the user community we support. One way of doing this is by tracking the use of data and information in publications.

• For the integrity of science, in that the inclusion of data citations provides the relevant information needed for readers to obtain a copy of the same data for further information or analysis.

To date, there is no universal standard for citing data and computer files. In fact, citing unpublished data (data not yet published in the scientific literature) as part of a reference list, even when electronically archived and made available through the Internet, is not allowed by some journals. These data are usually treated as a personal communication, and may only be mentioned within the body of the text, footnotes, or acknowledgements. Whenever possible, we urge you to cite the use of data and web resources in the reference section.

Most of our datasets and products contain a suggested citation on the Web site as to where the data was obtained, or in an associated read-me file. If a suggested citation is not available, the necessary information for putting together a citation should be available from the Web site, read-me file, and/or metadata record (metadata records are available through the SEDAC catalog). If any citation information is missing, or if you need help formatting your citation, please contact SEDAC User Services.

The following guidelines offer assistance for preparing citations of data, tables, maps, online applications, and other research-related information. The guide describes each element recommended for inclusion in a citation and offers examples for citing various resources. For specific formatting guidelines, please consult the style guide recommended by your publisher.

Guidelines for Preparing Citations

Basic Identifying Information to Include in a Citation:

• Primary responsibility. Contributing Investigator/Authors.

• Title of the work. If the work is part of a larger work, give the title of the specific part you are referring to. You may also include the title of the larger work. Several of our datasets are part of larger collections; in the title field of the metadata record the collection name will appear in front of the dataset name, as a way to collocate records from the same collection when displayed in a list. "Collection name: Dataset name".

• Year of publication, issue, release. This is the date when the actual dataset was published, issued, or released, not  the date when the data were collected, created, or processed, nor the date or dates of the phenomena characterized by the data.

• Edition/ Version.

• Type of resource, format. Essential if not a publication and not identified in the title. For example: [map], [data], [application], [online application], [computer program]. An online application is one that is used online, whereas an application not specified as online may be software that is downloaded to a personal computer (e.g., mapping application or data conversion software).

• Physical medium. Identify the physical medium if other than print (paper, pdf, html) and not identified in the title. For example:[CD-ROM], [online], [computer file]. The physical medium and type of resource statement can be combined as one statement, e.g.: [online data].

• Statement of responsibility for dynamically generated data and maps. Include the name of the person who generated the data extraction, tabulation, or map obtained from an online application.

• Publisher and place of publication. The entity responsible for making the resource available. This can also be thought of as the producer. Do not be confused by the seeming contradiction of a publisher statement when citing unpublished data. Published data, in that sense, refers to data published in scientific papers.

• Distributor. Sometimes we distribute data published by other individuals or organizations. When this is the case, include the distributor as well as the publisher. Adding a statement of function, e.g., [distributor], is optional.

• Availability and access. URL or FTP site where cited material appears.

• Retrieval statement. The date accessed (for Web pages) or date generated (for dynamically generated maps and datasets). This is very important for documents that are subject to change. But for citations to datasets and documents with publication dates and revision dates, it is not important to cite a retrieval date.

GENERAL FORMAT:

Dataset is not part of a collection:
Contributing Authors. Pub Year. Dataset Title [format and/or medium]. Publisher location: Publisher Name. URL. Date accessed.

Dataset is part of a collection (Collection: Dataset):
Contributing Authors. Pub Year. Collection: Dataset Title [format and/or medium]. Publisher location: Publisher Name. URL. Date accessed.

Dataset is part of a collection (Dataset. From: Collection):
Contributing Authors. Pub Year. Dataset Title [format and/or medium]. From: Collection. Publisher location: Publisher Name. URL. Date accessed.

EXAMPLES:

Dataset that is not part of a collection:
Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and World Resources Institute (WRI). 2000. Gridded Population of the World (GPW), Version 2 [online data]. Palisades, NY: CIESIN, Columbia University. Available at http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/plue/gpw, retrieved July 1, 2003.

Collection: Dataset:
Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). 1996. Archive of Census Related Products (ACRP): 1990 Summary Tape file (STF1B) [online data]. Palisades, NY: CIESIN. Available at: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/plue/cenguide.html, retrieved July 1, 2003.

Dataset. From: Collection. There is no need to specify "[data]" when data is part of the title:
Chinese Academy of Surveying and Mapping (CASM), University of Washington China in Time and Space (CITAS) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) (1996). China Administrative Regions GIS Data: 1:1M, County Level, 1 July 1990. From: China Dimensions Data Collection. Palisades, NY: CIESIN. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/china/admin/bnd9071/bnd9071.html, retrieved July 1, 2003.

GENERAL FORMAT:

EXAMPLE:

Data published as a report. The report and data are available online:
World Economic Forum, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and CIESIN. 2002. Environmental Sustainability Index. New Haven, Ct.: Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. Available at: http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/indicators/ESI/downloads.html; accessed July 1, 2003.

GENERAL FORMAT:

Contributing Authors (Pub Year). Dataset Title. [Data Format]; generated by Your Name; using Title of the Work, Version (if applicable). [Application]. Publisher location: Publisher Name [distributor]. URL. (date generated)

EXAMPLES:

World Conservation Union (IUCN) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). (2002) Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC) Treaty Status Dataset; generated by John Doe; using ENTRI Service [online application]. Palisades, NY: CIESIN, Columbia University. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu:9080/entri/index.jsp; accessed May 1, 2004.

Producer and distributor are different:
Rosenzweig, Cynthia and Iglesias, Ana (1999). Crop Climate Dataset; generated by John Doe; using Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) Crop-Climate Study Dataset Query Service [online application]. New York: GISS [producer], Palisades, NY: CIESIN [distributor] http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/giss_crop_study/index.html; accessed May 1, 2004.

GENERAL FORMAT:

Contributing Authors. Pub Year. Map Title, Data date if known [map]. Scale if known; From: Title of the Larger Work or Collection, Version (if applicable). Publisher Location: Publisher Name. URL.

EXAMPLE:

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and World Resources Institute (WRI). 2000. Africa Population Density, 1995 [map] Scale not given. From: Gridded Population of the World (GPW), Version 2. Palisades, NY: CIESIN. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/plue/gpw.

GENERAL FORMAT:

Contributing Authors (Pub Year). Map Title [map]. Data date if known. Scale if known; generated by Your Name; using Title of the Work, Version (if applicable). [online application]. Publisher location: Publisher Name [distributor]. URL. (date generated)

EXAMPLES:

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). 1997. Map Title [map]. Data date if known. Scale unknown; generated by John Doe; using DDViewer [online application], Palisades, NY: CIESIN. http://plue.sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/plue/ddviewer/. (May 1, 2004)

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Terrestrial Systems [map]. 2002. Scale unknown; generated by John Doe; using ESI Viewer [online application], Palisades, NY: CIESIN, Columbia University. http://maps.ciesin.columbia.edu/esi/. (May 1, 2004)

GENERAL FORMAT:

Contributing Authors. Pub Year. Title of the Work, Version (if applicable). [online]. Publisher location: Publisher Name. URL.

EXAMPLES:

-- Document written specifically for the Web

DeSherbinin, A., D. Balk, K. Yager, M. Jaiteh, F. Pozzi, C. Giri, and A. Wannebo. 2002. Social Science Applications of Remote Sensing: CIESIN Thematic Guides. Palisades, NY: Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/tg/guide_main.jsp; accessed May 1, 2004

-- Conference paper

De Sherbinin, Alex. (2003). The Role of Sustainability Indicators as a Tool for Assessing Territorial Environmental Competitiveness, International Forum for Rural Development, November 4-6, 2003, Brasilia, Brazil. http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/pdf/IFRD_adesherbinin_paper_20nov03.pdf; accessed May 1, 2004

-- Report

World Economic Forum, Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and CIESIN. 2002. Environmental Sustainability Index: an initiative of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow Environment Task Force, World Economic Forum annual meeting. New Haven, Ct.: Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. Available at: http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/indicators/ESI/downloads.html; accessed May 1, 2004

--Document from an online database:

An International Agreement retrieved from the ENTRI service:
Agreement Concerning Cooperation in Marine Fishing. 28 July 1962. Retrieved from: Environmental Treaties and Resource Indicators (ENTRI) [online application]; Palisades, NY: CIESIN, Columbia University [distributor]. http:// http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/entri/; accessed May 1, 2004.

GENERAL FORMAT:

Contributing Authors, Pub Year. Title of the Work [medium], Version (if applicable). [online application]. Publisher location: Publisher Name [distributor]. URL.

EXAMPLE:

Blodgett, John and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), 1998. Geographic Correspondence Engine (Geocorr), Version 3.0 [online application]. Palisades, NY: CIESIN, Columbia University. URL: http://plue.sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/plue/geocorr/

Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). 2004. Page Title [web page]. Available at http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/ from SEDAC, Palisades, NY. Accessed Date.

Guidelines for an Acknowledgement

When a formal citation can not be included in the references, we ask that you acknowledge the data center with a reference such as:

These data are distributed by the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), located at the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) of Columbia University, NY. http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu

These guidelines were derived from the following sources:

• APA Style Guide: Reference Examples for Electronic Source Materials

• "Bibliographic Citations for Computer Files," by Laine G.M.Ruus and Anna Bombak

• Citing Maps, Ohio Wesleyan University

• Excerpts from the ISO DIS 690-–2: Information and documentation—Bibliographic references—Part 2: Electronic documents or parts thereof

• Guide to Citing Maps & Atlases

• International Standards Organization (ISO)

• Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)

• Task Force on Citation of Geoscience Data (an initiative of the Geoscience Information Society)

• U.S. Census Bureau, Suggested Citation Styles

Need help or information? Contact SEDAC User Services

About SEDAC  Acknowledgments

Copyright © 1997-2008.
The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.

Privacy Policy and Important Notices