GIS Data and Resources

A dataset citation includes many of the same components of a traditional citation.

Some style manuals have not developed specific instructions for citing data. If the style guide you are using does not address data citations, you may use the basic citation elements, regardless of the type of work. Not every citation style will require all of these elements, and some may require more.

• Author(s): Who created the data? an organization, individual, group of individuals
• Title: Title of the dataset or name of the study
• Date of publication
• Publisher and/or Distributor: who has made the data available
• Edition/Version
• Electronic Location or Identifier: a URL or DOI where data was found

Some other elements to consider adding to a citation:

• Date of access: When did you access or download the data?
• Format: What type of file or resource is it?
• Scale: Use when citing a map. Not usually used for datasets.

Metadata

Where do you find the information you need in order to create your citation? Check the metadata! Metadata is data about data—it helps you find and interpret an information resource. You can usually find it in the same place you downloaded or accessed the dataset, or embedded in the data file itself.

ArcGIS Online Basemap

Esri Canada. “Topographic/Topographie” [Web Map]. Scale Not Given. “The Community Map of Canada Vector Basemap”. April 23, 2021. https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=98652eb8458a464fa95feb9bd812b29a. (September 29, 2021).

National Map dataset

U.S. Geological Survey, 2019, National Hydrography Dataset (ver. USGS National Hydrography Dataset Best Resolution (NHD) for Hydrologic Unit (HU) 4 - 2001 (published 20191002)), accessed October 23, 2019 at URL https://www.usgs.gov/national-hydrography/access-national-hydrography-products

Esri Living Atlas

Esri Landscape. “US Wind Turbine Database” ‎[Feature layer] Scale Not Given. “United States Wind Turbine Database v7.1 from USGS USWTDB.” May 15, 2024. https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=cb89c230f4d44163abd62eb18b0b94dd&view=list&sortOrder=desc&sortField=defaultFSOrder. (September 9, 2024).