To uphold the FAIR principles of data, demonstrating continued value
Attributes credit to the data provider of the original data used for your research and ensures the data is Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable, thereby helping to maximize the added-value of the datasets created.
To credit the data provider and demonstrates continued value through the reuse of their data resources
Citing datasets enables research data funders to track the reuse and measure the impact of the data they provide, thereby demonstrating the wider value of creating and maintaining costly datasets.
To follow best practice
It is good scholarly practice to acknowledge any data source you use in your research, as you would cite a book or an article.
To help analysis
Unless you know where datasets have come from, it is not possible to analyse and verfiy new research.
To support reproducibility of your research
Citing data supports reproducibility of your research as it shows other researchers how you used which specific data and why.
To make identifying and finding data easier
Citations should include a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) which will always link to the data even when its location changes,
Good for your career
If your research uses data that is correctly cited, people are more likely to build on your research and cite you, which is good for your career as a researcher.
More resources
Learn how to cite data correctly in our Learning hub.