Data is factual information used as a basis for reasoning, discussion, or calculation. It can be either quantitative or qualitative and can be represented in a variety of forms such as graphs, tables, or charts. Statistics are numerical data that has been organized and interpreted.
Data/Statistics can be found in a variety of sources including databases, websites, and print publications. Below are some commonly used sources to find data in a variety of disciplines.
For more subject-specific data sources, consult the applicable subject guide.
Citing Statistics
When referencing a statistic within a paper/project, cite its source following the applicable style manual.
Example 1
For example if referencing a statistic from an article, cite the article according to convention.
In-Text Citation
"Overall, private-label foods and beverages have crept up to a 20.6 percent share of grocery dollars from 18.7 percent before the pandemic, according to the market research firm Circana." (Creswell, 2023, para. 6).
Reference Citation
Creswell, J. (2023, October 17). Those Doritos too expensive? More stores offer their own alternatives. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/business/private-label-food-groceries.html
Example 2
For example if referencing a statistic from a table, cite the table according to convention.
In-Text Citation
In 2023, Lay's had more than double the sales of any other potato chip brand in the United States (Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, 2023).
Reference Citation
Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery. (2023, July 27). Sales of the leading potato chip brands of the United States in 2023 (in million U.S. dollars) [Graph]. Statista. https://www.statista.com/statistics/188222/top-potato-chip-brands-in-the-united-states/
Citing Data
Data requires citations for the same reasons journal articles and other types of publications require citations: to acknowledge the original author/producer and to help other researchers find the resource.
A dataset citation includes all of the same components as any other citation:
Unfortunately, standards for the citation of data are not uniformly agreed upon and have yet to be codified by the National Information Standards Organization (an organization that sets technical standards for other bibliographic materials). However, many data providers and distributors and some style manuals do provide guidelines. Be sure to follow the general citation format for the style manual your professor has asked you to use. It is always better to provide more information about a resource rather than less!
Example in APA 7th:
Milberger, S. (2002). Evaluation of violence against women with physical disabilities in Michigan, 2000-2001 (ICPSR 3414, Version V1) [Data set]. ICPSR. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03414