How to Cite Data Sets in APA

  • Author: The creator of the data set; this can be individuals or an organization.
  • Year: The year the data set was published or released.
  • Title of data set: Italicize the title of the data set.
  • Version number: The version of the dataset referenced; this should be the most recent version available at the time of publication.
  • Data set description: Include a description of the data set in brackets. The exact language is flexible; the most common description is [Data set], and other options include [Unpublished raw data set] or [Data set and code book].
  • Publisher: The group or organization that generates or curates the data set.
  • Retrieval date: Include a retrieval date if the data set has been or is expected to be updated. Otherwise, this may be omitted.
  • DOI or URL: The digital object identifier assigned to the data set, or the URL. Use the DOI if it is available; otherwise, use the URL.

Citation for a Data Set

Citation
Morey, R., & Wagenmakers, E. (2014). Crowdstorming a Data Set: Do Soccer Referees Give More Red Cards to Dark Skin Toned Players? (Version 1) [Data set]. Open Science Framework. https://www.osf.io/wfvpc
Structure
Surname, Initial., & Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of dataset (Version number) [Data set]. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx or URL 

Citation for a Data Set with a Group Author

Citation
Pew Research Center. (2022). Social trends survey (Version 1) [Data set]. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/datasets/soc-trends-survey-2022
Structure
Group Name. (Year). Title of dataset (Version number) [Data set]. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx or URL

Citation for an Unpublished Data Set

Citation
Radian, K. (2019). Youth digital behavior survey [Unpublished raw data set]. Cleveland Clinic Department of Pediatrics. ​Retrieved November 18, 2025.
Structure
Surname, Initial. (Year). Title of dataset [Unpublished raw data set]. Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year.  

Group authors can also serve as the publisher: It is possible to have the same author and publisher if the organization has both collected and curated the dataset.

Cite the most recent version of a data set: If a data set has been updated since the original publication, cite the year of the most recent update and indicate the latest version number in parentheses after the title. Include a retrieval date before the DOI or URL, structured as “Retrieved Month Day, Year”.

Unpublished data sets may not have a DOI or URL: Unpublished or internal data sets may not have a DOI or URL to include in the citation. In that case, you may omit the DOI or URL and indicate that the data set is unpublished in the bracketed description.

Cite the primary source: If you locate the data set through a secondary source, seek out and cite the original source of the data set.

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Kathryn Vela

Kathryn Vela is a medical librarian and published author with nearly ten years of experience in hospital, academic, and corporate libraries. Her expertise includes information retrieval, health information outreach, and scholarly communication. She holds an MLIS from San Jose State University, a BS in Biology from Washington State University, and advanced certifications in systematic review services and data analysis.

Learn how to cite in APA