The GHDx includes suggested citations for datasets in order to encourage users to credit the production and publication of data. Because each publication has different requirements for citations, we expect users to customize the citations, such as to change the order and format of the elements.
We include in our citations the contributors, such as the data designers, collectors, cleaners, and processors; the title; and the publisher information if known. We do our best to determine appropriate source information for the data. We do not designate specific roles for contributors because that information is often unavailable or unclear, and in some cases, complete contributor and funder information is simply unavailable. In cases where publication information is not listed, it is missing because either the data may not be published (data are unavailable) or the information about original publication is unavailable. If you see a citation for a dataset you worked on that you think is incorrect, please let us know.
Here is the basic formula we use: Contributor. Title. City, Country: Publisher or Primary Distributor, Year Published.
We would like to encourage data users to cite datasets downloaded from the Internet with an accessed date, as well as the URL from which the data were acquired or a unique, permanent identifier if one is available. Also, if a dataset has multiple versions or release dates, the more specific you can make your citation, the more replicable your research will be.
