Data and Statistics

Some style manuals provide rules for the citation of data, but others do not.

You may need to build a citation following the general rules of the style you are using. A dataset citation contains all the same elements as any other citation:

• Author,
• Title,
• Year of publication,
• Publisher (for data, this is often the archive where it is housed),
  • A dataset can have both a producer (the organization that sponsored the author's research) and a distributor (the organization that makes the dataset available for download and use).
  • You may need to distinguish between the producer and the distributor by adding explanatory brackets, e.g., [producer] and [distributor].
• Edition or version,
• Material designator,
  • May not be required depending on the citation style being used.
  • What type of file is the dataset, e.g. CD-ROM, online, etc.?
  • Often this information is added in explanatory brackets, e.g., [computer file].
• Access information (URL or other persistent identifier).

Examples

All examples presented below follow the APA style citation.

Canadian Census

Statistics Canada. (2023). Census Profile: 2021 Census of Population. (Catalogue no. 98-316-X2021001). Statistics Canada. https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E

Canadian Community Health Survey

Statistics Canada. (2022). Table 13-10-0113-01 Health characteristics, two-year period estimates [Data table]. https://doi.org/10.25318/1310011301-eng

Data Visualization Tool (Electronic Source – Graphic Data)

Statistics Canada. (2019). Canadian Community Crime Tracker [Data visualization tool]. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/71-607-x/71-607-x2018008-eng.htm

Data Table without a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
*For the title, include the table number before the title.

Statistics Canada. (2019). Table 13-10-0096-05 Life satisfaction, satisfied or very satisfied, by age group [Data table]. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1310009605

Data Table with a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
*For the title, include the table number before the title.

Statistics Canada. (2019). Table 13-10-0096-05 Life satisfaction, satisfied or very satisfied, by age group [Data table]. https://www.doi.org/10.25318/1310009605-eng

Infographic

Statistics Canada. (2019). Self-employment in Canada, 2018 [Infographic]. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/11-627-m/11-627-m2019040-eng.htm

Article in a Journal/Periodical

Clarke, J., Colley, R., Janssen, I., & Tremblay, M. S. (2019). Accelerometer-measured moderate-to-vigorous physical activity of Canadian adults, 2007 to 2017. Health Reports, 30(8), 3-10. https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x201900800001-eng

Video

Statistics Canada. (2018, November 28). Highlights from the Canadian Survey on Disability, 2017, American Sign Language version [Video]. https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/sc/video/csd-2017-asl