Introduction

Whether you are writing a research paper, an article, or a book, citing your sources is critical to maintaining the credibility and integrity of your work. Databases are valuable sources of information for any research, but how do you properly cite them? Here are three common citation styles used for citing a database: APA (American Psychological Association), MLA (Modern Language Association), and Chicago/Turabian.

1. APA Citation Style

The APA citation style is commonly used in the social sciences, education, and psychology fields. To cite a database in APA style, follow this format:

Author’s last name, First initial(s). (Year of publication). Title of the dataset: Subtitle if applicable (Version if available) [Description of form]. Database name. URL (if applicable)

Here is an example of citing a report from a government database:

Smith, J.A. (2020). Annual crime rates in Los Angeles: A report based on police data (Version 2) [Data set]. FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program. https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/ucr

2. MLA Citation Style

The MLA citation style is often used in the humanities and liberal arts fields. To cite a database in MLA style, use this format:

Author’s Last name, First name. “Title of the Dataset: Subtitle if Applicable.” Database Name, Year of Publication, URL.

Here is an example using MLA citation style:

Doe, Jane. “Census Data on Urban Households: A Study on Poverty.” Census Bureau Database, 2019,

http://www.census.gov/urban_households

3. Chicago/Turabian Citation Style

Chicago/Turabian citation style is widely used in various fields such as history and art history. To cite a database using the Chicago/Turabian style, follow this format:

Author’s Last name, First name. Title of the Dataset: Subtitle if Applicable. Version if available. Database Name. Year of Publication. URL.

Here is an example for Chicago/Turabian citation style:

Brown, John. Historical Immigration Patterns: A Comparative Analysis. Version 3. Worldwide Immigration

Database. 2018. https://www.immigrationdb.org/patterns

Conclusion

Properly citing a database is crucial for maintaining the credibility of your research and avoiding plagiarism risks. Familiarity with APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian citation styles will ensure that you correctly acknowledge the source, allowing other researchers to verify your work and build upon it in the future.