Dataset and Software References and Citation Examples

(updated Dec 2022)

  1. 1. Datasets
  2. 2. Software

1. Datasets

  • a. General format

Whenever possible, datasets should be referenced directly via a listing in the references in the following style:

Dataset authors/producers, data release year: Dataset title, version. Data archive/distributor, access date (DD Month YYYY), data locator/identifier (doi or URL).

Note that references to papers that introduce or describe a dataset and/or mentions in the acknowledgments are no longer considered adequate, as these often fail to give a reader sufficient information to access the specific data used. For more information, see the AMS Data and Software Policy and Guidelines.

  • b. Other Examples

Other citation elements should be used where applicable, such as dataset editors, subsets used, and the data archive or distributor physical location.

  • Knutti, R., 2014: IPCC Working Group I AR5 snapshot: The rcp85 experiment. DKRZ World Data Center for Climate, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.1594/WDCC/ETHR8.

  • Lawrimore, J. H., M. J. Menne, B. E. Gleason, C. N. Williams, D. B. Wuertz, R. S. Vose, and J. Rennie, 2011: Global Historical Climatology Network–Monthly (GHCN-M), version 3. NOAA National Climatic Data Center, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.7289/V5X34VDR.

  • Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program, 1998: Illinois Climate Network. Prairie Research Institute Illinois State Water Survey, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.13012/J8MW2F2Q.

  • Eicken, H., R. Gradinger, T. Heinrichs, M. Johnson, A. Lovecraft, and M. Kaufman 2012: SMMR and SSM/I derived dates of Arctic sea ice surface melt/freeze. UCAR/NCAR–CISL–ACADIS, accessed 8 August 2021, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6KW5CXQ.

Here are further examples of data subsets and data that are dynamically updated daily without distinct versions:

  • NOAA/NCDC, 2013: VIIRS Climate Raw Data Record (C-RDR) from Suomi NPP, version 1. NOAA/National Climatic Data Center. Subset used: October 2007–September 2008, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.7289/V57P8W90.

  • NOAA/NCEP, 2000: NCEP FNL Operational Model Global Tropospheric Analyses, continuing from July 1999 (updated daily). National Center for Atmospheric Research Computational and Information Systems Laboratory Research Data Archive, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6M043C6.

More dataset reference examples:

  • Cavalieri, D. J., C. L. Parkinson, P. Gloersen, and H. J. Zwally, 1996: Sea ice concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS passive microwave data, version 1. Subset used: Northern Hemisphere daily data (updated yearly), NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center, accessed 10 November 2022, https://doi.org/10.5067/8GQ8LZQVL0VL.

  • CERES Science Team, 2015: CERES SYN1deg, version Edition 3A. Subset: Daily, March 2000–May 2013, NASA Atmospheric Science Data Center, accessed 11 November 2022, https://doi.org/10.5067/Terra+Aqua/CERES/SYN1degDAY_L3.003A.

  • CloudSat, 2007: 2B-CLDCLASS-LIDAR P_R04. Subset: 2007–2010, CloudSat Data Processing Center, accessed 19 November 2022, http://www.cloudsat.cira.colostate.edu/data-products/level-2b/2b-cldclass-lidar?term=26.

  • Comiso, J. C., 2000: Bootstrap sea ice concentrations from Nimbus-7 SMMR and DMSP SSM/I-SSMIS, version 2. Subset used: Northern Hemisphere daily data (updated yearly), National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center, accessed 10 November 2022, https://doi.org/10.5067/J6JQLS9EJ5HU.

  • Dutton, E. G., D. Halliwell, A. Herber, M. Maturilli, and V. Kustov, 2014: Basic measurements of radiation from the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN) of five stations in the years 1993 to 2013 for the December, January, and February seasons, reference list of 142 datasets. PANGEA, accessed 19 July 2022, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.150003.

  • ECMWF, 2009: ERA-Interim project. National Center for Atmospheric Research Computational and Information Systems Laboratory Research Data Archive, accessed 30 March 2022, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6CR5RD9.

  • Eicken, H., R. Gradinger, T. Heinrichs, M. Johnson, A. Lovecraft, and M. Kaufman, 2012: SMMR and SSM/I derived dates of Arctic sea ice surface melt/freeze. UCAR/NCAR–CISL–ACADIS, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6KW5CXQ.

  • GPM Science Team, 2014: GPM GMI Level 1C Common Calibrated Brightness Temperatures Collocated, version 03. NASA Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center, accessed 10 November 2022, http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/datacollection/GPM_1CGPMGMI_V03.html.

  • Hopkins, R., T. Addis, and the Puma Ocean Racing Team, 2015: Sea surface temperature (SST) and surface current data collected from the Mar Mostro during the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) from 2011-11-05 to 2012-07-12, version 1.1. NCEI Accession 0130694, NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Information, accessed 18 August 2022, http://data.nodc.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/iso?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0130694.

  • Iguchi, T., and R. Meneghini, 2014: GPM DPR Level 2A DPR Environment, V03 (GPM 2ADPR), version 03. NASA Goddard Earth Science Data and Information Services Center, accessed 8 April 2021, http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/datacollection/GPM_2ADPR_V03.html.

  • Knutti, R., 2014: IPCC Working Group I AR5 snapshot: The rcp85 experiment. DKRZ World Data Center for Climate, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.1594/WDCC/ETHR8.

  • Lawrimore, J. H., M. J. Menne, B. E. Gleason, C. N. Williams, D. B. Wuertz, R. S. Vose, and J. Rennie, 2011: Global Historical Climatology Network–Monthly (GHCN-M), version 3. NOAA National Climatic Data Center, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.7289/V5X34VDR.

  • Mocko, D., 2013:  NASA/GSFC/HSL, NLDAS Forcing Data L4 Monthly Climatology 0.125 x 0.125 degree, version 001. Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center, accessed 10 November 2022, https://doi.org/10.5067/AAX6TSE317FP.

  • NOAA/NCEP, 1995: NCEP/NCAR Global Reanalysis 8-day Forecast Products. NCAR Computational and Information Systems Laboratory Research Data Archive, accessed 19 November 2022, http://rda.ucar.edu/datasets/ds090.1/.

  • NOAA/NCDC, 2013: VIIRS Climate Raw Data Record (C-RDR) from Suomi NPP, version 1. Subset used: October 2007–September 2008, NOAA/National Climatic Data Center, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.7289/V57P8W90.

  • NOAA/NCEP, 2000: NCEP FNL Operational Model Global Tropospheric Analyses, continuing from July 1999 (updated daily). NCAR Computational and Information Systems Laboratory Research Data Archive, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6M043C6.

  • NOAA/OSPO, 2014: GHRSST Level 2P Global Skin Sea Surface Temperature from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the Suomi NPP satellite created by the NOAA Advanced Clear-Sky Processor for Ocean (ACSPO). Version 2.3. PO.DAAC, accessed 11 November 2022, https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/VIIRS_NPP-OSPO-L2P-v2.3.

  • OWLES, 2014: NCEP Global Forecast System Model. Subset used: 0600:00 UTC 29  January 2014, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research Earth Observing Laboratory, accessed 10 November 2022, http://catalog.eol.ucar.edu/owles/33/date/2014/01/29.

  • Perovich, D. K., J. A. Richter-Menge, B. Elder, T. Arbetter, K. Claffey, and C. Polashenski, 2013:  Mass Balance: Buoy 2015F. Subset used: August 13, 2015–present, Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, accessed 10 November 2022, http://imb.erdc.dren.mil/2015F.htm.

  • Saha, S., and Coauthors, 2010: NCEP Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) Selected Hourly Time-Series Products, January 1979 to December 2010. NCAR Computational and Information Systems Laboratory Research Data Archive, accessed 11 November 2022, https://doi.org/10.5065/D6513W89.

  • Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program, 1998: Illinois Climate Network. Prairie Research Institute Illinois State Water Survey, accessed 17 December 2022, https://doi.org/10.13012/J8MW2F2Q.

2. Software

The following examples are derived from Katz et al. (2021), which is recommended as a general guide for citing software.

  • a. General Format

The general format for downloaded software should follow this model:

  • Developer, A. A., B. B. Developer, and C. C. Developer, yyyy: Title of the software: Subtitle (Version #.#). Publisher, https://URL5 [or DOI].

If no version number exists, the format should be modified to:

  • Developer, A. A., B. B. Developer, and C. C. Developer, yyyy: Title of the software: Subtitle. Archive name, accessed day month year, https://URL [or DOI].

  • b. Other Examples

Ideal citations contain the specific version of the software, where all recommended information is present:

  • Coon, E., and Coauthors, 2020: Advanced Terrestrial Simulator (ATS) v0.88 (Version 0.88). Zenodo,https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3727209.

  • Lab for Exosphere and Near Space Environment Studies, 2019: lenses-lab/LYAO_RT-2018JA026426: Original Release (Version 1.0.0). Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2598836.

  • Schuster, D., M. Mayernik, and G. Mullendore, 2022: Products developed through the "What About Model Data?, Determining Best Practices for Preservation and Replicability, EarthCube Research Coordination Network" project, version 1.0. UCAR/NCAR Geoscience Data Exchange, accessed 7 June 2022, https://doi.org/10.5065/g936-q118.

Citations referencing software that is preserved in a software archive (e.g. Software Heritage):

  • Delebecque, F., C. Gomez, M. Goursat, R. Nikoukhah, S. Steer, and J.-P. Chancelier, 1994: Scilab (Version 1.1). Software Heritage, swh:1:dir:1ba0b67b5d0c8f10961d878d91ae9d6e499d746a;origin=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02090402.

  • Di Cosmo, R., and M. Danelutto, 2020: The Parmap library: Core mapping routine (Version 1.1.1). Software Heritage, swh:1:cnt:43a6b232768017b03da934ba22d9cc3f2726a6c5;lines=192-228;origin=https://github.com/rdicosmo/parmap.

Citations for software that does not have a persistent identifier but does have a version and identifier (URL), where authorship is assigned to the project as a whole:

Citations for software where there is no version identified and where the publishing date is unknown:

Citations for software where little information is available, perhaps where only the executable program is available. For commercial software, a link to information about availability for purchase is helpful: