If you refer to a dataset in you work, you need to cite it like you would any other source. But how do you cite a dataset in IEEE referencing? Our guide below explains both in-text citations and reference list entries for datasets.
IEEE referencing is a number–note system. This means that you number sources sequentially in the order you cite them in your work, which then determines:
To cite a dataset in IEEE style, then, you will need to give the source number (i.e., its position in your reference list) in square brackets in the text. For instance:
Visualization design environments are key for this process [3].
Here, we’re citing the third source for the reference list. For more information on citing sources in the IEEE referencing style, see our blog post on the subject.
Datasets are now typically accessed online. This means you will need to include details for how you accessed the data in the reference list entry. But the exact format will depend on whether the dataset has a URL or a DOI.
The basic format for a dataset with a URL in IEEE referencing is:
[#] INITIAL(S). Surname or Organization Name, Title of Dataset. (Date, Year). Distributed by Publisher/Distributor. Accessed: date of access. [Online]. Available: URL
Note that IEEE style does not require a period after the URL in a reference list entry. In practice, then, an entry for a dataset with a URL would look like this: