MLA (9th edition) · Dataset
How to cite a dataset in MLA (9th edition)
Datasets are citable research outputs with their own DOIs, versions, and repositories. Citing the data you analysed, and the exact version of it, is what makes your analysis reproducible. The classic mistake is citing the paper about the data when your numbers came from the dataset itself.
Worked example · MLA (9th edition)
Lovelace, Ada. “Graduate Completion Rates 2015-2025.” Version 2.1, Example Data Repository, 2025, https://doi.org/10.1000/edr.grad.2025.
Rendered with the official MLA (9th edition) style file from a placeholder source (reserved example DOI and domain), so the format is exactly what the style produces. In text: Author-page in-text citations, for example (Author 23), with a Works Cited list.
What to collect before you cite a dataset
- Creator or depositing organisation
- Dataset title
- Version you used
- Repository that hosts it
- Publication or deposit year
- DOI, which serious repositories always assign
Have a DOI? Generate the reference instantly
Journal articles, many books and reports carry a DOI. Paste it and get the MLA (9th edition) entry from the same engine that produced the example above.
Citing a whole thesis, not one source?
CiteDash keeps your bibliography in MLA (9th edition) automatically, verifies every citation against a real paper, and compiles to DOCX, PDF or LaTeX.
Citing a dataset in MLA (9th edition): FAQ
Do I cite the dataset or the paper that describes it?
Both, doing different jobs: the dataset citation covers the numbers you analysed, the paper covers the methodology you relied on. If you only used one, cite that one.
Why does the version matter so much?
Because repositories update data. Someone re-running your analysis on version 3 when you used version 2.1 may get different results and conclude you were wrong.
The data I used is restricted. Can I still cite it?
Yes, cite it normally and describe the access route in your methods. A citation is about identification, not about the reader's permissions.
What does the in-text citation look like in MLA (9th edition)?
Author-page in-text citations, for example (Author 23), with a Works Cited list.
Is the example on this page hand-written?
No. It is rendered by the same citation engine and official CSL style file CiteDash uses for full thesis bibliographies, from a clearly-marked placeholder source, and a test re-renders it on every release so the page can never drift from the engine.