PDS: The Planetary Data System
Citing PDS3 Data
When using data which have been provided by PDS in publications and research, we encourage you to cite PDS as the data source.
Why should you acknowledge and cite PDS data?
How to identify specific PDS3 data products that were used?
How to acknowledge and cite PDS data?
Whom to contact if you need help on a citation?
| Why should you acknowledge and cite PDS data? |
Proper documentation of data sources is important in scientific research. Source checks are one of several methods for assessing the soundness of analyses and for extending the work reported. Should there be questions about methods or conclusions, unambiguous source information simplifies replication (and defense) of the initial report.
| How to identify specific PDS3 data products that were used? |
When you are working on a publication or presentation and need to identify particular PDS3 data products that were used, it is recommended that you provide these two items so that users can easily locate the data:
- 1. The PDS Data Set ID
- 2. The Product ID of the particular product (as referenced in the product's PDS label).
| How to acknowledge and cite PDS data? |
When referencing PDS data in publications or presentations, please provide an acknowledgment so that proper credit can be extended to NASA, its missions, science data providers, and/or their partners.
Examples are provided below for general acknowledgments, data set citations in a reference listing, and online web images and other data. General acknowledgments and web citations are appropriate for use on either a web page or in a presentation. The more formal reference citation should be used in a journal article.
Acknowledgment:
A general statement crediting PDS for data, assistance, and/or review should be included in a paragraph at the end of an article. For example:
- The VG1/VG2-SR-ISS-4-PROFILES-V1.0 data set was obtained from the Planetary Data System (PDS).
Acknowledgment of a PDS Discipline Node should be given if the node actively assisted in obtaining or using the data. Examples:
- Data and support were provided by the PDS Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node. See Eliason, Eric M., Susan K. LaVoie and Laurence A. Soderblom, The Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node for the Planetary Data System, Planet. Space Sci., Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 23-32, 1996.
- Data and assistance were provided by the Navigation and Ancillary Information Facility. See Acton, Charles H., Jr., Ancillary data services of NASA's Navigation and Ancillary Information Facilty, Planet. Space Sci., Vol. 44, No. 1, pp 65-70, 1996.
Reference citation:
Reference citations for each data set are listed in the PDS catalog. References can be listed with or without authors. Author in the case of PDS references generally refers to the investigator. Details vary among journals; authors should follow specific instructions from publishers. For example:
- Murchie, S., Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars Limb Data Record, data set MRO-M-CRISM-6-LDR-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, 2010.
- Gaskell, R.W., Gaskell Eros Shape Model V1.0. NEAR-A-MSI-5-EROSSHAPE-V1.0. NASA Planetary Data System, 2008.
- Esposito, L. (et al.), Cassini Ultraviolet Imaging Spectrograph Jupiter Flyby Data, NASA Planetary Data System, CO-S-UVIS-2-WAV-V1.0, 2005.
PDS Web Citation:
Citations for specific products can be included as URLs embedded in captions. For example:
More general web citations can include text and an embedded link to the source site. For example:
- Mars images were obtained from the PDS Cartography and Imaging Sciences Node.
- Data were obtained from the PDS Geoscience Node and the PDS PPI Node.
| Whom to contact if you need help on a citation? |
Need guidance for citing a data source? Please contact the PDS Operator at pds_operator@jpl.nasa.gov.
