Data Publication & Use Norms

University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute citation norms for data publication and use follow. These norms are not a legal document, but by adopting them, you help build a vibrant community around the data and support future efforts to unlock biodiversity data.

Citation of Data



As is best practice in scientific research, cite the data you are using. We have invested a lot of time and effort into collecting, identifying, digitizing, maintaining and publishing the biodiversity information you are using, and deserve credit for this work. You can find the preferred formats for citation at the end of this document.

Inform the data publisher(s), our individual collections, if you have used their data through publication, lodging of Genbank sequences, etc. Also let them know if you have any comments about the data, notice errors or want more information. Contact details are included in the dataset metadata and are available on the individual Biodiversity Institute collection pages.

Responsibility of Users

Use the data responsibly. The data are published to allow a better understanding of the scientific disciplines represented. Please do not use the data in any way that is unlawful, harmful or misleading. The data are subject to change, errors and sampling bias and are provided as-is — although best efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of data. Protect the reputation of the data publisher and clearly indicate any changes you may have made to the data.  

Respect the Data License

Understand and respect the data license or waiver under which the data are published. It is indicated in the rights field of every record and in the dataset metadata. All KU Biodiversity Institute datasets are published under a Public domain (CC) Attribution (BY) 4.0 license. Do not remove the public domain mark or provide misleading information about the copyright status.

Preferred Citations

These are the preferred formats for citing data published using Biodiversity Institute data. If other citation practices apply, feel free to use them. We do request, however, that you always include a link to the data source.

Aggregated data

Format: [list of data publishers]. http://data.canadensys.net/explorer (accessed on [date]).

Single dataset

Format with DOI: [dataset name] from [data publisher]. http://dx.doi.org/ [DOI of dataset] (accessed on [date]). 



Format without DOI: [dataset name] from [data publisher]. [link to dataset] (accessed on [date]).

Single specimen/observation record

Format: [record id], [dataset name] from [data publisher]. [link to dataset] (accessed on [date]).  

Where can you find the elements to create a citation?

All the elements can be found in the Darwin Core fields for each record you download:

•    [data publisher]: in institutionCode (and rightsHolder). This is also the institution that has registered the dataset with GBIF.

•    [dataset name]: in datasetName. This is also the title of the dataset in its metadata and on its repository page.

•    [link to dataset]: in datasetID. This link redirects to the human readable repository page of the dataset.

•    [record id]: in catalogNumber. If no catalog number is available, use occurrenceID.

Please note: This text has been adapted from the Canadensys norms.